UFC head honcho Dana White shot down rumours today that Chuck Liddell would be fighting Rich Franklin next, instead of Tito Ortiz, by stating that Franklin would be fighting Randy Couture (expected to take place at UFC 115, June 12th in Vancouver). Couture vs Franklin? Thanks, but no thanks.
It’s not that this wouldn’t be a legit main event for a pay-per-view – both guys are proven main eventers. It’s that, like I’ve stated previously, I like fights that mean something. And this fight doesn’t mean anything. If the UFC wants to state that Randy Couture is a top five light heavyweight, then have him prove it by beating someone in their prime. Not a 35-year-old former middleweight who is coming off hernia surgery. And the same goes for Rich Franklin. Does beating a man nine days away from his 47th birthday show that Franklin is still an ace (excuse the pun)? Not in my books. Let’s see these guys go up against some young, up-and-comers to really see what they have left in the tank. It’s a win-win situation for the UFC – if the old veteran wins it proves that they still got it, and if the young pup wins it gives them a big name victim on their resume.
But I guess the UFC needs a main event and these guys have enough name recognition to fill the bill. Or maybe this is the UFC’s way of safely fast-tracking either Couture or Franklin into title contention, knowing that neither guy could beat any of the young top prospects in the weight class. Either way, we’ll never know. And with this fight, along with Liddell vs Ortiz, we are getting fights that mean nothing.
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