Mammoth Blog

•  Fewer places to list your tickets.
•  Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
• Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
• Policy changes, sometimes daily.

•  Control costs for brokers and consumers.
•  Keep it simple and effective, a la Google.  Read More

FlipATicket.com today announced that it is leading the charge of brokers who have united and said, "Enough is enough!". Over the course of the last several years, brokers have witnessed drastic changes the ticket industry has undergone; so drastic, in fact, that it is difficult to fully grasp.

If you were told five years ago that EI would be purchased by Ticketmaster, or that StubHub would be purchased by eBay, or that TN would morph into a gargantuan network of thousands of brokers, or that Ticket Technology would be bought by StubHub/eBay, or that LiveNation would buy every venue under the sun and ditch Ticketmaster for their own ticketing service, only to merge with Ticketmaster a few months later, would you have believed any of it? Who could have imagined that all of those things would take place in five short years?

Perhaps a better question would be: How have these changes helped your business? Let's see...

* Fewer places to list your tickets.
* Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
* Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
* Policy changes, sometimes daily.

And what is the result of these changes that we have all witnessed? You, the broker, are left holding the short end of the stick, working harder to earn less. Your choice of places to buy, sell, and trade tickets has been boiled down to making a decision between the lesser of all that is evil. That's how you grow a business, right? No, we didn't think so either.

A number of months back, the folks behind BlueBucs.com sat down and started working on ideas of how to counteract the absurdity that has transpired in our industry, and to help brokers regain control over their business and costs. They poured over so many ideas and options that it is impossible to enumerate, but their brainstorming team always came back to two primary "must do" points:

* Control costs for brokers and consumers.
* Keep it simple and effective, a la Google.

Brokers need to be able to effectively communicate with one another, and consumers need to be able to do a simple search, find the tickets they want, and make a purchase. Neither the broker nor the consumer should be gouged with a litany of fees. Folks are tired of the nickel-and-dime games!

Imagine, if you will..

* No more throwing away thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars in fees each year.
* No more ridiculous "rules" and policy changes each week that are impossible for anyone (including those imposing them) to keep up with.
* No more bowing to your "master", the ticket exchange. They should work for you, not the other way around!

The solution is FlipATicket.com, a brand new, back-to-basics site for brokers to buy and sell tickets, and retail outlet for consumer sales.

Will FlipATicket be the next StubHub, or EI, or TN? Absolutely not. And we don't want to be! Those guys define "ticket exchange", and "ticket exchange" is the problem that FlipATicket is designed to solve! Rather, the goal is to build a platform designed by, run by, and geared for ticket brokers. A platform that offers you an affordable and effective alternative for listing, buying, and selling tickets. A platform with a simple fee structure so that you don't need to hire an IRS agent to help you figure out how much revenue you just lost.

FlipATicket.com will attract customers who are just as tired as you are of dealing with a "ticket exchange". Customers that will appreciate never having to call the horrendous customer service line of a "ticket exchange", because they can now contact you, the seller, directly. The bottom line is, FlipATicket.com will provide you with more opportunities for sales to customers who are *yours*, and both you and your customer will be paying less fees!

We are currently operating in a beta test, which will run until Monday, February 28, 2011. During the beta test period, all ticket brokers will be able to buy, sell, and trade tickets - free of charge, our way of saying "Thank you!" for helping us work out any bugs and for providing feedback on features and future development ideas. As a special added bonus, during the beta test period, registered brokers will have free limited access to our flagship website, BlueBucs.com (the #1 source of presale and onsale information).

On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, all beta test accounts will be disabled, and broker accounts will be available for a nominal fee. A monthly subscription will be available for $39, or you can save 5% by choosing the annual subscription at a rate of just $444. There will be no additional fees to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.

However, we are offering special discount pricing for those who choose to partner with us during the beta launch period. We have allotted a limited number of FlipATicket memberships at deeply discounted prices. As of this posting, only 25 of these spots are available. They are available only while they last, or until the beta test ends, whichever occurs first. Choose from one of the following:

* Founding Member Lifetime Membership - A one-time fee of $999. Never pay another penny to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.
* Charter Membership - Annual subscription rate of just $365. Yes, you read correctly. Just $1 a day to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com, with no additional fees.

Again, these are being offered on a first come, first served basis. They are going fast, and will never again be offered.

Can we compete on sheer volume of sales from day one? No, we can't. But by partnering with FlipATicket.com, we can all work together and slowly but surely take back our industry, one-by-one as brokers decide for themselves: "Enough is enough!"

Register today at http://www.flipaticket.com/register

The UFC's Kimbo Slice won his first UFC battle on Saturday night, outpointing veteran mixed martial arts fighter Houston Alexander.

For Slice, who had been knocked out in his previous two cage fights, the victory was step one on the road to establishing himself as a legitimate fighter.

Slice did have to cut weight to compete at the light heavyweight level, slimming down to a lean 215 pounds.
Slice may compete at the light heavyweight level if continues his career in the UFC. Slice gained famed as street fighter on YouTube, but his professional career sputtered after he was knocked out in 14 seconds on national television.

One wonders if the UFC titel belts are made out of poisonous lead.

Anderson Silva the UFC's middleweight
champ, like heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar before him, has bowed out of his next title defense.

Silva, according to mmajunkie.com, had bone chips removed from his right elbow in October, and the joint has reportedly proved slow to heal. Silva will not fight Vitor Belfort on Feb. 6 in UFC 109 and reportedly likely won't be ready to fight until April.

The two were supposed to fight on Jan. 2 at UFC 108 but that was also pushed because of Silva's injured elbow.

What now for the UFC? How is the UFC going to stay relevant in the early part of 2010 with two of its biggest stars out for a while?

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Mobile marketing is tough enough without having to struggle to define it. The term itself is self-explanatory, right? Like long-haul trucking or indoor plumbing. Apparently not. To clear up any confusion, the Mobile Marketing Association has helpfully released a new definition of the term, which it describes as:

"A set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network."

Wait, now you really are getting confused? Don't worry, MMA has a deeper explanation of the definition. In a release issued yesterday during its Mobile Marketing Forum in Los Angeles, the trade group says the key lies in the "two parts of its taxonomy." Uh oh. Get out your notebook.

1. "The 'set of practices' includes "activities, institutions, processes, industry players, standards, advertising and media, direct response, promotions, relationship management, CRM, customer services, loyalty, social marketing, and all the many faces and facets of marketing."

How can a set of practices include "institutions" and "industry players?" And what's the difference between "faces" and "facets?" I'd like further clarification on that. But on to the second part of the elaboration:

2. "To 'engage' means to "start relationships, acquire, generate activity, stimulate social interaction with organization and community members, [and] be present at time of consumers expressed need. Furthermore, engagement can be initiated by the consumer ('Pull' in form of a click or response) or by the marketer ('Push').

Thoroughly perplexed? Sorry, that's all the MMA has on the meaning of mobile marketing. If you want further elucidation, you'll have to follow up directly with the organization.

source>>>

The Dam Letter This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries

UFC President Dana White was unhappy with the way mixed martial arts was represented during a recent episode of The Simpsons. In "The Great Wife Hope" edition of the popular cartoon show, Marge Simpson decides to pursue MMA after the entire male population of Springfield becomes addicted to UPKCC action (Ultimate Punch, Kick and Choke Championship), and face UPKCC president Chet Englebrick in a loser leaves town-type matchup to rid the town of the sport.

"I was disappointed," White told USA Today. "I think it was typical of people that don't know anything about the sport. I know it's for fun, but the second half of it really wasn't even funny."

White didn't find humor in the show's portrayal of an MMA audience. In one scene, audience members get in a fight in the parking lot after watching a bout in the "septagon".

"Which is the furthest thing from the truth at a mixed martial arts event," White noted. "That's the Red Sox-Yankees game. That's not a UFC event."

However, White does admit that there were some humorous parts of the show, like when the jiu-jitsu instructor went to town on Homer's spine. But overall, White was disappointed with the show.

"We like fighting," White stated. "But to make it sound like the UFC crowd is this bloodthirsty crowd that shows up and just want to see people get their (butts) kicked -- that's not true. That's the stigma that the mainstream has of us.

"The Simpsons program will show you how mainstream we're not," White concluded. source>>>

In the history of the Ultimate Fighter, no single man has brought with him a degree of infamy, nor a previously existing fan base anywhere near the level of Kimbo Slice.

A polarizing figure, the budding mixed martial artist with a fearsome reputation (and beard to match), has been almost solely responsible for the highest ratings to ever grace the Spike TV produced reality show. Yet, in a short order, Kimbo has proven to the world that not only is he a very green fighter, but that he has virtually no ground game to boot. If this is truly the case, why then is he continually being marketed, and is he really worth watching from a competitive standpoint?

The answers to those questions are actually quite simple. Firstly, it's business, and secondly, no he isn't.

When it comes to watching TUF, there have been relatively few surprises over the years. On a weekly basis, we are given a peek into the daily lives of the contestants present on the show, for better or for worse. From episode to episode, we learn about the life and times of these competitors from whatever angle Spike has managed to capture, piece together, and decide makes for the most interesting story line.

Regardless of how they are portrayed, fighters generally get their fair share of camera time. Their 15 minutes are almost assured, except in certain cases where the contestants are virtually devoid of personality. Welcome to the selective nature of reality TV. However, there are some notable exceptions to the rule. Occasionally, a wrench is thrown into the works, as was the case with the young and troubled Junie Allen Browning of Season 8. Still, these brief periods of extended focus, guaranteeing an extra measure of time on air, are usually a passing phase. This was, in short, how it always worked.

And then there was Kevin Ferguson. Kevin who, you may ask? Why, that's the real name of the man they call "Kimbo Slice" -- infamous street fighter, philosopher, family man, and now mixed martial artist.

From the very onset of the season, we, the viewers, have been bombarded by everything Kimbo. We are literally four episodes deep into the season, and yet, we've barely been given a glimpse of the other fifteen fighters on the cast. While the fourth episode took a determined step back, we were taunted with the possibility that despite losing a fight, Kimbo might eventually come back into the game. This sure as heck wasn't based on any semblance of fighting ability. Frankly, the only reason Kimbo would be invited back is because he enigmatically attracts millions of viewers to their TV sets. Viewership is key, and that's the network's bottom line.

In his first and hopefully only fight of the season, Kimbo was beaten handily by Roy (Big Country) Nelson. An easy series of takedowns followed by some weak (yet undefended) ground and pound was exactly what the doctor ordered. This allowed for Big Country to take the easy, and more importantly, uninjured path into the next round of the mini-tournament. Despite Dana's "unimpressed with Nelson's performance" stance, Nelson did precisely what he wanted, and he did it without taking any effectual or lasting damage.

What this proved once again, and what the majority of people need to realize, is that Kimbo may be a much nicer fellow than he appears; he may even be more eager to learn than most. The problem is that he's 35 years old, has decent striking at best, and has no semblance of a developed ground game. He is not a young buck, a Tyson of MMA, or a legitimate threat to anyone in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division. To be honest, he has little hope of ever becoming more than the infamous street fighter with a greasy beard (unless, of course, he shaves).

It's time, as they say, for the show to go on.

Riding this newfound lack of Kimbo, Team Rashad fighter Brendan Schaub pulled off a slick anaconda choke on Demico Rogers that will hopefully be a sign of things to come on a season that so desperately requires excitement. With the win comes a renewed sense of hope, a renewed sense of direction, and with a little luck, a whole lot less Kimbo.

source>>>

Heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga may fight at UFC 107 on December 12 in Memphis, Tennessee, according to rumors which surfaced over the weekend.

Dos Santos (9-1) opened his UFC career with back-to-back first-round knockouts of Fabricio Werdum and Stefan Struve, before forcing Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic to submit to punches in the third-round of their September bout.

Gonzaga (11-4), previously rumored to be fighting Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 107, bounced back from a March loss to Shane Carwin with a first-round knockout of newcomer Chris Tuchscherer in August to improve to 3-1 in his last four fights.

UFC 107 is headlined by a lightweight championship matchup between title-holder BJ Penn and challenger Diego Sanchez, and is also expected to feature Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida, Cheick Kongo vs. Frank Mir, Paul Buentello vs. Todd Duffee.

source>>>

DAN HARDY has been handed a massive boost after his UFC 105 clash with Mike Swick was bumped up the bill.

The welterweight bout will precede Randy Couture's light-heavyweight main event with Brandon Vera -- meaning Michael Bisping's matchup with Denis Kang is now relegated to third spot on the card.

The news has been confirmed by UFC officials and the company's official website.

Hardy, 27, is a huge fan favourite among British MMA fans, but his three-fight Octagon win streak has also seen him earn plaudits from a number of American commentators.

The Outlaw has beaten Akihiro Gono, Rory Markham and Marcus Davis in his short UFC career and now takes on Swick to decide who the No1 contender is to face champion Georges St Pierre next year.

* UFC 105 takes place on Saturday, November 14 at the MEN Arena in Manchester. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN, with replays airing on Sunday and Monday nights.

source>>>

Former NFL and NCAA football superstar Herschel Walker will enter a new chapter in his career as a professional athlete when he makes his debut as a heavyweight in the world's fastest growing sport - mixed martial arts (MMA) - as part of a multi-fight contract he has signed with world championship promotion STRIKEFORCE.

The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time Pro Bowl competitor will begin a 12 week training camp next month at San Jose, California's American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), which plays home to a host of the world's greatest fighters, including STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson. The 6 foot 1 inch, 220 pound former running back, who already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo, will be trained by AKA co-owner and head trainer Bob Cook.

"I've been training for several years. I would play college football games on Saturday and then compete in martial arts tournaments on Sunday after church I'm now looking forward to opening up another chapter in my life and to competing in MMA," said Walker, who recently was a contestant on the second hit season of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice reality series on NBC.

"I flew to LA last month to watch Herschel train and was surprised to see his advanced wrestling and striking abilities," said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker, a martial arts promoter of over 25 years. "He's got work ahead of him, but he's committed to training at one of the most notable gyms in the sport of MMA so it will be very interesting to watch him progress."

Walker, a 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated's NCAA All-Century Team that year, has never been one to shy away from the road less traveled.

Following his junior year at the University of Georgia where he had set the NCAA freshman rushing record en route to an undefeated season and Sugar Bowl championship victory over Notre Dame, Walker, a born-again Christian, astonished the sports world by withdrawing from school to play professional ball in the newly formed United States Football League (USFL) rather than wait to enter the NFL draft after the graduation of his collegiate class, a rule maintained by the world's largest professional football league at the time.

While the vast majority of football players typically follow an intensive weight room regimen, Walker relied on bodyweight exercise, conditioning, and calisthenics while maintaining very little body fat.

Walker was eventually drafted in 1985 by The Dallas Cowboys and established himself as a premiere running back in the league. In 1986, he was the driving force behind a historic trade

that sent in to The Minnesota Vikings in exchange for five players and six draft picks.

In 12 NFL seasons with four different teams, he became the only player to gain 4,000 yards three different ways - rushing, receiving, and kickoff returns. He is one of six players to exceed 60 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns receiving and is the only player in NFL history to register a 90 plus yard reception, a 90 plus yard run, and a 90 plus yard kickoff return, all in one season (1994).

Off the gridiron, Walker has achieved a handful of feats, including a seventh place finish in the 1992 Winter Olympics two-man bobsled competition. He also nearly made the Olympic sprint relay team.

Now 47 years of age, Walker, a native of Wrightsville, Georgia, will look to conquer a whole new world. It is a challenge he is extremely optimistic about.

"I will go in there and test myself against any 20 year old," said Walker. "I know there will be naysayers and I'm fine with that. I want to prove to people who sit on a couch and don't do anything but criticize other people that, if you're a true athlete or martial artist, you're not old until you can't get up and walk around anymore. MMA fighters are said to be some of the best athletes in the world, my plan at the age of 47 is to show the world I am still one of the best athletes as well"

STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network. Last week, STRIKEFORCE announced that it would make its live, primetime debut on CBS with its "Fedor vs. Rogers" mega-fight that it will co-promote with M-1 Global on Saturday, November 7. source>>>

Who knew that a simple question about Mirko Cro Cop not showing up to a press conference would set UFC boss man Dana White off.

Well actually, it wasn't the fact that the Croatian fighter missed the UFC 103 prefight press conference Thursday at the Hilton Anatole Hotel that drew White's ire, instead the question served as an easy transition to the true situation that has the UFC prez peeved.

"He never shows up at press conferences. Is it OK," White said tongue and cheek of Cro Cop's no-show. "Guys (expletive) do The Ultimate Fighter and then want to go play B.A. Baracus on the 'The A-team.' This is my life dude, this is the (expletive) I got to deal with.

"You got to pick and choose your battles with these guys."

Right now it's B.A. Baracus (or Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to UFC fans) that White has firmly locked in his crosshairs.

"I feel like he (expletive) me," said White of the former light heavyweight champ -- one of the two coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights," who was set to fight Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 107 set in Jackson's hometown of Memphis, Tenn. in December.

"I'm not even talking to 'Rampage.' I'm really, really upset with 'Rampage.'"

White thought he had talked one of the UFC's biggest stars out of taking the role that Mr. T's made famous in the 1980s TV show. Instead Jackson's manager informed White that the charismatic fighter would indeed be following his Hollywood dreams.

"I can't force any of these guys to fight. If you don't want to fight, then you're not gonna fight," White said. "You don't want a guy going in fighting if his head isn't in it anyway.

"If you'd rather be on the set of "The A-Team," then you definitely don't belong in the Octagon."

White said he's not sure if the damage to his and Jackson's relationship is irreconcilable, but he knows the decision not only messed up Evans' future fight plans -- but those of the entire UFC promotion.

"You have no idea how much collateral damage was done by him pulling out of this thing," White said. "It literally screwed up the rest of our year. We've got B.J. Penn fighting in Memphis, you know what I mean?" source>>>

The Tiffany Network is bringing back mixed martial arts cage fighting. CBS will air "Strikeforce: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers" on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 9 p.m. (live ET, delayed PT).

OK, so the names aren't exactly Chuck Liddell-level, but it's MMA for free (You want UFC? Pay $50 for pay-per-view.).

The match revives last year's MMA experiment for the network, where CBS aired three of four planned Saturday night fights.

The strategy ended prematurely after partner Elite Xtreme Combat folded.

The programming also drew a rare bit of public criticism from Viacom and CBS chairman Sumner Redstone, who said airing bloody ultimate fighting on broadcast TV was not "socially responsible"

Ratings were fairly impressive, however, especially for a Saturday, and the move brought some young male viewers to the older skewing network.

This time CBS is back with a new partner (veteran promoter Strikeforce) and a three-event deal, with an option for more.

According to the release, CBS has crafted a very "Rocky IV" storyline here:

"The world's Number One-ranked MMA heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko of Russia, will face undefeated American Brett Rogers of Minnesota in the marquee match up. Simply referred to as "Fedor" by fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235-pound Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport. He is a master of the Russian military combat system Sambo and boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions. The 28-year-old Rogers (10-0) is a massive physical specimen standing 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighing 265 pounds. He possesses two of the heaviest hands in the sport of MMA, an attribute that has helped him knock out all 10 of his professional opponents."

That match actually sounds pretty cool. And what better platform for CBS to promote its new shows such as "The Good Wife" and "Three Rivers" ... oh, wait.

The fighters are both in training for the event now source>>>

Fans and media are still pondering the scheduled UFC 103 main event between former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and Affliction export Vitor Belfort that will take place at a catch-weight of 195 pounds.

The very fact that it is at a catch-weight makes some scratch their heads because it is hard to gauge the ramifications of the matchup.

Let's attempt to clear the air a bit.

Indirectly it will have a huge impact on not one, but two weight classes -- the 185-pound middleweight division and the 205-pound light heavyweight division.

The Franklin-Belfort fight was originally slated to be Franklin-Dan Henderson II, however, it was pulled due in part to some backlash from those who had seen Henderson win a split decision over Franklin at UFC 93 earlier this year.

Why should Henderson have to beat Franklin again and risk a loss when he is in his late 30s and on the verge of another title shot? He shouldn't have to fight Franklin again and now he won't have to thanks to the UFC.

Enter former UFC light heavyweight champion and current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort who was pulled from the Affliction rubble and promptly signed, sealed and delivered back to the UFC.

He was instantly tabbed to fill in opposite Franklin in the main event at UFC 103.

Depending on Saturday's outcome in Dallas, these two men could go in very different directions and create a ripple effect.

Let's start with Franklin.

If he wins he will next take on a legitimate contender at the light heavyweight limit where he intends to finish out his UFC career.

Thiago Silva comes to mind as a possible opponent.

If Franklin is willing to wait awhile other options could open up: possibly the winner of a Randy Couture-Brandon Vera UFC 105 bout if it happens, Tito Ortiz if he is able to defeat Mark Coleman at UFC 106, or Jon Jones if he is able to defeat Matt Hamill at the TUF 10 Finale.

On the other hand, if Franklin loses the possibilities are also endless including Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine or the Lyoto Machida/Mauricio Rua UFC 104 loser.

For Belfort a loss would mean he gets thrown back into the middleweight heap to take on a midtier opponent in a few months.

Conversely, a win would propel him forward as a legitimate title contender in the crowded middleweight division currently ruled by fellow Brazilian Anderson Silva.

Belfort would not get the next crack at Silva because he hasn't been around long enough and the UFC needs to build his brand up a bit more before he gets his chance.

Either Henderson or Nate Marquardt will likely receive the next title shot.

Other middleweights who could complicate the middleweight conundrum in the near future include Yushin Okami, if he is victorious at UFC 104 against Chael Sonnen and Yoshihiro Akiyama who won his much-anticipated UFC debut over Alan Belcher at UFC 100.

The UFC has many avenues to pursue going forward but let's take a gander into an octagon-shaped crystal ball for a minute.

Here's the forecast:

Expect Henderson to fight Silva next but the same outcome to occur as their first meeting back at UFC 82.

Expect Marquardt to also get a title shot against Silva but he'll have to wait until 2010.

Read more at...

For more MMA news and features, check out InsideFights.com.

Expect Belfort-Franklin to be a slugfest with Belfort recording the TKO victory because of to his superior hand speed and crisper boxing skills.

Expect the victorious Belfort to take on Okami in late 2009 or early 2010.

Expect Franklin to fight Rua in early 2010.

Most importantly, expect it to always be complicated and subject to change. source>>>

The show started with clips of Vitor Belfort's first few UFC fights. They also showed highlights of his three fights against Randy Couture.

He was only 19 years old when he made his UFC debut.

Belfort won the UFC light heavyweight title in their second fight after one of Couture's eyes got cut in the first round. Couture won the third fight to reclaim his title.

Belfort was not focused for the second and third fights with Couture because his sister was missing in Brazil His sister's whereabouts are still unknown to this day. He lost his focus and lost the passion to train and fight.

He reconnected with his old rival, Couture, and joined his gym in Las Vegas to train. Belfort has now won four consecutive fights in a row. His last win was a first round knockout of Matt Lindland. He claims that he is now motivated again and fighting for a purpose.

Shawn Tompkins, his trainer, says that Belfort will become a UFC champion once again, and that there is no way that Rich Franklin can keep up with Belfort's speed.

Rich Franklin taught himself submission fighting from instructional tapes. He is a former math teacher.

Franklin won 20 of his first 21 fights and became UFC middleweight champion. He was a big fan of Belfort's before he became a MMA fighter himself. Franklin did not have his first MMA fight until he was 25 years old.

Matt Hume, Franklin's trainer, says that if you take Belfort out of his game, he does not adapt very well.

Franklin says, "I am not concerned about what Vitor is going to do in the ring. I'm concerned about what I'm going to do. If I execute the way I know that I can, and the way that I know that I should, then I'm going to win the fight.

Frank Trigg vs. Josh Koscheck

Like Belfort, Frank Trigg will also make his UFC return at UFC 103. It has been four years since he last stepped into the Octagon.

The show had clips of him fighting in the WFA in 2001 and then joining the UFC after that. They also show highlights of his fights including the two title fights he had with Matt Hughes.

He lost both fights to Hughes and lost his passion for the sport after his second loss to Hughes. He started to get out of shape and once weighed 230 pounds.

After joining Couture's gym, he regained his passion for the sport. He is now 37 and knows he doesn't have a lot of time left as a fighter.

Trigg called Koscheck a younger and faster version of himself. Koscheck does not agree with Trigg and said he doesn't like to be compared to anybody.

Koscheck insulted Trigg by saying that Trigg is good at two things, and they are giving up his back and tapping out.

Trigg says he may be older than Koscheck but he is stronger.

Mirko Cro Cop vs. Junior Dos Santos

They show highlights of Mirko Cro Cop's fights in Pride and in the UFC.

Dos Santos started jiujitsu when he was 21 in Brazil. He won his first five fights in the first round.

He trains with the Nogueira brothers and Anderson Silva.

Dos Santos believes he will beat Cro Cop to the punch but he is wary of Cro Cop's leg kicks.

Cro Cop said he is more experienced and that he is as hungry as Dos Santos. Cro Cop believes he is more of a complete fighter than Dos Santos. source>>>