One more fight before title shot, I say. Yes, Vitor is a marquee fighter, but I don’t agree with certain guys waltzing into title contention based on history and/or name (sorry, but I have to reference Wanderlei and Cro Cop here). I think two top-5 division victories is sufficient for the shot, but no less.

Man…who’s the goon screaming at the top of his lungs during the post-fight?

You know, I’m already seeing comments elsewhere that Rich took a fall here. I don’t believe that, but it’s easy to see why some are saying it. I honestly can’t see the shot that was big enough to drop him like that. Maybe that’s a testament to Vitor’s hand speed, but it does just look like a glancing blow.

I guess it’s not always “how hard”, but “where”.

Questionable knockout IMO, kinda messy punches too, but a win none the less. I disagree that Rich took a fall, but it certainly didn’t look a clean shot. Rich is still and Legend… This fight didn’t show me Vitor is ready for Silva, more that Rich wasn’t ready at all .

anderson would KNOCK HIM THE FUCK OUT.
This was a lucky punch

i just think, some money talked about the scenario… i didint even feel any vibration that caused him to fall… nah…

You know you can really see the machida come out in his stance and the way he bounces back and forth, just swings differently. I do kind of think it was a little early for a stoppage though. Maybe a couple of more shots and then would’ve called it. Not a KO of the night in the fact that it was more of a TKO. Efrain’s KO of Cole was a little better than that one.

I take that back after watching it again, Franklin wasn’t doing shit and was getting pounded. Just stoppage.

fixed

parabens vittor vc e o orgulho do nosso BRASIL , parabens

parabens vittor vc e o orgulho deste pais . parabens a todos vcs lutadores do brasil , parabens mesmo

Agreed with “not how hard, but where”, looks like silva really knows where to hit.

Thanks all the brazilian fighter so casca grosa brasil number 1

kkkk valeu Vitor Honra e Gloria

Beautiful fight! Left me all tingly inside. Was exactly how I expected it to go. No matter how good Franklin is, they offered him up on a platter to Vitor as an example because everybody just wants to see Anderson vs. Belfort and now we will!If he didn’t have the power he has always had he wouldn’t have downed Franklin with just a clip! Absolutely satisfying for a Vitor fan. I am a Franklin fan too, always, but this is Vitor’s day and he isn’t going anywhere but up!

I saw this fight on PPV, and was really disappointed. Yeah, Belfort is pretty good, but he got lucky. Franklin screwed something up big time and fell to the ground. It was the ground shots, some of which look like went to the back of his head, that put him out. Did he deserve the win? Absolutely. Does he deserve a shot against Anderson Silva? No, Silva will destroy him. Belfort took a lot of time off from fighting, and then only spends a few minutes back in the ring. I’m willing to bet he still has a bit of “ring rust” as they call it, and for his own safety he shouldn’t have jumped at a title shot so quickly. Silva has shown nothing but skill, power, and finesse against every one of his opponents. He’s almost flawless. But anyway, look forward to seeing Vitor get torn apart by the best in the business soon for being too greedy.