Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin UFC 93 (VIDEO)

Dan Henderson defeats Rich Franklin at UFC 93 (video) source

In a bout between two of the best middleweights in the world, Dan Henderson outpointed Rich Franklin on Saturday at the O2 Dublin in Ireland. The UFC 93 main event, which was fought at 205 pounds, was a matchup that had been anticipated for years. Henderson was the last Pride champion at 183 while Franklin was the UFC’s titleholder at 185 until Anderson Silva came along.

Silva beat both men, but few others hold a win over either. Henderson, 38, of Temecula, Calif., turned a slip into a takedown early. On the ground, he controlled Franklin while drilling him with right hands that arguably did the most damage in the round. “I think I had him hurt there for a little bit, but I think he had enough experience to stay calm,” Henderson said.

Franklin, 34, eventually escaped and kicked well to Henderson’s body during the exchanges that followed. For the most part, Henderson’s big right hand stayed loaded while Franklin kept him off balance with kicks and movement. An accidental head butt sent Franklin into the second with a cut near his hairline. The former UFC middleweight champion had the more effective striking game on the feet, but Henderson took him down out of the clinch midway into the period and stayed active from the top position. The Cincinnati native came out aggressively for the final round, but again Henderson was able to take him down...

Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin UFC 93 (VIDEO)