Rich “Ace” Franklin explains how important it is to defeat Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort at UFC 103. A win for “Ace” will place him much closer to light heavyweight title contention, but it won’t be an easy task. Franklin believes that many UFC fans might not see how dangerous Belfort can be. In the eyes of Franklin, Belfort has evolved tremendously in the sport of mixed martial arts. He respects his skills and expects a difficult war this upcoming Saturday night.
“He’s tough. I don’t think people here in the States realize how tough he is because he’s been out of the UFC for so many years. But he’s evolved as a fighter and he’s more dangerous as a fighter now than he was five or six years ago. He’s very well rounded and definitely a tough challenge. People ask me if I want a title shot at 205 pounds, and of course I’d love a title shot, but I’m not the No. 1 contender yet, I’m a couple wins away from that, and right now Vitor is in my way. If I don’t beat Vitor I’m that much further back, so I have to be focusing on Vitor.”
