» Fighter: Cole Miller

Xtreme Couture’s “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) scored his bulliest victory in four-plus years TKOing Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (26-5) at 3:02 of round one in a 195-pound catch weight main event at UFC 103 in Dallas Saturday night.

“Jesus, I love you,” shouted Belfort in the Octagon after the fight, and in his dressing room he added,  “God gave me a gift and I’m using it.  And, I’m ready.  A lot of people thought I was done, you know, and that’s what I’m bringing to this game – hope, faith, and hard work.

Read More About Vitor Belfort Phenomenal Over Rich Franklin, dos Santos Convinces Cro Cop to Quit at UFC 103…

From TUF to top!

New UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) demoralized and upset former Champ “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) by unanimous decision Saturday night in Las Vegas.

“This is the greatest night of my life,” Griffin said after toppling the odds.

Though Jackson won the first round by staggering Griffin with a left, then dropping the challenger with a right uppercut, Griffin laid the groundwork for his decision victory by whittling away at Jackson’s lead leg with low kicks.

“He jacked my leg up,” Jackson admitted.

In the second round, Griffin buckled the champ with a leg kick and passed to mount on the mat, grinding elbows into Rampage’s head, but doing little damage.

Rampage limped into round three searching for a knockout, but managed only a combination that Griffin weathered, though he admitted, “Every punch that motherfucker threw hurt.”

Jackson scored a fourth-round takedown; but, Griffin wrapped a leg triangle, then transitioned to an omoplata when Jackson freed himself from the triangle.

Jackson stood out of the submission and cracked Griffin with a right hand, opening a cut on the challenger’s right eyelid, then followed with a left as the bell ended the round.

It was back-and-forth and both fighters felt they needed the final round to win; but, Jackson seemed disappointed by the situation, while Griffin was inspired.

Griffin got back to game plan in the fifth round, stinging Rampage’s lead leg, as Jackson threw desperate haymakers without landing.

The judges scored the fight 48-46 twice and 49-46 once for Griffin. Fighters.com scored it 48-46 for Griffin, our new champion.

“He whupped my ass,” Jackson admitted after the battle; but, Griffin said, “It was close and I think we’re gonna have to do it again.”

Read More About From TUF to Top: Griffin Upsets Rampage…

“For all you Rampage haters, you might as well get used to me,” Fighters.com’s Light Heavyweight Champion “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) announced to the crowd at the UFC 86 weigh-ins in Las Vegas Friday.  “I’ma be here for a long time,” he added, then flashed the peace sign.

Rampage weighed in at 205-pounds, as did eighth-ranked title challenger Forrest Griffin (15-4).

Xtreme Couture’s Griffin said, “It’s nice to fight in your hometown.  Thank you, guys.”

Griffin smirked in the gaze of an intense Rampage stare down.

All fighters on Saturday night’s card made weight.

Only lightweight Gleison Tibau (15-5) missed the mark, but by the allowed one pound at 156-pounds.  Tibau will fight “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (33-8).

6′4″ lightweight Corey Hill (2-0) looked absolutely emaciated at 155-pounds.

Read More About UFC 86 Weights From Sin City…

The UFC has announced three additional fights on 5 July’s UFC 86 card in Las Vegas.

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked welterweight “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2) is set to face rugged vet “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5).

Both fighters come off exciting TKOs in their previous bouts.

In February, Lytle ran roughshod over UFC debuting Kyle Bradley (13-5) in just 33 seconds.

“Kos” and “McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (10-4) traded evenly for a round before Koschek tagged “McLovin” with punches and kicks 1:24 into round two in March.

Hazelett’s trainer, Jorge Gurgel (12-3), will fight 6′1″ “Magrino” Cole Miller (13-3) at 86.

Miller of Georgia comes off his first UFC loss to Jeremy Stephens (13-2), a second-round TKO in January.

Gurgel won a unanimous decision over John Halverson (16-6) in March.

Rising middleweight “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) will face streaking “The Predator” Patrick Cote (12-4) on the card.

Cote has won four straight, three consecutive by first-round stoppage.  Most recently “The Predator” devoured Andrew McFedries (6-3) in 1:44.

Almeida returned to MMA after a four-year hiatus to submit Rob Yundt(6-1) in a guillotine choke in February. “Cachorrao” boasts wins over Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) and UFC title contender Nathan Marquardt (26-7-2) in the early ’90s.