Here's the thing, everyone seems to think that Franklin vs. Lutter is going to be a complete and utter decimation. They think that Franklin, the former UFC middleweight champion and staple of American MMA is going to come in, swing for the fences, land a shot and go home. I don't think it's that simple, not just because anything can happen in MMA, but because of who he's fighting.
I saw Travis Lutter fight at UFC 50, when he debuted against a legend: Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman (the same gatekeeper they picked up to fight Rampage when he debuted in the UFC). Eastman is a fantastic kickboxer, and he knows how to throw down, and many people (myself included) thought that this was going to be a striker vs. grappler matchup of classic, textbook proportions. Nothing impressive, and the more well rounded veteran will take home the fight.
That's what the first round looked like, but in the second round Travis Lutter landed an overhand right that, when played on the highlight reel (whether in slo-mo or full speed) makes Rich Franklin's knock out of Nate Quarry look like a preschool brawl. It's the kind of KO that we only get to see about once a year (I can't think of it reappearing in the UFC until James Irvin knocked out Terry Martin with a flying knee at the top of the second in their fight).
That said, I don't think Franklin's edge in the standup department is huge, and I don't think he has one in the grappling. Let's face it, Franklin is a great athlete, but he's not a great grappler. Okami almost caught him with the kimura, and if Lutter gets the opportunity, he's much better than Okami in the submission department and is not just going to let that sub go.
I'm not saying that I think that Frankin is screwed, or that Lutter is the second coming of Fedor. All that I'm saying is that I think this fight will be interesting, and that it should not be dismissed as a stepping stone fight for Franklin. Lutter is going to make this a war, and I predict it's going to be fun to watch.
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I never thought of this as a steppin stone fight for Franklin. If Lutter wasn't for real, he wouldn't have performed so well against Silva (I know he lost but he put up a decent fight). I'm picking Franklin, but I think it's gonna be a good fight.
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