UFC 103
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | September 19, 2009 |
| Headquarters | American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, United States |
Area served | Worldwide (pay-per-view) |
| Owner | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort was a mixed martial arts competition hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on September 19, 2009, at the American Airlines Center located in Dallas, Texas. This event was available via pay-per-view broadcast.
Background
This marked the inaugural UFC occasion to present a portion of its preliminary fights live and without commercials during a dedicated hour on Spike TV, showcasing matches such as Efrain Escudero versus Cole Miller and Jim Miller against Steve Lopez.
In alignment with the UFC/ESPN UK regional broadcasting approach, the bout between Paul Daley and Brian Foster was televised on ESPN (UK) prior to Daley stepping in for Mike Swick to compete against Martin Kampmann.
Coinciding with the Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Juan Manuel Márquez boxing match, UFC 103 attracted a larger crowd with 17,428 attendees but generated lower revenue, earning a $2.4 million gate and 375,000 pay-per-view purchases. In contrast, the boxing event drew fewer spectators yet achieved a $6.8 million gate and one million PPV buys. Notably, UFC 103 featured a record number of fights broadcast by the organization, totaling thirteen bouts.
Originally publicized as Rich Franklin facing Dan Henderson in the headline fight, fan feedback prompted UFC President Dana White to substitute Henderson with Vitor Belfort as Franklin’s opponent.
Several matchups were rescheduled: Steve Steinbeiss’s fight was shifted to UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard; Aaron Simpson’s bout was postponed to UFC 102. Multiple injuries led to changes—Matt Wiman withdrew due to a knee injury and was replaced by Rob Emerson; Thiago Tavares also pulled out because of a knee injury and newcomer Steve Lopez took his place; Dan Lauzon exited with a back injury and Nik Lentz stepped in as his replacement. Mike Swick’s injury resulted in Paul Daley being promoted from the preliminary card to face Martin Kampmann.
Bonus awards
Exceptional performances were rewarded with $65,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Rick Story vs. Brian Foster
- Knockout of the Night: Vitor Belfort
- Submission of the Night: Rick Story