“I think I’m still like A-level class…. The only people that are happy to not see Hermes Franca fighting is people in my weight division. I’m still a contender in any organization I’m in, and I’m going to be a champion. I know myself. I know how good I am. If I train hard I can be the best of the best.”
– Former UFC 155-pound title challenger, Hermes Franca, tells MMAWeekly.com that he still feels he is among the best fighters in his weight class in mixed martial arts. He was granted a release from his contract after a positive steroids test following a unanimous decision loss to then UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk at UFC 73: “Stacked” in July 2007. Franca was suspended for 12 months by the California State Atheltic Commission (CSAC) and will be unable to compete in sanctioned bouts until July 2008. Elite XC, Affliction, UCW and other promotions have all expressed an interest in the former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) lightweight champion.
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He Will find a contract…no doubt about it. Just stay of the Juice Hermes!
I really enjoy watching Hermes Franca Fight. He is a scrappy but skilled fighter and I think he is a very tough dude fighting at 155 lbs. I cant wait for him to come back to the UFC.
Kevin: The other day, I remember one of your post where you said you hoped that Nogueira would fight in August.
According to dreamfighters website. Nogueira will be fighting in August at UFC 87 (the Brock vs. Coleman card).
I dont know how accurate this intel is, but I am sure hoping its correct.
It did not state an opponent but said that maybe the winner of Werdum vs. Vera or Mir. I dont see how the winner of Vera/werdum could be ready to fight in August, since there match wont take place until June…. This probably wont turn out to be true, but I figured I would pass it along anyway!
Nothing wrong with wishful thinking!
Maybe it is Mir. Remeber he was supposed to fight McCully and then their pictures just dissapeared from the UFC website with no explanation and no rumors why.
BNF: I hope its Mir as well. Unless they re sign Arlovski, Mir is the only fighter (that makes sense, Kind of) who would be ready to face Nogueira in August.
Lets hope he does fight in August because if he doesnt, it will be because that title is put on hold for another season of the underachieving reality series…TUF!
I am drooling with anticipation to see NOgueira defend his UFC title!
John, I don’t think that Nog will fight in August on the Lesnar card. They already announced that Lesnar/Coleman is the Main Event (what a joke) and that Florian/Huerta is the co-headliner. If Nog fights, its a championship fight. But sure am hoping that Nog fights in Ausust because Lesnar / Coleman is NOT a main event.
ViolentMike: I honestly did not thing he would fight in August anyway….It was just wishful thinking!
I did not know that the UFC announced that Lesnar vs. Coleman would be the main event…..What a Joke is Right! R they kidding me?
A “novice” vs. a “Has been” in a main event of the last card of the summer? r they kidding me? like serious, how about they take into consideration us fans who purchase every damn event for years now, instead of tailor made events to draw the WWE fans….This is getting out of hand!
I have no problem with Lesnar trying to make his transition to mma, but the UFC is forcing me to hate this guy. Like Kimbo, its not his fault for all the exposure he is getting, but I expect more out of the UFC. They have numerous Big Stars, and a lot of Depth (2 things EliteXC lacks). So where EliteXC HAS to use Kimbo to sell events, the UFC doesnt have to do so with Lesnar…They are just being greedy.
Because Lesnar presence commands $250,000 a fight, they use him in main/or co main events….its complete crap…
Now that you told me that its a main event, it gives me more of a reason to pray for Nog to fight on this card. WTF! I hope he does fight on the card because if he doesnt, I am almost positive he will be put on hold for the damn reality show.
The UFC does have a lot of depth, but not in the Heavyweight division. If Arlovski leaves, it may be the weakest division.
I like watching Hermes fight too, but he couldn’t beat the champ when he was juicing. So what was he just not training hard and just relying on the steroids to beat Sherk?
Remember Sherk was allegedly juicing aswell. It’s no excuse but the Hermes could have thought that he would have been stronger than Sherk.
Doesn’t matter as they are both cheats.
Hermes stated that he took steroids to help heal a shoulder injury i think it was. He got them from his doctor and had trace amounts left in his system. He manned up and admitted to it and accepted his punishment. Sherk on the other hand had levels that were 8 times what Olympic athletes are allowed to have and apparently never knew. It is shoddy labwork, bad testing etc. How about this Sean… Man up like Hermes and maybe the fans would have had a little bit of respect for you. The funny thing is that all these fighters are getting cut and there are many reasons why. A lot for being boring fighters that utilize the lay n pray style. If they are getting cut why not Sherk? Lay n Pray at its finest.
AGREED!
No excuses. Sherk won that fight, but we dont know to what extent Hermes’s injured ankle effected his performance.
Regardless it was an exciting fight for a sherk dry humping session. I was going nuts at the begining of the rounds when Franca landed those big knees to Sherks chin….I was hoping Sherk wouldnt get up, but the Juice kept him going!
I just hope that Hermes Franca ends up back in the UFC. Why is Sherk fighting for the title, but Hermes is released? WTF? they tested for roids in the same fight, but one goes on to fight for the title….I am sick of Dana making the rules as he goes along. Come up with a strict set of rules for steroid abusers, and stick to them! For a billion dollar enterprise the UFC lacks structure at time…. then again Pride wasn’t really organized either. I just want some rules and regulations to be implemented, taking away some of Dana’s control. If there are rules in place, and all fighters are treated the same, we wouldnt be second guessing Dana everytime he makes a new unprecidented decision!
Didn’t Hermes ask for a release of his UFC contract? It was quite awhile ago, but I thought since he was suspended he expressed interest in fighting internationally as a way around the suspension. I thought he was actually booked somewhere. Then the athletic commissions caught wind of it and he wouldn’t be allowed to fight because he didn’t fulfill his suspension.
This was quite awhile ago so I don’t know if I am remembering accurately. Anyone?
AND Hermes came clean and admitted that he used.
Sherk still lies.
hermes is still an a level fighter too me.
B.W: I am with you. hermes is an A-level fighter for sure!!!
I would bring him back to the UFC and let him face the looser of Florian vs. Huerta!
yeah. he didnt use roids to win, just to train thru an injury. he tried to back out of the fight, but dana put alot of pressure on him(no excuse for using them though), sherk tested positive too and he still gets to fight. hermes has a very exciting style and a top 10 talent to boot. he’ll be back in the ufc sooner or later. wouldnt mind seeing him goin to japan and fighting some of their top lws. franca/gomi would be awesome.
To me as well.
He seems to be forgetting rule #1 of being a public figure: never refer to yourself in the third person, it makes you look like an egotistical jackass (See: Parisyan, Karo)
Hermes is a badass bjj practitioner. Everybody looks up to him in that aspect. I want Franca to either come back to UFC and break Florian’s arm or go enter the DREAM lw grandprix. Or how about a Penn/Franca fight. He needs to get back in the mix and start fighting some contenders again.
… or how about Franca/Filho!! ooOOooOOoOOoo
I don’t think Hermes would personally use steroids to cheat he was under doctor’s care for his injured ankle. He honestly admitted using them for medical purpose so that proves he’s not a cheater. cheaters lie and don’t tell enough details to excuse himself like Sherk claiming that he blames the products he uses for shoddy lab work yeah right the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. He did not tell which brand or supplemets he was using and ask the commissioners to have it tested to see if it’s “tainted” in order to prove his innocence.
Sherk is a roider….just LOOK at him and thats ALL you have to do….people who are 5′6 do not have muscles like him WITHOUT ROIDS!!!!