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By Dann Stupp, Contributing Writer 9:32 PM Sunday, July 5, 2009

LAS VEGAS — The biggest event in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship takes place this Saturday, July 11. But the star-studded pay-per-view show is just one part of a weeklong celebration of UFC 100.

The event is actually the 133rd show in company history (when including unnumbered events that air on Spike TV), but that hasn’t halted any of the pomp or circumstance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

To begin with, Saturday’s fight card is one of the deepest ever with UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim title-holder Frank Mir, welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre vs. top contender Thiago Alves and Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson in a bout likely to determine a No. 1 middleweight contender. (Ohio natives Mark Coleman and C.B. Dollaway are also on the preliminary card.)

The UFC also hosts its first-ever fan festival (Friday-Saturday) with grappling exhibitions, autograph signings, two new UFC Hall of Fame inductions, a keynote address from UFC President Dana White and hundreds of vendors.

Keep up with the Dayton Daily News throughout the week for full coverage of the UFC Fan Expo, Thursday’s pre-event news conference, Friday’s fighter weigh-ins and Saturday’s sold-out UFC 100 show.

Franklin’s next  fight in the works

Rich Franklin will return to the cage before year’s end — possibly in September at UFC 103, which takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

UFC officials recently spoke to the West Chester Twp. resident and former UFC middleweight champion about fighting at the pay-per-view show, possibly in the night’s main event.

However, word from the fighter’s camp is that Franklin, who defeated Wanderlei Silva last month in the UFC 99 headliner, would prefer a little more time off and was eyeing a December return.

In 2008, Franklin (25-4 overall, 12-3 in the UFC) moved up a weight class to the 205-pound division and defeated Matt Hamill via TKO, suffered a controversial split-decision loss to Dan Henderson, and then picked up the decision win over Silva (at a catch-weight of 195 pounds).

A few opponents’ names are being thrown around, but a source close to Franklin said a rumored bout with recently retired Chuck Liddell — who hasn’t ruled out a return — is “not one of the options.” Luis Cane (10-1) is campaigning for the fight and is a possibility.

Franklin fulfilled the terms of his previous UFC contract at UFC 99, but both he and UFC officials expect to have a new multi-fight deal in place in the coming weeks.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, a content partner site of Yahoo! Sports. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to www.MMAjunkie.com.

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