The UFC is returning to Texas for the first time in two and a half years for UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort. This event being held in Dallas is just three weeks away and some tickets are still available. UFC 103 represents the best chance for Texans to see top level mixed martial arts in our region.

Coincidently, the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez boxing match will be held the same night as UFC 103. Perhaps the biggest advantage mixed martial arts has over boxing is that MMA has events whereas people refer to a boxing match as "the fight."

Undercard bouts in boxing are passe and overlooked whereas MMA events offer about a dozen fights delivering hours of entertainment.

Although void of a championship main event, UFC 103 offers good depth with a number of intriguing bouts and solid fighters in the main card as well as the undercard.

The last bout on the undercard is arguably a good enough matchup to be on this event's main card. This Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller lightweight bout is one that many fans are looking forward to.

The Ultimate Fighter 8 contestant, Escudero has proven to be "The Little Fighter Who Could" as he took out bad boys, Shane Nelson and Junie Browning to make the show's championship final. He then defeated heavily favored, Phillipe Nover to become season 8's Ultimate Fighter.

Miller is on a tear in the UFC with some impressive victories. The 6'1" 155 pounder may appear to have a gangly frame, but he's full of explosiveness and skill. His showdown with Escudero should be a dandy.

This non-pay-per-view televised undercard will feature Paul Daley, Jim Miller and Eliot Marshall, as well as the return of former UFC heavyweight contender, Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko.

The main card has depth as well. Its bouts will be covered in more depth in subsequent columns leading up to the big event.

The first fight of the main card is the Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca lightweight bout. If history's a good indicator, it's almost a certainty that this fight will go the three round distance. Griffin's gone the distance in his last seven fights and Franca has done it in this last three.

Griffin is always known to bring action to a fight for the full fifteen minutes so expect him to liven the pace of this

fight.

Former UFC welterweight challenger, Josh Koscheck will be looking to return to form after losing two bouts in the past year. He'll be facing a UFC veteran and fellow wrestler, Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg. Old school UFC fans as well as viewers of his MMA commentary will especially like Trigg's return to the Octagon.

Another welterweight bout at UFC 103 will have title implications. At UFC 100, UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva stated to commentator, Joe Rogan that the winner of the Martin Kampmann vs. Mike Swick fight may get a title shot against Georges St. Pierre.

Houston native, Swick should be getting some fan support from fellow Southeast Texans making the

drive to Dallas.

Mirko Cro Cop will be in Texas as well to fight at the event. He will be facing fellow knockout artist, Junior Dos Santos in a heavyweight affair. Fans shouldn't blink during this one.

Lastly comes the main event, Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort. They will be fighting at a catchweight of 195 lbs. Belfort represents a major signing for the UFC after Affliction left the MMA promotion business.

It'll be interesting to see how the UFC fares going head to head with boxing's best fighter, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. The UFC has offered better cards than UFC 103. That said, the UFC just can't do any bad when its viewership numbers are compared to those of the Mayweather-Marquez fight.

This may provide an interesting gauge of where MMA stands today in the realm of combat sports.

The winner of this boxing vs. MMA showdown will all come down to how many people choose to view "the fights" or just "the fight."

David Estrada Jr. is a Mixed Martial Arts columnist for the Port Arthur News. He can be e-mailed at

DavidEstrada@DavidEstrada.com