QUOTABLES: Hermes Franca discusses robbery in Costa Rica, wants rematch against Ferrid Kheder away from local promoter in question

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"They changed it to a no-contest and I told them that's not what I wanted because the thing is I want everybody to understand it's not like a bad decision. It's not about the referee, it's not about judges, it's about the guy who stepped in the cage and said 'change it, change it, it's not Hermes, it's Ferrid [Kheder]. Unfortunately, all of the judges they can do nothing. [Since the fight I haven't heard] from him, nobody called me to offer me [a rematch]. No way I'm going to fight under this organization anymore. Maybe we can fight, but not under this promoter... It's like can you imagine after Georges St. Pierre and [Josh] Koscheck fight, just an example, Bruce Buffer says 'the winner is GSP' and Dana White steps in the Octagon and says 'no, no, no, it's Koscheck because I say so.' That?s my situation right now."

-Hermes Franca talks to MMAWeekly.com about the incident that took place in Costa Rica this weekend at Xtreme Vale Todo and has no intentions of fighting for the promoter again.

Penick's Analysis: The promoter, in an email cited in the MMAWeekly story, tried to claim one of the judges told him Kheder won and that's why he told the announcer to change what he said. But that's a ridiculous argument when the announcer had the scores handed to him to announce. Franca won the fight, the promoter changed it in the cage after the fight to screw him out of it, then they back-pedaled and made it a "no contest" even though Franca won the fight. Franca should not deal with them ever again, and if Kheder is willing to take a rematch it should be in an organization that will have regulation and oversight from a commission. Even an incompetent commission will keep something like this from happening.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_7929.shtml

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