Three years after Rich Franklin defeated Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision, the veteran UFC stars will once again battle inside the octagon. The bout will be the main event of a card that also features the finals of the Ultimate Fighter Brazil.
Silva will be looking for redemption, and he should have the vast majority of crowd support since the event is taking place in his home country of Brazil. That should give him plenty of motivation as he heads toward the twilight of his career.
Here’s a look at all the important information for tonight’s bout, a look at each fighter and a prediction for how the main event will turn out.
Where: Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drumond in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
When: Saturday, June 23 at 10 p.m. ET
Watch: Pay-per-view (local providers)
Wanderlei Silva
After defeating Quinton Jackson for the second time in a year back in 2004, Silva was riding high as one of MMA‘s biggest stars. Since that marquee victory, he’s managed just a 7-8 record and hasn’t looked like the same dominant force.
The biggest reason for his struggles has been a lack of pop on his punches. He used to control the fight with his quick, powerful combinations. When he attempts to do the same things now, they don’t have the same impact on opponents.
He hasn’t fought since last November, so the time off should have given him a chance to get back to full strength. If he’s going to have a late-career resurgence, he needs to get back to the style that made him a star in the first place.
Of Franklin’s six career losses, four have come by knockout. So there’s definitely an opportunity there and Silva must take advantage.
Rich Franklin
Franklin returns after more than a year between fights. He had a fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira canceled after Nogueira had to pull out and then Franklin suffered an injury of his own. Now he’s ready for action.
His results have been mixed over the past few years with wins over Silva and Chuck Liddell, but losses to Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson. Although he’s not a top-tier fighter anymore, he can still hold his own.
The key for Franklin will be going on the attack and forcing Silva to defend early. Two of Silva’s last three losses have come by first-round knockout. That should be the path the American should attempt to take as well.
It’s a golden opportunity for him to show he still have some good fights left in him. In the ultra-competitive UFC, he can’t afford to let it slip away.
Prediction
Overall, this is an evenly-matched bout. It should be exciting since both guys will be looking to score a knockout early. That pace will be impossible to maintain, however, so whichever guy illustrates more endurance will pick up the win.
Neither fighter has been in top form and are coming off extended layoffs, so it’s a tough call. Ultimately, I expect Franklin to pull off the main-event victory.
Franklin by knockout
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