Rich Franklin is primed to dish out punishment.
In UFC 147, Franklin is all set to face off against Wanderlei Silva in a must-watch grudge match. While the two MMA fighters are sure to put on a show, the result of their Saturday night fight won’t be different from that of their previous bout.
On June 13 back in 2008, Franklin and Silva went the distance in Cologne, Germany. While the fight didn’t end by knockout or submission, there was still no doubt who won the bout.
The judges ruled in Franklin’s favor by unanimous decision.
Matt Erickson of MMAjunkie.com reported that, while Franklin is a replacement for an injured Vitor Belfort, he isn’t opposed to the role. Franklin said:
I really like having that role. I like being the guy that people can count on. I kind of embrace that role. When I heard that Vitor was hurt, I knew the UFC was going to end up calling me. And sure enough, they did. I won’t say it was just because I’ve bailed them out before, but I was ready for a fight already, and I was pretty much at the point where I was peaking for a fight.
Franklin is confident. He defeated Silva before, and he knows exactly what he has to do to pull off another victory.
Now, each competitor has similar strengths in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so neither possesses a major advantage in terms of a certain fighting style. Because of that, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising for the showdown to go the distance once again.
But don’t expect an upset to be pulled off. Franklin is a UFC legend. Silva is a solid fighter, but he isn’t on Franklin’s level.
Silva has lost six out of his last nine fights, and on Saturday night, that slump will be extended.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
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