In a legendary rematch years in the making, Rich Franklin has walked away from UFC 147 victorious over hometown favorite Wanderlei Silva.After watching this card switch main events several times, the amazing Brazilian crowd was lucky enough to see what…
In a legendary rematch years in the making, Rich Franklin has walked away from UFC 147 victorious over hometown favorite Wanderlei Silva.
After watching this card switch main events several times, the amazing Brazilian crowd was lucky enough to see what could be one of the last fights in Silva’s career. If this is indeed the end, there was no better place to close this chapter.
Fans can’t forget that these two men have a history that goes all the way back to UFC 99. It was on that card that Franklin beat Silva via decision in what was an absolute brawl, and this further proves Franklin’s dominance.
What It Means
For Rich Franklin it proves that the extended layoff with a shoulder injury may have spoiled some of the star’s career, but it is far from over. While Silva isn’t the man he was just a few years ago, he is still bona-fide tough.
Instead of heading to retirement, Franklin could be heading toward a No. 1 contender’s match if he chooses to make that happen. With a long history in the UFC, Dana White would be more than happy to get Franklin that shot.
On the other hand, this likely could be the end of Silva being viewed as a relevant threat to a title in the UFC. After realizing his flawed jaw, Silva has changed his methods, but it just isn’t working.
What’s Next?
The most likely fight for Rich Franklin after beating Silva will be a matchup with the man Wanderlei was supposed to fight—Vitor Belfort.
Franklin lost to Belfort at UFC 103, but a rematch now would not only give the former middleweight champion a chance at redemption; it would prove Franklin needs a title shot.
For Silva, the loss means he needs to be smart and end his career here. The PRIDE legend has lost six of his last nine fights and is doing more damage to his legacy than anything else right now.
With UFC 147 scheduled for Saturday, June 23, the excitement over the ever-changing card has gone down since the removal of Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva’s dream rematch and the injury to Vitor Belfort. While Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva i…
With UFC 147 scheduled for Saturday, June 23, the excitement over the ever-changing card has gone down since the removal of ChaelSonnen and Anderson Silva’s dream rematch and the injury to VitorBelfort.
While Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva isn’t the best main event the fans could’ve wanted, the Brazilian crowd will be intense and ready to explode over this duo’s second meeting. Let’s not forget Franklin beat Silva at UFC 99 via unanimous decision.
The majority of the card is of Brazilian descent and it will get wild on Saturday; that much I can guarantee.
Where: EstádioJornalista Felipe Drumond in BeloHorizonte, Brazil
When: Saturday, June 23 at 10 p.m. ET
Watch: Facebook under-card fights at 7 p.m. EST, preliminary fights at 8 p.m. EST on FX, Main Card fights at 10 p.m. EST on pay-per-view; online pay-per-view streaming (must pay $44.99) at UFC.tv, Yahoo! Sports, UStream, Android or iPhone
Full Fight Card
Main Card (PPV)
Catchweight (190 lb): Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin
Middleweight: CezarFerreira vs. Sergio Moraes
Featherweight: GodofredoPepey vs. Rony Mariano Bezerra
Featherweight: Vinicius Borges Pancini vs. Wagner Campos
Featherweight: Felipe Arantes vs. Milton Vieira
Wanderlei Silva’s Keys to Victory
Wanderlei Silva’s techniques have changed over the years, and fans will see that on full display this Saturday.
While there was once a time when the Brazilian star would charge straight forward with a flurry of punches and kicks, Silva’s chin isn’t what it used to be.
If the former PRIDE star can methodically pick apart Franklin and not fall back into his old tendencies if he gets rocked, there is no doubt he can win the fight.
Rich Franklin’s Keys to Victory
For as great as Rich Franklin’s career has been, there is no doubt that this is the twilight. After losing three of his last five fights, fans may be looking at the end of the former middleweight champion.
Or we could be looking at a rebirth…
After not fighting since February 5, 2011, Franklin is fully healthy for the first time in a while and ready to go. While he will be on hostile territory in Brazil, the lack of distractions could be good for the striking specialist.
What They’re Saying
Wanderlei Silva took to Twitter to thank the fans for their support and told them that they will win together (loosely translated thanks to Translation Cloud):
TudoBemaiminhagalera,obrigadopelaotimarecepcaoaqui em BH,vamosganharessajuntos
“Okay guys, thanks for the ai my great reception here in BH [BeloHorizonte], let’s win this together”
While Brazil is already getting excited for this event, popular radio show Ring Rust Radio echoes the sentiment of many UFC fans that feel this isn’t a marquee enough matchup for a Brazilian show:
When we saw #UFC 147’s main event was Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin, our first thought was we had fallen asleep and woken up in 2009.
For those casual fans that are looking for a card under the main event to fall in love with, look no further than the elite battle between heavyweights Fabricio Werdum and Mike Russow.
Werdum comes into this fight after a big win over Roy Nelson, but his long track record shows he can struggle against opponents that take him down. Russow can do that.
Russow is one of the best takedown artists in UFC today and will destroy Werdum if this goes to the ground. No matter what, this fight will not go the distance and will be a great appetizer for the main event.
Main Event Prediction
Rich Franklin via TKO
While the experience factor won’t play as big of a role in this fight as many others due to the sheer number of fights both veterans have been a part of, this will come down to who is more ready for this brawl.
As good as Wanderlei has been over his career, Franklin is coming off a long break and will have energy to spare. With Silva losing six of his last nine fights, Franklin’s strikes will find their mark and send his opponent to the ground.
With UFC heading back to Atlantic City, the big-fight atmosphere is surrounding what could the company’s biggest broadcast on FX in history. The main event between Gray Maynard and Clay Guida is going to be the best part of the show, but a card f…
With UFC heading back to Atlantic City, the big-fight atmosphere is surrounding what could the company’s biggest broadcast on FX in history.
The main event between Gray Maynard and Clay Guida is going to be the best part of the show, but a card full of young men trying to prove themselves will have MMA fans enjoying brawl after brawl.
Where: Revel, Atlantic City, N.J.
When: Friday, June 22 at 9 p.m. ET
Watch: Facebook undercard fights at 5 p.m. EST, preliminary fights at 6 p.m. EST on Fuel TV, Main Card fights at 9 p.m. EST on FX.
Complete Fight Card
Main Card (FX)
Lightweight—Gray Maynard vs. Clay Guida
Lightweight—Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher
Welterweight—Brian Ebersole vs. TJ Waldburger
Featherweight—Ross Pearson vs. Cub Swanson
Preliminary Card (Fuel TV)
Featherweight—Hatsu Hioki vs. Ricardo Lamas
Lightweight—Ramsey Nijem vs. C.J. Keith
Featherweight—Steven Siler vs. Joey Gambino
Welterweight—Rick Story vs. Brock Jardine
Middleweight—Nick Catone vs. Chris Camozzi
Welterweight—Matt Brown vs. Luis Ramos
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Welterweight—Dan Miller vs. Ricardo Funch
Bantamweight—Ken Stone vs. Dustin Pague
Gray Maynard’s Keys to Victory
After coming off a heart-breaking loss to then lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard looks to avenge his first professional loss by bringing the hurt to Clay Guida.
With excellent striking and the ability to capitalize on the ground with a submission if Guida makes a mistake—paired with cardio for days—Maynard will avenge his loss and get his career back on track.
Clay Guida’s Keys to Victory
Despite 12 career losses, Clay Guida is not the guy Maynard wants to be fighting right now. Before losing a tough bout against now-champion Benson Henderson, Guida had strung together four exciting fights in a row and was becoming a fan favorite.
While Maynard is tough, he isn’t as tough as Benson Henderson, who Guida pushed to his limit. This is a classic case of the irresistible force against the immovable object.
While most fans can’t wait for the main event, the co-main event between Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher may be a stretch as the undercard, but I don’t care; this fight will be too great to not talk about.
Neither of these men wants to let this fight go to the judge’s scorecards, so expect a knockout or submission in brutal fashion. This is going to be like watching a train wreck!
Main Event Prediction
Gray Maynard beats Clay Guida via decision
With two men classically trained in the arts of MMA battle, there is no way that either will leave themselves open to be knocked out. While there is always the chance for a submission, neither man is well known for his prowess in tapping people out.
Both men will stand in the middle of the Octagon and exchange all night, but it will be the judges that ultimately have to make the decision. They will give the win to Gray Maynard.
After one of the wildest shows in the company’s history, UFC president Dana White was fielding questions about the main event of UFC 146 when the topic of Brock Lesnar came up. The former heavyweight champion was in attendance at the show on Satu…
After one of the wildest shows in the company’s history, UFC president Dana White was fielding questions about the main event of UFC 146 when the topic of Brock Lesnar came up.
The former heavyweight champion was in attendance at the show on Saturday, which led to speculation on why the star was there and what he had to say to company president Dana White.
While White wouldn’t expand on his discussions, he did acknowledge that he and the former champion had been talking and that a return to the Octagon isn’t out of the question.
If Brock wants it and the UFC will allow it, a return to MMA is a very likely scenario. In the meantime, all this free publicity is great for everyone.
How This Benefits Dana White and the UFC
With the mainstream popularity of Lesnar as a former UFC champion and a current WWE superstar, there are millions of reasons to get him back into the Octagon if they can.
There is no question that Lesnar is one of the biggest draws in MMA history, so even the possibility that he could return to the company and the rumors that will surround this incident will be enough to give the UFC another shot in the arm.
Fans watching the all-heavyweight card saw Lesnar and were immediately struck by the possibility that he could be there to study talent for a future fight. With White doing nothing to curtail these assumptions, many feel that a return to MMA is imminent.
How This Benefits WWE
While the UFC gains the hype around Lesnar’s name by having him at the show, the WWE gets to have their name written in every single article and said in every interview that has to do with Brock’s appearance at UFC 146.
The current WWE superstar will be the talk of the MMA world after his meeting with White and the admission by the company’s president that a return to the ring isn’t out of the question.
Lesnar is a current WWE star, but his contract’s details will show that he could fight again in the UFC fairly soon.
All of this talk about Lesnar will bring the WWE’s name to more lips and ears, which is more than they could have hoped for when he signed up for his part-time schedule.
With the possibility of a return to MMA, the intrigue that surrounds the star is enough to keep him culturally relevant for the next few years.
Even if Brock never fights again in UFC, the possibility that he could will drive people to endlessly speculate about what’s going to happen next.
Lesnar has been forgotten a bit since his “departure” from the WWE, but showing up in the front row of an all-heavyweight UFC card and having White outright admit the possibility of a return will get Brock’s name back in the news.
Check back for more on mixed martial arts as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s UFC Page to get your fill of all things UFC/MMA. For more on MMA/UFC, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.
With the UFC taking a different path with its latest pay-per-view, UFC 146 will feature a main card consisting of only heavyweights. This is the first time this has happened in the long history of the company. For the fans that don’t know what th…
With the UFC taking a different path with its latest pay-per-view, UFC 146 will feature a main card consisting of only heavyweights. This is the first time this has happened in the long history of the company.
For the fans that don’t know what this means, there will be plenty of mouth breathing and knockouts to go around.
You can bet on that!
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
When: Saturday, May 26, 2012, at 10 p.m. ET
Watch: Facebook undercard fights at 7:00 p.m. ET, preliminary fights at 8:00 p.m. ET on FX, main card fights at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view; online pay-per-view streaming (must pay $44.99) at UFC.tv, Yahoo! Sports, UStream, Android or iPhone.
Fight Card
Main Event: UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir
Main Card (pay-per-view)
265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva
265 lbs.: Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman
265 lbs.: Shane del Rosario vs. Stipe Miocic
265 lbs.: Lavar Johnson vs. Stefan Struve
Preliminary Card (FX Channel)
145 lbs.: Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
155 lbs.: Edson Barboza vs. Jamie Varner
185 lbs.: Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway
170 lbs.: Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
155 lbs.: Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann
205 lbs.: Glover Teixeira vs. Kyle Kingsbury
145 lbs.: Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda
Junior dos Santos’ Keys to Victory
If Junior dos Santos walks out of UFC 146 as the heavyweight champion of the world, it will be because he used his superior striking to put a world of hurt on Frank Mir. As good as Mir’s defense is, dos Santos is a brutal striker who will pick Mir apart.
If Mir tries to stand and exchange shots with dos Santos, there is a chance this fight doesn’t make it out of the first round. Just ask Cain Velasquez.
Frank Mir’s Keys to Victory
There is no doubt that Frank Mir knows the striking ability of dos Santos and will try to avoid it like the plague. To do so, he will have to utilize his superior takedown skill and power to take away the power in the heavyweight champion’s hands.
Mir has to fight the perfect fight if he wants to win, but years of doing this at the highest level will not shake the man’s confidence. This will be an all-out war if this brawl goes to the ground like Mir wants.
Undercard Fight to Watch: Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman
This may be personal bias, but there is no better fighter to watch than Roy Nelson. He will never flash stellar technique or outperform his opponent, but his chin is made of stone and the man can throw bombs.
If I were Dave Herman, I would be preparing to get knocked out clean by the much tougher man.
Main Event Prediction: Junior dos Santos by second-round TKO
While we love Roy Nelson because of his brute force, Junior dos Santos is by far the most talented all-around heavyweight I can remember. There is no weakness in his game, and he can adapt to any style thrown his way.
As good as Frank Mir is, his inability to get over the hump with the top fighters in the sport will have him TKO’d by dos Santos in the second round.
Check back for more on Mixed Martial Arts as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s UFC Page to get your fill of all things UFC/MMA. For more on MMA/UFC, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.
The joyride through the UFC for champion Jon Jones came to a crashing halt early Saturday morning, when he was reportedly arrested for DUI after crashing his car into a pole. TMZ is reporting about the arrest and accident: UFC Light Heavyweight champ J…
The joyride through the UFC for champion Jon Jones came to a crashing halt early Saturday morning, when he was reportedly arrested for DUI after crashing his car into a pole. TMZ is reporting about the arrest and accident:
UFC Light Heavyweight champ Jon “Bones” Jones was arrested early this morning for DUI after he totaled his Bentley in upstate New York…TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ…Jones was involved in an accident at around 5:00 AM in Binghamton, NY. We’re told the car — which Jones crashed into a pole — was totaled and cops arrested Jones on the scene for DUI.
Jones is not only one of the most popular fighters in the UFC right now, but he is also coming off arguably his biggest career win over former friend Rashad Evans. With all of that momentum, it would be devastating to let an incident like this tarnish his flourishing career.
What It Means
While the immediate impact of this incident will be devastating in terms of public relations, this could be the wakeup call the young fighter needed. With so much instant success, trying times tend to build character.
The talk of any injuries wasn’t mentioned, but that would be a major concern for Jones and the UFC after a collision with a pole. If Jones is found to be medically cleared, he will have to begin a public road to recovery.
What’s Next
This is the time for the UFC to go into full damage control with their popular champion and get him into a recovery process. With the fans wanting their star healthy and fighting, Dana White and the UFC must get the star into a program that can help assure this situation won’t happen again.
After Jones pays his debt to society for driving under the influence, he should go on a campaign against drinking and driving to help clean up his public image. If he takes responsibility for his actions and handles this like a man, he will come out of this incident more mature.
Check back for more on Mixed Martial Arts as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s UFC Page to get your fill of all things UFC/MMA. For more on MMA/UFC, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.
In a legendary rematch years in the making, Rich Franklin has walked away from UFC 147 victorious over hometown favorite Wanderlei Silva.