There are a lot of big sets of…courage in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It takes cajones just to step into the cage at all, daring to take the best another man has to give. Every fighter who steps up and competes has a special place in my heart…
There are a lot of big sets of…courage in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It takes cajones just to step into the cage at all, daring to take the best another man has to give. Every fighter who steps up and competes has a special place in my heart.
Without their certifiable indifference for their own health and well being, we wouldn’t have a sport at all. But even among this collection of lunatics, Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin stand out. At UFC 147 in Brazil on Saturday night, they did it in distinct ways.
Silva dropped his hands as the fifth and final round drew near its end, signaled to Franklin he was coming and then charged forward, throwing crazy, looping punches, ready to live or die. He didn’t seem to care which, simply demanding one or the other. Demanding that something—anything—happen that makes the fans and both fighters feel alive.
Fists flew and Silva ended up knocked to one knee. True to character, that didn’t seem to faze him. He was just glad to have the energy, the blood, flowing through his veins.
For Franklin, just taking the fight on short notice was a sign of incredible bravery. On just two weeks’ notice, Franklin stepped in for an injured Vitor Belfort to take on the legendary Wanderlei Silva. In Silva’s home country of Brazil. That’s a man with either courage, confidence, a crack habit or all of the above.
Franklin tasted the best Silva had to offer; the former Pride champion knocked him down toward the end of the second round and pounced with a fury that made Shane Carwin’s sustained attack on Brock Lesnar look measured and controlled.
Franklin, like Lesnar, never stopped fighting. Despite telling announcer Joe Rogan after the fight that he couldn’t remember the third and fourth rounds, the former UFC middleweight champion controlled the action in both. It proved to be all the difference, earning Franklin a unanimous decision.
For Silva, it was a fight he could be proud of, even if it ends up being his last. He was still “Wanderlei Silva,” if only in spurts and not for the whole fight. He finished the bout in a blaze of glory, recklessly charging forward and making Franklin, who was in flight mode, stand and fight until the final bell.
It was vintage Wanderlei Silva—glorious violence personified. It was beautiful—beautiful and amazingly stupid. His fans, whether he wins or loses, wouldn’t have it any other way. We can live with Silva going down, with him being outgunned, so long as he expends all his bullets on his way to the mat.
The rematch at UFC 147 between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva was a fight MMA fans could get excited about, as we all expected a slugfest between the two veterans. Throughout the 25-minute fight over five rounds, that’s exactly what MMA fans were a…
The rematch at UFC 147 between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva was a fight MMA fans could get excited about, as we all expected a slugfest between the two veterans. Throughout the 25-minute fight over five rounds, that’s exactly what MMA fans were able to enjoy in Brazil.
Both fighters have uncertain futures in the UFC Octagon and they brought everything they had into the cage with them on Saturday. Not surprisingly, both fighters also won themselves a $65,000 Fight of the Night bonus, according to UFC President Dana White (via Yahoo! Sports).
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Yet another battle between two former champions absolutely interested in bringing it. Silva looked to have the fight finished in the second round, but appeared to burn himself out after he was unable to get the finish.
Interestingly, Franklin admitted he didn’t remember the third and fourth rounds, but snapped out of it when his coaches told him he was heading into the fifth round.
What We Learned About Rich Franklin
Franklin is a warrior. Against most fighters, the Brazilian would have won a second-round TKO. Instead, Franklin kept working at defending himself and kept moving to indicate to the referee that he was trying to intelligently defend himself.
What We Learned About Wanderlei Silva
He can still rock fighters and his chin hasn’t completely dissolved. Franklin hit Silva with some hard shots, but he looked okay absorbing most of those shots. I don’t know if Silva wants to enter into too many more complete standup battles like he did vs. Franklin, but it seems like that fighting style is in his DNA.
What’s Next For Rich Franklin
The UFC company man hopes to make another run toward the middleweight title before retirement, but we’ll see what happens next. I find it amazing that Franklin wants another piece of Anderson Silva.
What’s Next For Wanderlei Silva
No idea. Silva said he still wants a piece of Vitor Belfort, and the UFC could promote that fight even though Silva lost a unanimous decision (again) to Franklin. I still don’t like the thought of Silva fighting Belfort, so we’ll see what the UFC decides to do with Silva.
The UFC would also be able to market a fight against Chael Sonnen if Sonnen loses his rematch to Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in two weeks. Silva’s chin survived the fight with Franklin tonight, but I’m not so sure he can endure a potential three-round standup war again.
Rich Franklin marched into Wanderlei Silva’s home country and earned a unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian at UFC 147 on Saturday night. Here are five main takeaways from the bout… Rich Franklin Really Has Nothing to Prove Seriou…
Rich Franklin marched into Wanderlei Silva’s home country and earned a unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian at UFC 147 on Saturday night. Here are five main takeaways from the bout…
Rich Franklin Really Has Nothing to Prove
Seriously. Rich Franklin is one of the most underrated, underappreciated fighters in UFC history, but he has done everything one could expect out of him. He has fought, and beaten, legends in the sport and is yet to become the sort of drag Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz were since leaving their prime.
He is one of the UFC’s best champions and is, rightfully, one of the fighters that Dana White chooses to highlight to MMA’s naysayers. There is nothing to say about Rich Franklin that is not positive. His win tonight was just a bonus.
Wanderlei Silva Does Not Want to Stop Fighting
Dana White tried to nudge Wanderlei into the old-folks home after he was knocked out hard by Chris Leben last year. He bought himself some time by beating Cung Le, but Silva is channeling his inner-Tito Ortiz lately by calling out Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen in…ahem…less-than-flattering ways.
Right now, Silva is not in their league. He almost certainly will not fight either, especially after the loss he just suffered. But he is very intelligently playing the game and trying to keep himself relevant enough to remain on the minds of fans…he just needs to set his sights a little bit lower.
Rich Franklin Has a Remarkable Chin
Seriously. Think about Chuck Liddell toward the end of his career. Fighters that are not dedicated wrestlers like Vladimir Matyushenko rarely end up being able to take a punch once they reach a certain point.
Rich Franklin, though, ended up eating punches, kicks and knees that would have put out far younger fighters, never even mind a 37-year-old like himself. The fact that he could even stand after the onslaught in the second round shows how special a fighter he is.
Both of These Fighters Should be Commended for Their Gas Tanks
Remember Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman? Remember how they both gassed out really, really badly after about two rounds?
Now think about how Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva, at their respective advanced ages, just put out five strong rounds each. This is to the credit of both of these legends, for sure. It should also be to the shame of the younger fighters who cannot even achieve half of this.
Dana White’s Efforts to Force Out Wanderlei Silva Were Premature
The NFL is in some very hot water for their poor handling of players who had been concussed. After seeing Wanderlei Silva get put onto the mat, and stay there, was scary. No doubt.
That said, Silva clearly has something left in him, and he deserves at least one more fight, even after the loss. There is no shortage of fighters that would love the opportunity to face Wanderlei Silva, and given the fact that he was able to take a fair amount of punishment from Franklin, it is possible that he may not be as fragile as many (including this writer) thought.
The UFC makes its first stop in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, tonight for an extraordinarily cursed card that, let’s face it, we probably wouldn’t be watching if it wasn’t our job. Wanderlei Silva is fighting Rich Franklin again, this time at a 190-pound catchweight. (Also known as “middleweight plus.”) Fabricio Werdum is battling fellow big-man Mike Russow. And some guys from TUF Brazil are fighting too, although not all of the ones who should be. It is what it is. I’m guessing that very few of you will be buying this card, but if you’re out doing something more interesting tonight, please use your smart phones to follow along when you can.
Handling the thankless liveblog duties for this evening is Anthony Gannon, who will be layin’ down round-by-round updates from the UFC 147 pay-per-view main card after the jump, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. And to prevent this from becoming the least-commented CagePotato liveblog of all time, I encourage you to use the comments section to discuss anything that comes to mind. Seriously, it doesn’t have to be UFC related. I’ll give you a topic to start off with: Germany invaded Poland earlier today. Do you think America should get involved?
The UFC makes its first stop in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, tonight for an extraordinarily cursed card that, let’s face it, we probably wouldn’t be watching if it wasn’t our job. Wanderlei Silva is fighting Rich Franklin again, this time at a 190-pound catchweight. (Also known as “middleweight plus.”) Fabricio Werdum is battling fellow big-man Mike Russow. And some guys from TUF Brazil are fighting too, although not all of the ones who should be. It is what it is. I’m guessing that very few of you will be buying this card, but if you’re out doing something more interesting tonight, please use your smart phones to follow along when you can.
Handling the thankless liveblog duties for this evening is Anthony Gannon, who will be layin’ down round-by-round updates from the UFC 147 pay-per-view main card after the jump, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. And to prevent this from becoming the least-commented CagePotato liveblog of all time, I encourage you to use the comments section to discuss anything that comes to mind. Seriously, it doesn’t have to be UFC related. I’ll give you a topic to start off with: Germany invaded Poland earlier today. Do you think America should get involved?
Please stand by…
UFC 146, son! Bring on the wings, Natty Ice, and some of dem ho’s, cause I’m fittin’ to lose my mind. Up in here. Up in here. Oh wait, UFC 146 was last month. This is UFC 147, ya know, the one that should be free on the FUEL channel no one gets, right after All-Star Bass Fishing. Yep, they only bring me out for the important shit.
I’m not going to go so far as to say that UFC 147 is a suck-ass card, per se, but it’s certainly not worthy of $50. Hell, that Grant can be used to buy so many other things: a night of serious drinking at the local bar (happy hour of course), an intimate dinner for two at Denny’s, or, if you’re fortunate enough to find a massage joint randy enough to specialize in over 50 masseuses, a nice rub n’ tug. Hey, don’t knock experience, bitch. That shit counts.
This card is so bad it’s rumored that the UFC didn’t even bother sending Rogan and Goldy down for it. Instead, Goldy’s role is being filled by a Magic 8 ball with uber-white bottom teeth programmed with redundant phrases like, “These guys train hard, Joe.” Rogan will be replaced with a hologram set to repeat, “Nice leg kick” every 19 seconds.
Previously scheduled to be Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, this is a much better fight for Wandy. Rich Franklin is a bad dude, but he aint a killer like Vitor. I know we all love Wandy n’ all, but let’s be honest, Vitor would give him a severe beating ala Colonel Braddock on General Yin. It wasn’t that Yin was a chump. Quite the contrary. But Braddock was just a much better fighter, plus Yin put a rat in a bag and tied it to Braddock’s head, while hanging him upside down with his hands tied behind his back. Such acts tend to have a lasting effect on people and make them a tad vengeful. Incidentally, seven years of confinement, torture, and malnutrition didn’t much affect Braddock physically as he was able to easily beat Yin to death before he bounced up outta that piece.
Anyway, if recent history is any indication, though, tonight’s fights should be kick ass. The worse a card looks on paper, the better the fights are. It’s like a cosmological joke, or something. So let’s get pumped for a phenomenal card, because hot DAMN does this one look like dog shit.
We begin with a scan of the crowd, and they look fired up. Apparently no one told the Brazilians that this is a weak card. Rogan and Goldy play up the significance of the main event. And it’s very difficult to take Rich Franklin seriously when that hair makes him look like Lloyd Christmas.
Yuri Alcantara vs. Hacran Dias
Holy shit, Buffer busts out some Portuguese.
Round 1: God Arianny is hot. Here we go. Yuri fakes a kick. He charges forward, Dias pushes him into the cage, going for a trip, eventually gets it. He peppers Yuri with a few shots. Dias looking to take Yuri’s back. Now he’s on top, looking for a head and arm triangle, but the cage is in his way. Yuri is out of trouble, but still has Dias on top of him. Dias blasts him with an elbow. Yuri is up, but Dias slams him back to the mat. He’s in Yuri’s full guard. Dias controlling Yuri, but not doing much damage. Now Dias lands a few good ones. Yuri reverses out and is on Dias’ back, kneeing him in the ass. Dias has a standing Kimura, and they break. They end the round by trading kicks.
Round 2: Flying knee by Dias, skims Yuri. Yuri misses a hook. Dias misses a leg kick. Yuri lands a body kick and clinches, tries to take Dias down but ends up on the bottom. Shitty break. Dias working the body. Lands a decent elbow. Yuri goes for an armbar, looks pretty nasty, but Dias is out. He jumps back into Yuri’s guard. Yuri looks eerily relaxed down there. Someone needs to tell him he’s losing this fight. Dias passes to half guard. Yuri is back to his feet. Dias is having none of that and takes him down again. He’s in half guard, trying to pass to mount, but Yuri is hanging tough. Dias is dropping elbows, mostly being blocked. They get stood up for lack of action. Dias with a front kick. Yuri with a nice straight left, but he’s now down two rounds to none.
Round 3: Yuri looks like someone gave him a lude. He needs to get going. He lands a shot. Then misses a combo. Yuri lands a kick. Dias to the body in return, then hits a leg kick. Yuri misses with a huge bomb. Dias kicks the body, Yuri catches it and shrugs it off. Leg kick checked by Yuri. Dias has Yuri against the cage, scores another takedown. He peppering Yuri with little shots to the head. Yuri is up, and Dias plants him yet again. He’s in Yuri’s guard, and the crowd is getting restless. They get stood up again. Now with 40 seconds left, Yuri comes alive. He’s on top, in half guard, lands some decent shots. Too little too late, more than likely. We go to the judges.
Dias wins unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27.
Next up is Fabricio Werdum vs. Mike Russow
Russow roles out to ‘Simple Man.’ Sweet.
While we have a minute, walkout music needs to be addressed. It pretty much sucks ass and is getting progressively worse. Why wouldn’t a guy come out to ‘Run to the Hills’ by Iron Maiden? That song makes me want to drop indiscriminant bombs on unsuspecting villagers. Some of these songs make me want to snuggle up on the couch with a Marcel Proust novel and a cup of hot cocoa. With marshmallows. I’m just waiting for someone to come out to Air Supply. Granted, one would be hard pressed to find a lovelier tune than ‘I’m All Outta Love,’ but you’re only supposed to listen to that shit in the confines of your car with the windows securely shut, like any decent person. This issue is imperative to the future of the sport and needs to be addressed at the next fighter summit.
Round 1: Herb Dean is the ref and we’re set to go. Russow charges forward with a couple short jabs. Werdum grabs Russow and delivers a knee. They clinch, and separate. Russow with a nice hook. Werdum with a huge leg kick, then a left to the face. He lands a right too. A big uppercut drops Russow, and Werdum commences to batter Russow’s head with hammer fists. Herb kindly steps in and halts the action.
Russow is a tough guy, but this is what happens when you match a part time fighter against a Top 10 heavyweight.
Werdum takes home a TKO victory at 2:28 of the first round.
Godofredo Pepev vs. Rony Mariano is up next.
Rony is crying on his way to the cage, wearing a Jason mask to boot. Very cool contrast of emotions.
See this is what I’m talking about. Fredo rolls out to Disturbed. Nice.
These cats are scrapping to be the featherweight TUF: Brazil winner. Mike Goldberg gives us a sociology lesson on humble beginnings and what winning this would mean.
Round 1: Fredo pushes forward with a right, clinches Rony against the cage. He delivers a knee. Rony answers with a knee of his own. Fredo charges again, has Rony against the cage. Fredo actually pulls guard. He’s looking for a Kimura. Rony is free. Fredo delivers a few punches to Rony’s back. Rony is just holding on for dear life. They get stood up. Rony misses a head kick by a mile, but lands a nice leg kick. Fredo jumps in and catches a flying knee to the grill. He then pulls guard again and lands a few elbows to the dome. Fredo is pretty active down there, but he ends the round on the bottom.
Round 2: Leg kick by Fredo. Rony with a jab to the body. And another. Fredo misses a high kick, but lands a left. Another body jab by Rony. Rony misses an overhand right, and they tie up. Fredo pulls guard again. Rony finally realizes he’s allowed to strike from top position, lands an elbow. Fredo is up. Fredo charges forward wildly, and eats a coupe shots for his effort. Rony lands a nice left. Fredo with a leg kick. Rony kicks to the body, Fredo catches it and throws him off. Fredo lands a left hook, and a jab. Rony with a nice overhand right. Fredo misses a spinning back fist. Damn, Rony misses a wheel kick to end the round.
Round 3: Fredo kicks high, Rony blocks. Rony lands a huge right, rocks Fredo. They’re clinched against the cage, now they separate. Fredo misses another spinning backfist by a mile. Wild exchange by both guys. Rony lands a straight right. Fredo kicks Rony in the jimmy. Rony is nursing his jewels, and we’re all set to go again. Jab by Fredo. Big shot from Rony, misses with a flying knee. Fredo going for a takedown, decides to just pull guard again, and why not, it’s worked out so well for him thus far. Rony is kicking Fredo’s legs, refuses to jump into guard again. Now they’re up. Inside leg kick from Fredo. Rony misses a wild left, then lands a right. He gets hit in the pills again. Rony’s looking pretty miserable. And we’re back. Spinning kick glances Rony’s ribs. Rony goes for a takedown to end the round, fails, and they keep going after the bell for some reason.
Rony wins a unanimous decision, 29-28 across the board.
Cezar Ferreira vs. Sergio Moraes are on deck for the middleweight TUF crown.
Sergio dances into the cage with some of the tightest shorts of all time.
Round 1: They touch and it’s on. Sergio charges and swings wildly. Cezar lands a Capoeira kick. He grabs Sergio by the back of the head and punches him in the face. Cezar lands a knee to the body. Sergio misses another wild hook. Body kick by Sergio. Then a leg kick. Cezar with an overhand left. Cezar charges in, Sergio backs him up with a big right. Elbow by Sergio. Cezar kicks Sergio in the pills. DAMN, the replay shows directly to the pills. That had to suck. And he’s ready to go. Sergio swings wildly again, blocked by Cezar. Wild exchange by both guys, Sergio gets the better of it. Cezar with a front kick, and a high kick that’s blocked. That’s the round.
Round 2: Sergio has a weird half smile on his face, and we’re set to go again. Cezar lands a left. Sergio tries to pull guard. Cezar drops Sergio. Lands a wheel kick, drops Sergio again, and lets him up. Cezar misses a high kick. So does Sergio. Sergio shoots, gets easily stuffed. Cezar with an overhand right, comes up short on a flying knee. The crowd chants. Goldy informs us that it’s “something in Portuguese.” Cezar with a kick to the body. Sergio is battering Cezar with wild punches. Cezar fights back with a few of his own. This just got a hell of a lot better. Goldy fucks it up as usual by comparing it to Forrest/Stephan. The round closes with the crowd going nuts.
Round 3: They embrace to start the third. Front kick to the body by Cezar. He drops Sergio with an uppercut, and let’s him up. Cezar is terrified to go to the ground with Sergio, second time he let him up. Cezar misses a kick, as does Sergio. Now Sergio lands one to the body. Cezar barely brushes Sergio with a pair of front kicks. Sergio lands a straight right that stuns Cezar. Cezar whiffs an overhand left. Cezar charges forward, misses. Sergio tags Cezar. They aren’t really throwing much. Cezar is hesitant, then drops Sergio with a straight left. He’s kicking the legs, still will not jump on top of Sergio. The round ends with a tough decision for the judges.
Cezar wins a unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27. and 30-27 to become the middleweight TUF winner.
Rogan tells Cezar he’s the first Ultimate Fighter winner. That would be cool if there weren’t already about 90 seasons in the books.
And the main event is next. Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva
Rich gets a raw deal. He’s mocked as a ‘company man,’ as Dana White’s boy. But I gots to imagine being D. White’s boy comes with some sweet bennies. Rich makes that long dough, and word has it he only has to caddy when Dana AND Lorenzzohit the greens, so that aint that bad. Plus they know Rich is always going to come in-shape, win or lose he always fights his guts out, and this cat will have a black eye, which the medical community is at a loss to explain.
Hey, some things are just unexplainable in this life: JFK assassination, Loch Ness Monster, how Heidi Klum spent all those years married to that ugly mother fucker Seal, and how in the name of all that is holy Rich Franklin has had a Goddamn black eye for the past six years.
Anyway, considering their limited options, the UFC must be given credit for finding Wandy a suitable replacement, even if it is a rematch. At a catchweight. With absolutely no divisional relevance whatsoever. The only better option would have been to get Wandy’s plastic surgeon in the cage with him so he could get some revenge on that bastard for doing whateverthefuck weird thing he did to Wandy’s face that makes him look like a serial killer from the Dagobah system. And to further expound on that topic, I never in a million years thought I’d say this, but Wandy’s opponent actually looks creepier than he does. What is with Rich’s hair? Midlife crisis? Lost a bet? He should just buy a Vet already and be done with it. No need to go around at Rich’s age looking like a soft ass teenage boy who wears Capris and flip flops.
Damn, Rich rolls out to some AC/DC, but he’s wearing some pink ass shorts, small ones too. Weird.
Wandy comes out to some fist pump shit, looking real intense though.
I’m having an extremely difficult time focusing on my duties what with Rich’s hair n’ all. That must be the point though. It must be a tactical move. There’s just no other explanation as to why someone would choose to walk around looking like that. This is war, god dammit, and hilarious distractions are part of the mutha fuckin’ competition. That was Sun Tzu, if I’m not mistaken. We must never forget what the late, great Patrice O’Neal said about African rebels, how they fight wearing “sweat pants and tuxedo shoes.” You think that’s just cause they lack uniform funds? Sheeeeeeeeeeeet. That’s strategy, cuz. They know you look at em laughing your ass off, with their sweat pants, dress shoes, UNLV t-shirts and pink Yankee caps. But then they start machete hacking your fucking arms off and you know they aint playin’. Then it’s too late. It’s no different than Rich’s Dumb and Dumber hairdo.
Round 1: Wandy opens up with a kick to the legs. Rich throws a kick, gets blasted in the face. Wandy lands a left. Rich with a straight left, and again,. Rich with a jab. High kick by Wandy, caught by Rich. Rich lands a short hook, stuns Wandy. Rich with another good shot. Rich with a nice punch kick combo. Jab by Rich. Wandy fires back with a right. Rich with a body kick. Wandy lands a kick to the face. Another, blocked by Rich though. Rich lands a couple shots. Rich with a high kick of his own, and round 1 is in the books.
Round 2: Wandy skims a right, lands a leg kick, then falls. They trade big misses. Wandy goes upstairs, Rich gets out of the way. Rich with a nice shot to the head. Rich unloads with a few. And again. Wandy jabs. Wandy misses, Rich lands to the body. Wandy lands to the head. Rich goes to the body again, and to the head. He’s picking Wandy apart. Wandy strikes back though, lands a couple hooks, rocks Rich, OH MY GOD and knocks Franklin on his ass, swarming on him. Rich grabs a leg, and is barely surviving. Wandy is kicking his ass! WOW, Franklin survives the round, but he’s looking rough.
Round 3: Franklin looks OK, but he took a whooping. Let’s see how he holds up here. Rich kicks to the body. Now he punches to the body. Wandy with a head kick, blocked. Rich is jabbing away. Rich lands a solid kick to Wandy’s ribs. Rich just keeps sticking that jab out there. Wandy isn’t throwing anything. Another body kick by Franklin. Straight left by Rich. Wandy with a nice jab, and answered with another body kick. Rich with a pair of straight lefts, then scores a takedown. Franklin moves to half guard, and is delivering some nice elbows and punches to close out the round.
Round 4: Wandy jumps in, misses a hook. Rich misses a shot, Wandy connects with a short hook. Rich goes to the body again. Rich jabs, then connects with a straight left. And another. Then a right hook. Wandy looks rough. Hard shot to the body. Rich is just standing on the outside and jabbing Wandy to death. Oof, Rich takes a nasty one to the sack. That’s what you get for wearing those tiny pink shorts though. Rich looks recovered and here we go. Rich lands a shot, Wandy answers back. Another jab by Rich. Wandy with a left to the grill. And a right. Rich sticks a straight left. Wandy tags Rich to end the round.
Round 5: Nice bro hug to start things off. And Wandy blocks a jab with his forehead. Wandy kicks high, Rich isn’t there to eat it. Another jab by Rich. Wandy with a nice left hook. Rich is jabbing away. Wandy wades in with a knee, eats a shot for it. Another jab. Rich lands a left. Franklin is dancing around, jabbing away. Not a whole lot happening in this final round. Wandy gets in his face, looking to end hard, lands a huge right. And another. And another. This is the tsunami we’ve been waiting for. Thanks for waiting until the end of the fight, Wandy. Silva swarming, Franklin ends the round by knocking Wandy down with a short shot. Rich should take this decision.
Rich Franklin takes the unanimous decision with 49-46 across the board.
The translations are killing me. Bascially, Rich showed off his Portuguese, and Wandy fights for the people.
That’s it people, thanks for getting your chill on with me. We’ll be back tomorrow to analyze this shit.
The first time these two got together at UFC 99, it wasn’t the war we all wanted to see, but it was a very good back-and-forth competitive match. Rich Franklin stuck to his gameplan of keeping the fight on the outside, keeping distance with jabs …
The first time these two got together at UFC 99, it wasn’t the war we all wanted to see, but it was a very good back-and-forth competitive match.
Rich Franklin stuck to his gameplan of keeping the fight on the outside, keeping distance with jabs and body kicks. The whole night Wanderlei searched for his range but once he found it, Franklin was rocked.
So three years and a unanimous decision later how does the rematch matchup with the original?
It’s going to be better.
The first fight was in Cologne, Germany and was the main event of the first UFC card in Germany. The Germans proved to be a great crowd and were vocal throughout. But they’re not Brazil.
Even during the weigh-in Franklin got booed like never before, while Silva received a hero’s welcome. That’s but a taste of what it’s going to sound like once both men enter the Octagon. Expect the decibel level to hit new highs every time Silva connects with his right hook or rushes in with one of his patented flurries. Look for Silva to perform well with the raucous crowd cheering his every move.
Home cage advantage will give him the extra boost of adrenaline that he’ll need fighting in front of his fellow Brazilians for the first time in 12 years.
As for Franklin, he’s playing with house money. Coming in as a late injury replacement will put you in a good spot no matter if you win or lose. So he’ll be fighting like a man with nothing to lose once he steps inside the Octagon to try and slay the Axe Murderer.
Another interesting twist to this match is that it’s going to be five rounds. In the last fight both men were gassed in the middle of the third round so nobody should expect this one to go the distance.
The UFC is touting the fact that between the two, there are 39 knockout victories. Look for that number to jump to 40. Somebody is getting knocked out tonight. That alone will catapult the rematch over the original.
Round 1Franklin comes out southpaw and takes the center of the cage, feinting jabs to keep The Axe Murderer off-balance. After the first minute of feeling each other out and finding the range, Wanderlei leans in with his signature right hook, which Fra…
Round 1
Franklin comes out southpaw and takes the center of the cage, feinting jabs to keep The Axe Murderer off-balance. After the first minute of feeling each other out and finding the range, Wanderlei leans in with his signature right hook, which Franklin avoids.
Franklin is staying on the outside and picking his spots in the first half of the round, staying out of Silva’s range and using his jab and occasional body kick to keep distance.
Silva is looking to counter with a big right hand. After Silva throws a few high kicks that get blocked, Franklin gets in a body kick, which Silva catches and uses to take Franklin down.
Franklin is keeping the fight in his guard for the first 30 seconds on the ground, then places his feet on Wand’s hips to push off. Franklin is able to get up and push Wand against the cage. Then Wand drops down for an unsuccessful guillotine.
Franklin jumps into half guard with 30 seconds left and begins scoring with right hands to Silva’s jaw. Silva uses the cage nicely to get up and get the fight back to the center of the cage.
10 seconds left and both men finish wildly with a flurry of punches and kicks.
10-9 Franklin
Round 2
The second round starts, and this time it’s Wanderlei who takes the center of the cage.
Franklin is circling nicely and avoiding most of Silva’s strikes. Silva connects with a body kick and is still searching for his range.
Franklin begins getting more aggressive and connects with a couple of crisp 1-2 combinations finished off with a body kick. Silva catches a stiff jab and goes down for a second, then pops right back up.
Silva is looking to be more aggressive now, trying to score with leg kicks, but Franklin catches him with another nice jab.
Two minutes left and Wanderlei is looking like he’s about to gas. Franklin is sticking to his game plan, picking Silva apart with jabs and circling while Silva loses energy swinging for the fences.
Franklin nails a body kick but Wanderlei counters and rocks Franklin with a right hook!
Franklin is noticeably hurt and Silva is coming for him. Franklin is just trying to hold on for the final minute now, and both men are throwing sloppy combinations. Silva lands another right, then chases a circling Franklin around the cage, throwing right uppercuts to him against the cage.
After a few sloppy exchanges, both men are exhausted and slipping. Franklin lands a few straight rights to end the round.
Very close round. 10-9 Franklin
Round 3
First minute in and Wanderlei is looking to end this fight. Franklin is the one scoring however, landing a nice left body kick, left straight combo that catches Silva off guard.
Franklin is back to picking Silva apart and staying out of range from those bombs Wanderlei throws. Franklin is picking his spots and nails Silva with a nice left hook. He follows that up by kicking Silva below the belt and Silva takes a few seconds to gather himself.
A few seconds later and we’re back to it.
Wanderlei is becoming more and more aggressive, finally finding his range and pushing the fight against the cage. Franklin narrowly escapes a Muay Thai knee from the clinch and Silva begins playing to the crowd.
Silva is still hunting Franklin down and is throwing some high kicks that are blocked.
1:30 left and Franklin is back to his jab/body kick routine. Wanderlei opens up a bit and clips Franklin again, knocking him up against the cage.
45 seconds left and Franklin is taking punishment against the cage. Wanderlei is going all in now, trying to end this fight.
Out of nowhere, Franklin takes him down but does little damage as Wanderlei kicks him off and is pushed up against the cage with 17 seconds left.
Franklin goes with an over/under hook from Silva’s back and looks up at the clock. 9 seconds left.
Silva starts throwing multiple elbows behind him and that’s the fight!
10-9 Silva
The judges agree as Franklin gets the unanimous decision victory.
Overall, it was a solid matchup. Rich Franklin was looking to be technical, while Silva was just looking to take Franklin’s head off. There were even a couple of times when it looked like he’d do just that.
But this is Franklin’s night, as he pulls off a very close decision victory.
There are a lot of big sets of…courage in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It takes cajones just to step into the cage at all, daring to take the best another man has to give. Every fighter who steps up and competes has a special place in my heart.
