While Rich Franklin versus Wanderlei Silva isn’t a rematch anyone begged for, the sole bout on UFC 147 worth watching is certainly the five round continuation of their 2009 UFC 99 battle. With the rest of the card being lackluster at best, it’s time to roll up the sleeves, put on a pot of coffee, light up some cigars and really look at this rematch piece by piece.
Franklin’s path to victory is a fine line between aggression and avoidance. In the first bout, he had most of his initial success in the first round by working long straight punches to the head and body, or moving in at a sharp right angle with a two-three combination before retreating. This lead to Silva becoming frustrated and Franklin was able to turn his bull rush into takedown opportunities, or simply bob and weave his way out of danger while making Silva burn energy on failed offense. The problem Franklin had been that he wasn’t fast enough on the switch between offense and defense, and often let Silva off the hook when he had him stunned, or ripe for hard counters. Being more mindful of those spots would help Franklin put his hands on Silva’s exposed chin when it mattered and could allow him to skate out of this one with an early win if done correctly.
In Silva’s quest to reinvent himself as a Middleweight, he’s added a fair bit of technique to his game. While he formerly survived on rapid fire looped punches and savage knee attacks, he’s made an attempt to mix up his striking to a degree. Having added more in the way of kicks, a handful of straight punches to open or close exchanges, as well as hard double leg takedowns, Silva is able to keep fighters guessing.
Date : 23 June
Time : 9 pm ( E.T)
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