Rich Franklin showed good composure as he defeated Wanderlei Silva in a close battle by unanimous decision at UFC 99 on Saturday night.

The former UFC middleweight champion was able to match the former PRIDE champion punch for punch and his resillience paid off.

Silva, who did land several solid blows throughout the fight, looked tired and heavy handed as the fight progressed. The Brazilian was clearly feeling the effects of a twelve pound weight cut a day earlier and it left him vulnerable as both fighters traded blows.

It’ll be interesting to see where both men go from here as Silva begins his quest on the UFC middleweight division and Franklin returns to the stacked 205lb light heavyweight ranks.

Martin Smith
martin@ifight365.com