After the crazy month of September, it seems like it has been a long time since we’ve had a UFC event. This Saturday night we get back into the mix with UFC 77: Hostile Territory as the UFC returns to Ohio. The UFC Middleweight title will be on the line as current champion Anderson Silva will rematch with Rich Franklin, the man he took the belt from. Once again, don’t forget to join the MMA HQ fight camp at MMAPlayground.com and make your votes before the event on Saturday.
Main Card
Anderson Silva vs Rich Franklin - Rich Franklin is facing a tough task at UFC 77. Not only is he fighting a man who took his middleweight title belt away and literally rearranged parts of his face, but he also has the added pressure of fighting in his own backyard. The UFC really did Franklin a disservice by holding the fight in Cincinnati even though I’m sure it will be great for the UFC’s ticket sales. While Franklin technically has the “home field” advantage, I’ve got to believe that this is actually an advantage for Anderson Silva in this case.
Franklin hopefully learned in their first fight at UFC 64 that he can’t compete with Anderson Silva in the clinch game. Anderson’s Muay Thai skills are just too much for Rich. Anderson also has the advantage in striking where his quickness and pinpoint precision allow him to move and strike at angles that most other fighters never even see. Franklin’s gameplan needs to focus on physically wearing Anderson down by any means possible and hoping to be able to take advantage of Silva’s weak oft-injured knees and work some ground-and-pound.
Anderson Silva just needs to come out focused and prepared to work Franklin over like he did in their first meeting. Most people don’t give Rich Franklin much of a shot in this fight, mostly because of what happened in their first fight. I’m inclined to agree that the odds don’t look good for Ace, but I’m not counting him out completely. Winner: Anderson Silva
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Tags: UFC, MMA, UFC 77, Tim Sylvia, Brandon Vera, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Cincinnatti
(via MMA HQ - Mixed Martial Arts News and Analysis)