Former champions Franklin and Sylvia gunning for victory against champion and contender at UFC 77

When the roaring Cincinnati, Ohio crowd ushers in Rich Franklin to the Octagon against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva on October 20, 2007, he will be minutes away from overcoming the most devastating loss of his career or reliving it. Can “Ace” conquer demons of the past? By Danny Acosta

Rich Franklin must search for a way to spin his own web against Anderson “The Spider” Silva in the main event. It was just inches past a year ago when the two mixed martial artists last met. The story was told in three minutes, but could be summed in one photo of Franklin’s redesigned nose.

Gruesome knees by Silva—who dominated the clinch, where Franklin wanted the fight—saw the champion stuck in his Silva’s inescapable web.

A dominating victory over Jason McDonald and a solid decision against Yushin Okami find Franklin challenging for the strap Silva ripped off him. Now Franklin knows to avoid the clinch, but against a Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, where does the Cincinnati-native find an advantage?

The Brazilian is a nightmare fight for anyone at 185lbs (I forgot to mention he holds a black belt in taekwondo). Rich Franklin is not the exception. He is good at everything, but does not excel in any one area—especially next to Anderson Silva.

Franklin’s triumph depends on effectively employing explosiveness and strength. He must demonstrate a willingness to stand—a dangerous proposition against the fluid striker—before pushing through a shot to bring the fight to the mat. Silva also has risky striking attempts such as jumping knees and kicks, which can bring the fight to the mat if capitalized on.

Silva’s lanky frame poses just as many problems on the mat as it does standing for Franklin. The former math teacher needs to explore ground geometry and find his way to side mount and full mount, where his grinding strength and endurance can make the difference on the way to a technical knockout against the iron-chinned Silva.

However, this is something ground specialists Travis Lutter and Nate Marquardt could not achieve. A fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Lutter did gain full mount against the Curbita native, but Silva remained composed and escaped, eventually submitting the Carlos Machado student. The multiple-time King of Pancrase failed to escape Silva’s guard. When he passed to half guard, he quickly found himself back in full guard and swallowed Silva’s sleeping pill punches later in the first round.

Franklin needs to work at a high pace, staying on the champion with the same aggressive, controlling manner he attacked David Loiseau. Conversely, aggression against Silva opens up a new realm to his already pinpoint striking. Still, Franklin needs to push the fight. Silva arrived in the United States from Brazil later than he expected due to visa issues—just three days before the fight. This may effect his cardio. Furthermore, it has been three years since Silva’s cardio was tested in the context of a fight.
In front of his home crowd, Rich Franklin has a chance to redeem himself and simultaneously regain his gold. Family and friends in attendance will cheer the hometown hero, but like Franklin, they should be fully aware Anderson Silva plans on building a legacy with his strikes and submissions.

Franklin’s workman ethic is the only way he can neutralize Silva’s array of technical abilities. Unfortunately for Franklin, working is so much harder when tangled in a web.

The Buckeye crowd will also be treated to a heavyweight clash with major title implications as former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia looks to once again defy doubters by besting the undefeated Brandon Vera.

Sylvia was last seen in the Octagon in March, losing his coveted title to resident super hero Randy Couture. Losing to a forty-three-year-old man fueled paradoxical speculation Sylvia is a bottom-rung heavyweight despite fighting at the championship level. The loss stemmed from a spectacular performance by Couture, but also Sylvia’s injured back, which required surgery post-fight.

“The Maine-iac” is now one hundred percent healed. He even expects to be 250lbs come fight time—a departure from his usual cutting weight down to the 265lbs, the division’s limit—to match Vera’s speed. An MFS Elite fighter, Sylvia was once known for knockout power and vows to return to his conscious stealing ways.

This is not the first time the Sylvia has met Vera in the Octagon; this is, however, the first time they will fight. Vera’s win over Frank Mir found him challenging then-champion Sylvia in the Octagon before contract disputes sidelined the San Diegan for eleven months.

Both fighters enter the bout shaking off ring rust. Sylvia comes in at a bigger disadvantage as he hopes to overcome the most high-profile loss of his career and an injury. Vera has less to worry about. The long lay off may be an issue, but he has never known defeat and is healthy—two issues weighing on his opponent’s mind. This may neutralize Sylvia’s immense experience advantage.

Sylvia’s main asset—as always—is his size. In addition, Vera is an undersized heavyweight. However, that may be an advantage in this fight. The former City Boxing fighter is light on his feet. If he can remain evasive and damage Sylvia with leg kicks, his road to victory is a clear one against the flat-footed striker.

While Vera does have a Greco-Roman wrestling background and a Lloyd Irvin ground game, taking the fight to the ground would expend a lot of energy against the much larger Sylvia and could prove detrimental. Both expect a standup bout and both should stay the course. Sylvia can test Vera’s chin and Vera can say he knocked out or outlasted a former champion known for his striking.

Training with UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and trainer Juanito Ibarra, Vera’s change of pace in the gym should lead to an impressive performance. But with Sylvia’s hard hitting, as Vera said himself: “Don’t believe the hype, just believe what you see.”

In under card action, fellow Cincinnati resident and Rich Franklin’s coach Jorge Gurgel will step into the Octagon against Alvin Robinson at 155-pounds. Robinson is a strong wrestler, but Gurgel is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who likes to punish opponents standing. He is also incredibly tough, having fought injured most of his career, including suffering a broken jaw in the second round of his three round slugfest in his last outing. Octagon experience and home field advantage will see Gurgel finish his first fight in the UFC.

Eric Schafer takes on The Ultimate Fighter veteran Stephan Bonnar in light heavyweight action. The fighters and former training partners are evenly matched except in the experience department, where Bonnar separates himself. “Ravishing Red” has the advantage of having Muay Thai coach Duke Rufus (Bonnar’s former coach) in his corner, but does not have the luxury of training for mixed martial arts under one roof. That is a plus “The American Psycho” recently picked up, moving to Las Vegas under the Xtreme Couture banner. Coming off a first round submission victory against Mike Nickels adds to his positive streak, which Schafer does not have since he lost his last fight in the Octagon. Add in the need for spotlights and Bonnar’s determination should pose too many problems for the ground fighter.

Middleweights Alan Belcher and Kalib Starnes hope to up their stock in a contender-thin division. Both are 1-1 in their last two UFC appearances, winning their last bouts. Starnes’ recent move to American Top Team has added a strong mental element to his various physical talents, which the overactive Mississippian will challenge. If the fight stays standing, Belcher should get the better of the exchanges, while opposite is true in a ground fight. Wherever the fight goes, both fighters can survive. This makes the deciding factor heart, tilting the scales slightly for Belcher.

Jason McDonald and Yushin Okami are no strangers to Rich Franklin, whom they both lost to, stopping their title search short. The Canadian plans to test the Japanese fighter’s cardio, but McDonald is walking into a trap. Okami is a large, strong, and evasive fighter. McDonald will tire himself out. That is, of course, unless Okami realizes the mistake he made against Franklin and corrects it by coming forward. Either way, he will score a technical knockout by avoiding submissions long enough to pound out his opponent and step back into title contention.

As each under card fighter wants to position themselves for gold, Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva are already there. UFC 77 may breathe life into a hometown hero or Cincinnati may suffer another spider bite. A win for Franklin continues the story, a win for Silva concludes the story.