UFC 77: HOSTILE TERRITORY results

[gr81disp]

Well, I was wrong in just about every fight.

Grice v. Black - Grice UD
Well, looks like the weight cut was simply too much for Black and Grice showed that his performance against Etim was not a one night deal. Good going for the rookie.

Burkman v. Petz - Burkman SD
Not really any surprise here. You will see decisions alot tonight.

Maia v. Jensen - Maia SUB R1 2:40
Ground wizard Maia beat Jensen. I don't know much about either so...

MacDonald v. Okami - Okami UD
Once again, no surprise here. Okami simply outclassed MacDonald the entire fight. I was hoping for a stoppage though.

Belcher v. Starnes - Belcher Doc R2 1:39
I hate it when a fight is stopped ue to cut especially because Starnes was well on his way to victory, but that is what happens sometimes.

Schafer v. Bonnar - Bonnar TKO R2 2:47
Although I was rooting for Schafer, he just isn't well rounded enough to survive in today's UFC. Bonnar used his standup to beat up Schafer standing then used his GnP to pass the guard and force a stoppage.

Robinson v. Gurgel - Robinson UD
Well, Gurgel certainly didn't live up to the hype. This gives Robinson some good exposure, beating a popular TUF alumni.

Sylvai v. Vera - Sylvia UD
While Sylvia didn't open up until the final seconds of round 3, he still managed to bully the smaller Vera around the entire fight. If he had fought the entire fight like the closing of R3, he would have won some fans back, but instead played it too safe. COME ON!! We know you can do it, so why don't you?

MAIN EVENT
UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Challenger
Former UFC Middleweight Champion
Rich "Ace" Franklin
(22W-2L-1NC)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 184 lbs.

vs.

Current UFC Middleweight Champion
Anderson "The Spider" Silva
(19W-4L-0NC)
Height: 5"11"
Weight: 184.5 lbs.

I said that if Franklin could stay out of the clinch he could succeed against Silva. However, I didn't think he would allow himself to have the cage cut off and be pounded. Which is exactly what happened. Although able to stay out of Silva's dangerous clinch, he alowed himself to be cut off from movement and drilled repeatedly. The bell saved him at the end of round 1 when a smashing right hand crumpled him to the canvas, but could do nothing for the destruction that began round two. Silva caught him against the cage again, punched his way inside and again unleashed his hellacious knees to send Franklin home early. Franklin is now 22-3-1 and Silva is 20-4.
Silva KO R2 1:07

[gr81disp]

I almost forgot to mention the UFC announced that they had signed former WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar to a contract.

Many of you may now be groaning, but Lesnar was a four time D1 All-American and two time D1 National HW Champion in collegiate wrestling. He has had one fight and showed that he has some VICIOUS ground and pound also.

[walangkatapat]

Franklin has nothing for Silva and he had his chance to prove otherwise.

[gr81disp]

Rewatching Vera/Sylvia, I have to say that it was VERA that had the poor showing. Vera initiated the clinch the majority of the time and was losing the striking. Also, the entire third round was quite entertaining, I was just mad about how slow the first two went. Overall, Sylvia performed better than my initial impressions, much more aggressively, Vera just managed to slow the entire fight down.

[TRMN8R]

Alright already. I conceed.

For those that've read any of my previous posts, you probably know what a big Rich Franklin fan I am. Say what you want to about him against Silva, but tell me who else can actually beat the guy. What's that? Yep, yer right; NObody. He's beaten EVERYone else available, including some more than once. The severe beat-downs he gave Evan Tanner, for example.

I will finally admit Silva clearly beat Rich fair and square and then some. He truly got his ass beat, no question. And for the exact reasons my counterpart already mentioned. He did do well to avoid and/or stay out of the clinch, but for whatever reason, he must've smeared his back with Gorilla Glue because he was constantly stuck to the damned cage...until Silva crumpled him with that brick to the jaw. Like gr8 said, even though he was saved by the bell, it only delayed what was gonna' happen anyway.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: (up until this fight) I was never impressed by anything Silva had to offer. I never said the guy didn't have skills, I just never saw him do anything that made me say "Damn! This guy's a beast!!" Or maybe it's just because he never fought anyone else who's the same caliber of fighter as Franklin. Or maybe I'm just biased and still pissed off. Whatever.

Regardless, I freely admit here and now that Silva IS a straight up bad ass. Period.

However, my issue as a Franklin fan is this: Where does Rich go from here?

If you can beat anyone else in the division, but you can't beat the champ (and after #2, I'm quite sure a third time wouldn't prove any different), where do you go?

Hmmm...

Anyways, as far as the Silvia/Vera fight, I'll say what I told my own peeps before the match: I would've loved to have seen Vera pound the crap out of Silvia, but I also knew that he just doesn't have the height/weight to compete as a HW. He's at the very end of the light side for a HW, and not a muscular one. He should've done what he said he'd do and drop to LHW; I think that'd suit him much better and bank him a lot more W's. Although Silvia decided to wait until the 3rd round to do anything, if Vera got in the cage with somebody like Gonzaga, he'd literally get destroyed.

Finally, I've liked Bonnar since seeing him on T.U.F. and look forward to watching him fight. Obviously I wanted him to win and wasn't disappointed with his performance.

I do understand what gr8 said about 'roiders, and 99.9% of the time I'd agree with that, but taking a medically administered drug for expediant recovery is NOT the same thing as taking, say, D-bol to enhance strength, and or muscle size.

OTOH, the bottom line is, it was still against the rules, and he clearly made a bad decision by disregarding that. He did his "time", he'll have even more regular testing, and if he gets busted again, then he should be given a boot in the ass. Plain and simple.

Speaking of that, anybody heard any more about Sherk?

[osiruscyn]

There are 2 people left for Silva to fight. However neither are in the UFC. Filho and Lindland. As for competition in the UFC for him?? There is none. That's not to say that the next person he fights won't knock him out with a lucky punch, but it's going to be extremely difficult.

They haven't said anything about Sherk just yet which is interesting. You'd think they would have made a decsion on whether to leave him the champion or to strip him and have a fight to determine the new champion. If they haven't said anything yet, I bet they are going to leave him champion and keep it quiet until the time comes for his suspension to come up.

[TRMN8R]

As for competition in the UFC for him?? There is none. That's not to say that the next person he fights won't knock him out with a lucky punch, but it's going to be extremely difficult.

Yep, that's the caveat:

1. Franklin can beat anybody else in the division, but he can't beat Silva.
2. Silva has beaten (literally) Franklin twice now, so who else could possibly give him even a slight bit of competition in the UFC? Absolutely NO one.

What's truly impressive to me is I find when I go back over his fights is his skills really do improve EACH match, especially this title bout in 77.

Friggin' scary.

[gr81disp]

Silva's next match? Title Unification against the Pride Middleweight (actually called Welterweight) champion, Dan Henderson. This fight needs to happen, Henderson is so much better at the lighter weight and his style is perfect to defeat Silva, a good Bjj guy and excellent striker but his wrestling leaves much to be desired whereas Henderson is a two time olympian. I say White needs to throw a bajillion dollars at him or whatever he wants to make this match happen.

As for Sherk, the reason no decision has been made is simple. His appeal of the results before the commission is next week, then his fate will be decided.

Oh and concerning Bonnar, since when has HORSE steroids been prescribed for any medical condition? Cuz that is what he got caught with. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2589&zoneid=13