UFC 147 Results: Rich Franklin Edges Wanderlei Silva In Five Round Decision

Rich Franklin earned a second unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva, however, the win wouldn't come easy. 


A late replacement for the injured Vitor Belfort, Franklin survived a brutal attack from “The Axe Murderer” in the second round and earned a unanimous decision in the UFC 147 headliner on Saturday at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. All three judges scored the fight in favor of the American: 48-46 for Franklin, giving the former middleweight champion four of the five rounds.


Franklin dictated much of the 25-minute bout with sharp double jabs, straight left hands and stinging body kicks. However, the 37-year-old Cincinnati native found himself in the middle of one of Silva’s famous barrages in the second round. The former Pride Fighting Championships  middleweight champion dropped Franklin with a straight right hand and then swarmed on him with a brutal flurry of ground strikes. Somehow, Franklin kept himself conscious, survived and extended the fight for another round.


“Honestly, I don't remember between the second and fifth rounds,” he said. “I just remember my corner man saying it was the fifth round.”


Silva tasted defeat for the fifth time in seven outings.


“At the end of the second round, I really thought I was going to be able to knock him out,” he said. “I really wanted to, but I’m sorry I wasn't able to. Yes, I did. I think [I punched myself out in round two]. I pushed it a bit too much, but I really wanted to knock him out. I just want to thank the crowd, because I fight for you. My fans are who I do this for.”


In the early minutes of round three, it became clear Silva had exhausted a bit too much energy. He threw nothing significant in terms of offense, allowing Franklin to regain his senses and reclaim control of the match. The American mixed in a trip takedown and some heavy ground-and-pound late in the stanza in what was his most effective stretch of the fight.


Perhaps sensing he was behind on the scorecards, Silva threw caution to the wind with time winding down in the fifth round. Franklin, in his first appearance in more than a year, dodged his efforts and dropped him to a knee with a crisp left hook in the final 10 seconds.


“I was operating on autopilot for a while,” said Franklin, who became the first fighter ever to defeat Silva twice. “When that kind of stuff happens, you remember bits and pieces. I remember my coach telling me to not get greedy and pick my punches. I thought I did a good job of that in the fifth round. There was so much on this fight for me.”


Cezar Ferreira outpointed three-time Brazilian jiu-jtsu world champion Sergio Moraes en route to a unanimous decision in “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” middleweight final. All three judges ruled in favor of Ferreira by 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 counts.


A student of Vitor Belfot's, Ferreira kept the heat on the seasoned grappler, delivering a mixed bag of punches and even mixing in a movie-esque capoeira kick. Moraes -- who moved into the final when Daniel Sarafian withdrew with an injury -- had his moments on the feet, too, just not enough of them. He dazed Ferreira with a short standing elbow in the second round and followed up with a flurry of straight punches. However, Ferreira answered with shots of his own and reclaimed his figurative stranglehold in the match. He appeared to seal the victory when he set Moraes to his back with a straight left hand with less than half a minute remaining in round three.


“I’m very honored. I’m very pleased to be here,” Ferreira said. “This is what I’ve been fighting for and training for.”


Backed by counter right hands and picture perfect submission defense, Rony Mariano Bezerra took a unanimous ruling from the previously unbeaten Godofredo de Oliveira in “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” featherweight final. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Bezerra, a Team Nogueira product who has secured off six consecutive victories.


De Oliveira offered little in terms of meaningful offense, resorting to pulling guard on more than one occasion. He did some nice work from the bottom with elbows, but grew less and less effective as the fight grew on. Bezerra, meanwhile, found a home for his right hand and lead left hook, cruising to a decision in a surprisingly tepid 15-minute encounter.


World-ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum was flawless against Mike Russow, as he put away the rugged Chicago police officer with first-round strikes on Friday. Russow's night came to an end at 2:28 into round one, snapping an 11-fight win streak for the American.


Werdum ripped into Russow with combinations for much of their brief encounter. He floored the 35-year-old with a thunderous right uppercut, which instantly dropped him to the canvas. Werdum then unloaded a series of punches and hammerfists for the finish.


“I’m training a lot of muay Thai,” he said. “I’d just like for all of you to know how happy I’m feeling. It’s really emotional for me to be here. I live in Los Angeles, but to be in Brazil makes me very happy.”


Nova Uniao’s Hacran Dias made a successful Octagon debut, as he captured a unanimous from Yuri Alcantara in a featherweight tilt. All three cageside judges scored it for Dias: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.


A teammate of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, Dias shot for multiple takedowns in all three rounds and neutralized his countryman with effective ground-and-pound. Alcantara, who entered the cage on a 13-fight winning streak, took a shot at victory in the second round, where he trapped Dias in an armbar. However, the 28-year-old former Shooto champion calmly escaped and resumed his attack from top position.


The victory marked Dias's ninth straight. 


UFC 147 quick results: 


Main Card:
Rich Franklin def. Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Cezar Ferreira def. Sergio Moraes via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Rony Mariano Bezerra def. Godofredo de Oliveira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Fabricio Werdum def. Mike Russow via TKO (strikes) at 2:28 of round 1
Hacran Dias def. Yuri Alcantara via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)


Preliminary Card:
Rodrigo Damm def. Anistavio Medeiros via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:12 of round 1
Francisco Drinaldo def. Delson Heleno via TKO (strikes) at 4:21 of round 1
Hugo Viana def. John Teixeira via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Thiago Perpetuo def. Leonardo Mafra via TKO (punches) at 0:41 of round 3
Marcos Vinicius def. Wagner Campos via TKO (punches) at 1:04 of round 3
Felipe Arantes vs. Milton Vieira ends in a split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28)