The year 2007 has been quite the rollercoaster for the UFC. This year has marked more ups and downs than a porno film and it's not finished yet. Dream matchups, upsets, and suspensions, oh my! I'll run through just a few of the major turning points in the UFC this year.
2006 ended with one of the most profitable pay-per-view events in its history with Liddell-Ortiz II. This, Dana White had hoped, would be just a taste of what the year 2007 would bring.
But, as Dana White says, in MMA anything can happen.
February, 2007 - UFC DEBUTS
At UFC 67, we saw the UFC debut of arguably the most feared striker in MMA; Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. If you had ever witnessed the awesomeness of Cro Cop in Pride, you, like many others, were very excited to see this guy compete in the UFC. Cro Cop did as he was expected and won the fight, but not in the impressive fashion that true fight fans had come to expect from this head hunting kickboxer. He won his bout in the 1st round by TKO against Eddie Sanchez.
This victory, it was hoped, would start Cro Cop's run for the title (which he was expected to eventually win).
UFC 67 was also the event at which, for the first time, an Ultimate Fighter winner would get a shot at a championship. The winner Travis Lutter, who won his division of the Ultimate Fighter by submitting Patrick Cote, took on Anderson "The Spider" Silva. This match would however be downgraded to a non-title fight after Lutter failed to make the 185 pound weight limit; he would tap out to Silva due to triangle choke.
We also saw the UFC debut of Quinton Jackson, who knocked out Marvin Eastman with a nice uppercut in the second round. This would be the beginning of the rise of "Rampage".
March, 2007 - HISTORY UNFOLDS
The main event at UFC 68 will go down in history as possibly the greatest moment in UFC history. The story line here: Randy Couture, at 43 years old, comes back from a year long retirement to challenge the much younger, taller, heavier champ Tim Silvia. It was a real life Rocky story unfolding before your very eyes. With the first punch thrown in the fight, Randy Couture knocked the 6'8", 265 lb monster down; at the same time, the sold out crowd in Columbus, Ohio rose as one...and didn't sit back down for the entire 25 minutes of the fight! Couture dominated Silvia for all 5 rounds of the fight to win the heavyweight title for an unprecented third time, and also became the first person to win 5 championships! (2 time light heavyweight, and 3 time heavyweight). He also became the oldest fighter to win a championship in MMA history. This was simply unbelievable and I'm sure the rights to this movie are going to be sold to the highest bidder!
April, 2007 - UPSETS!!
Major upset!! Matt Serra, the winner of the Ultimate Fighter's welterweight tournament, was to face welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in February, but an injury forced GSP to pull out of the fight. The fight was postponed until UFC 69 in Houston, Texas. Matt Serra wasn't given much of a chance and considered a huge underdog going into his fight against the heavily favoured St. Pierre. But, as that nagging saying goes, "In MMA, anything can happen"; and it did. Serra caught St. Pierre with a right hook that stunned the champ. St. Pierre would not get a chance to recover. Serra charged forward and gave little breathing room to the troubled champion. Serra gained full mount on St. Pierre, and after a few unanswered punches, the fight was stopped and Serra had just shocked the world!
Just a few weeks later was UFC 70: Nations Collide. This event saw the main event headlined by Gabriel Gonzaga vs Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop was expected to win this fight hands down. Gonzaga was only meant to be the sacrificial lamb to be handed to Cro Cop so that Cro Cop could go on and win the heavyweight title. Dana White's plans were shattered when the fight world witnessed 'the kick heard round the world'! It was as horrific as it was ironic. Cro Cop who had become known for knocking out his opponents with deadly head kicks found himself tasting his own medicine. Gonzaga delivered a thunderous kick to the head that dropped the Croatian in disturbing fashion. Cro Cop's dead weight came crashing down on his ankle, leaving it twisted and distorted. Gonzaga barely had a chance to throw another punch on the unconsious Cro Cop before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight. With the kick, a new heavyweight title contender was named and big questions would loom over Cro Cop's contention.
May, 2007 - MAKING STATEMENTS
UFC 71 saw the much anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and recent PRIDE addition Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. These two first met in PRIDE during one of PRIDE's Grand Prix tournaments. Rampage would win that first bout after landing brutal forearms to Liddell's ribs. Liddell's corner threw in the towel and Liddell went back to the UFC without the tournament championship. But fast forward 3 years and Liddell had knocked out his last 7 opponents and was light heavyweight champion. Quinton Jackson had just been acquired by the UFC and knocked out his first UFC opponent in February. It didn't take long for Jackson to make one hell of a statement. Liddell, displaying one of boxings big no-nos, led with a left body shot. Jackson countered with a right hook that tagged Liddell on the chin and dropped the champ. Jackson followed with several unanswered blows and a new light heavyweight champion was crowned. UFC's poster boy had just lost in the first round.
This event also introduced Houston Alexander to the world; another fighter who was seemingly being thrown to the wolves. Keith Jardine was expected to walk through the unknown Alexander in a fight that was meant to help Jardine make his way to the title. Alexander proved to be no walk-through and after a 49 second dismantling of Jardine, a new light heavyweight star was born.
June, 2007 - FRANKLIN BACK IN TITLE CONTENTION
Not much to say about June of 2007. UFC 72: Victory might possibly be the worst UFC event in a long time. Besides Griffin vs Guida, this event was stuffed with long, boring fights. The main event was no different. Franklin vs Okami went to the judge's decision and Franklin walked away with a narrow unamous decision; winning 2 rounds to 1. With the win, Franklin is now in position to get his shot at the title against the man who took it from him, Anderson Silva (Assuming Silva defeats Nate Marquardt in July).
The Ultimate Fighter 5 finale was also held in June. Nate Diaz went on to become the lightweight winner against Manny Gamburyan and B.J. Penn put on a Jiu-Jitsu clinic in his dominant win over Jens Pulver. With the win, "The Prodigy" moved into the spot as number one contender to the lightweight title.
July, 2007 - STACKED OR JACKED?
UFC 73: Stacked saw two successful title defenses and a draw. Sean Sherk defended his lightweight title against Hermes Franca in a Unanimous Decision victory and Anderson Silva finished Marquardt in the first round to retain his middleweight title. Questions were also raised about Tito Ortiz's staying power as he put on a poor performance against TUF 2 winner Rashad Evans in a fight that ended in a draw. The two title defenses and the draw were not the headlining story of this event. After the steroid testing at UFC 73, it was revealed that both Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca tested positive for steroids. Hermes Franca didn't deny the charges, saying he was injured and didn't want to pull out of the fight on short notice, so he felt he had to take something in order to let him fight. Sherk, however, denied the charges and took his case to court. The hearing has been postponed until November. With the results still up in the air about Sherk's innocence, the lightweight title is stuck in limbo. If Sherk is proven guilty, he will face a year suspension and be stripped of the title; thus, leaving BJ Penn to sit and wait to hear of the status of the lightweight title and what opponent he might face and when.
August, 2007 - GSP RETURNS
In my opinion, this was the best UFC event in a long time, possibly ever. Every single fight on this card was amazing to watch. Stellar performances by all the fighters and a main card that featured the return of Georges St. Pierre and the heavyweight title bout between the ageless Randy Couture and 'The man who knocked out Cro Cop', Gabriel Gonzaga.
Georges St. Pierre answered a lot of questions that were lingering after his knockout loss to Matt Serra in April. He made major changes to his lifestyle and to his entourage and came in as focused as I've ever seen him. He was taking on a very talented wrestler in Josh Koscheck and most wondered if he could compete with such an accomplished and powerful wrestler. Not only did GSP compete, but he completely outwrestled the wrestler. In what surprised everyone, St. Pierre took Koscheck down almost imediately and pinned the wrestler on his back for most of the first round. The second round saw pretty much the same, with St. Pierre dominating the stand-up and taking Koscheck down at will. St. Pierre would spend alot of time in the second on top of Koscheck and attempting a kimura, but Koscheck proved he has good submission defense. The third round, again, saw St. Pierre dominating the standup with 'Superman punch' - leg kick combinations. St. Pierre won in impressive fashion via unanimous decision.
Randy Couture proved why he was the heavyweight Champion by overpowering the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt against the cage and using single leg takedowns to put Gonzaga on the mat. This fight was a war that saw Gonzaga break his nose after being taken down by Couture against the cage in the first round. Gonzaga showed tremendous heart as he fought with continued ferocity until the end. Gonzaga landed very heavy kicks; one, Couture blocked with his face, the other broke his arm. Couture went on to win via TKO after taking Gonzaga down and pounding him out from there.
September, 2007 - A September to Remember
Three live UFC events in one month. First was UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion. History was made as the world witnessed the first title unification bout in MMA history. UFC's 205 pound champion Quinton Jackson took on PRIDE's 205 pound champion Dan Henderson in a 25 minute war. Both fighters threw and ate some heavy bombs, with neither man going down. These were knockout punches that landed but without the knockout results. This was a great fight worthy of MMA's first title unification. Jackson retained his title via unanimous decision.
UFC Fight Night on September 19th saw Kenny Florian make a statement and put himself back in the lightweight title picture. He finished Din Thomas in the first round by rear naked choke. With names like BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Clay Quida, and Kurt Pelligrino in the mix, Florian might have to wait awhile before he gets another shot at lightweight gold.
Shockwaves rock the light heavyweight division after UFC 76. Chuck Liddell is defeated again!! This time by split decision in a lackluster performance against Keith Jardine. The loss leaves the former champ with back-to-back losses for the first time in his career and leaves the fight world with major questions about his future in MMA.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua made his UFC debut against Forrest Griffin. Griffin demanded this fight and most people thought he was crazy. Rua is considered by many to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. But fatigue is an ugly beast. Rua faded away early on in the second round, dropping his hands and taking deep breaths through his mouth. With just a few seconds left in the final round, Griffin had Rua's back and sunk in a rear naked choke that caused the Brazilian to tap out. With the win, Griffin skyrockets up the light heavyweight ladder and possibly one win away from a title shot. With the loss, Rua has the UFC scrambling to reorganize its light heavyweight division. But with the recent signing of Wanderlei Silva, the light heavyweight division will see many interesting matchups.
October, 2007 - Middleweight Division in Disarray!
As Anderson Silva was stopped by the referee from doing any more damage to the downed Nate Marquardt at UFC 73 in July, the camera shoots over to an onlooking Rich Franklin. Franklin looked as if he were watching Jason Voorhees dismembering another helpless victim. It was a look of fear that didn't seem to leave Franklin's face until he woke up on the Octagon floor, staring at the lights after his rematch with Silva at UFC 77. Franklin had, once again, been knocked silly by the devastating striker Anderson Silva. With such a dominant win over such a dominant fighter, Anderson Silva exposed a huge gap in talent in the middleweight division. Silva proved that his is on a completely different level than any other fighter in the middleweight division. The loss poses Franklin with a serious problem; he can beat any other fighter in the division, but can't beat Silva. What's a fighter to do when stuck in this type of limbo. He'll beat any other opponent put in front of him, but any chance for another title shot is very unlikely unless the belt changes hands. So Franklin will continue on winning, but will likely never get the title back. For Franklin, a move back to light heavyweight may be his only option other than retirement.
October also saw Randy Couture resign from the UFC. Thus, vacating his heavyweight title. In addition to Couture's resignation, the UFC was unable to acquire Fedor Emelianenko. With the world's two best heavyweights out of the UFC picture, the UFC's heavyweight division has gotten a little rocky. There are few exceptional fighters at heavyweight in the UFC. Vera, Silvia, Kongo, Gonzaga, and Nogueira make up the short list of serious contenders at heavyweight. The UFC also announced it's recent signing of WWE star Brock Lesnar. Lesnar has only one MMA fight under his belt, but if the result of that fight is any indication of how Lesnar will perform in the UFC, the heavyweight division may be saved.
Upsets, PRIDE fighter debuts, the fall of a champion, the comeback of another, the return of a legend, the greatest moment in UFC history, title unification, resignation, turmoil in the Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight divisions. 2007 has proved to be possibly the rockiest, yet most exciting year the UFC has ever seen....and it's not over yet...
Showing posts with label UFC 77. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UFC 77. Show all posts
Friday, November 2, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Silvia Back To His Unanimous Decision Ways
"The winner by unanimous decision: Tim 'The Main-iac' Silvia!"
Is the CD skipping?
We've heard this many times before and it is exactly why Tim Silvia gets booed. He is not an exciting fighter. Sure he's finished opponents in the past, but he is slow and awkward and has been very boring to watch as of late. He said in a pre-fight interview that he wants to finish his opponents and that we'd see a different, more exciting Tim Silvia. For a guy who doesn't like to go to a decision, he has sure done it a lot lately.
If he would only let his hands go and use his kicks and knees in a more aggressive fashion, he could be one of the most exciting fighters to watch.
Right from the get-go Silvia clinched with Vera and pushed him into the cage. This was basically the entire fight. A lot of hugging and kissing and calling each other George. Vera seemed to be very frustrated at the way the fight was going; you could tell he wanted to get some distance and drop bombs, but Silvia would have none of it. Silvia seemed content to press Vera into the cage and pretty much lean on him the entire fight. Vera unable to move the monster that is Silvia, was stuck in this position, and as much as he wanted to stand and trade with Silvia, he couldn't get the big man off of him. Frustrating not only for him but frustrating for everyone watching. There is not a single person in the world who wanted to see these two hug it out against the cage for the entire fight.
Silvia doesn't impress me with his fighting skills. He is so dominant because he is so big. He's tall and heavy. His reach is enormous and there's few fighters who can deal with those traits. If he were a smaller man, Tim Silvia would not be at the top of the heavyweight division.
After the win, Silvia called out Cheick Kongo. This, in my opinion, was simply because he does not want to fight Minotauro. Silvia knows that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the best heavyweights in the world and would rather beat up Kongo on the ground than be beaten around by Nogeuira in a very Couture-esque fashion. Before Silvia's fight with Vera, there was much talk about the winner of the fight facing Nogeuira for the vacant heavyweight title. Tim most likely heard about this and decided it would be in his best interest to win a fight against a guy like Kongo who has no ground game. He wants to hype up a fight between him and Kongo to the point that the UFC decides it might be a good idea. Tim Silvia will beat Cheick Kongo, there's no doubt in my mind. Silvia will only finish Kongo if he takes him down and pounds him out. If the fight is left standing, it will be much like Silvia vs Vera or Kongo vs Cro Cop. Either way, I don't like the prospect of this fight. This is Tim's way of saving his own ass so that he doesn't go 1-2 in his last 3 fights; although I don't believe that that type of record would push Tim Silvia out of the UFC, it would severely hurt his chance for another shot at that title he craves so badly.
Vera, on the other hand, will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him; his opponent at UFC 77 for example. Vera is the real deal. If Vera hadn't broken his left hand in the first round of the fight, he could have quite possibly won that fight. I believe he took round 2; broken hand and all. Round 3 I gave to Silvia, but Vera didn't throw much in the third. He seemed tentative and a little concerned about throwing combinations. Had he been able to fight without the worries of a broken hand, he most likely would have taken round 3. For a guy who's been out of the fight scene for nearly a year, he showed no signs of rust. Vera will be back very soon and will be, in the words of Tim Silvia, "someone to be reckoned with".
Vera vs. Gonzaga in the future? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Is the CD skipping?
We've heard this many times before and it is exactly why Tim Silvia gets booed. He is not an exciting fighter. Sure he's finished opponents in the past, but he is slow and awkward and has been very boring to watch as of late. He said in a pre-fight interview that he wants to finish his opponents and that we'd see a different, more exciting Tim Silvia. For a guy who doesn't like to go to a decision, he has sure done it a lot lately.
If he would only let his hands go and use his kicks and knees in a more aggressive fashion, he could be one of the most exciting fighters to watch.
Right from the get-go Silvia clinched with Vera and pushed him into the cage. This was basically the entire fight. A lot of hugging and kissing and calling each other George. Vera seemed to be very frustrated at the way the fight was going; you could tell he wanted to get some distance and drop bombs, but Silvia would have none of it. Silvia seemed content to press Vera into the cage and pretty much lean on him the entire fight. Vera unable to move the monster that is Silvia, was stuck in this position, and as much as he wanted to stand and trade with Silvia, he couldn't get the big man off of him. Frustrating not only for him but frustrating for everyone watching. There is not a single person in the world who wanted to see these two hug it out against the cage for the entire fight.
Silvia doesn't impress me with his fighting skills. He is so dominant because he is so big. He's tall and heavy. His reach is enormous and there's few fighters who can deal with those traits. If he were a smaller man, Tim Silvia would not be at the top of the heavyweight division.
After the win, Silvia called out Cheick Kongo. This, in my opinion, was simply because he does not want to fight Minotauro. Silvia knows that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the best heavyweights in the world and would rather beat up Kongo on the ground than be beaten around by Nogeuira in a very Couture-esque fashion. Before Silvia's fight with Vera, there was much talk about the winner of the fight facing Nogeuira for the vacant heavyweight title. Tim most likely heard about this and decided it would be in his best interest to win a fight against a guy like Kongo who has no ground game. He wants to hype up a fight between him and Kongo to the point that the UFC decides it might be a good idea. Tim Silvia will beat Cheick Kongo, there's no doubt in my mind. Silvia will only finish Kongo if he takes him down and pounds him out. If the fight is left standing, it will be much like Silvia vs Vera or Kongo vs Cro Cop. Either way, I don't like the prospect of this fight. This is Tim's way of saving his own ass so that he doesn't go 1-2 in his last 3 fights; although I don't believe that that type of record would push Tim Silvia out of the UFC, it would severely hurt his chance for another shot at that title he craves so badly.
Vera, on the other hand, will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him; his opponent at UFC 77 for example. Vera is the real deal. If Vera hadn't broken his left hand in the first round of the fight, he could have quite possibly won that fight. I believe he took round 2; broken hand and all. Round 3 I gave to Silvia, but Vera didn't throw much in the third. He seemed tentative and a little concerned about throwing combinations. Had he been able to fight without the worries of a broken hand, he most likely would have taken round 3. For a guy who's been out of the fight scene for nearly a year, he showed no signs of rust. Vera will be back very soon and will be, in the words of Tim Silvia, "someone to be reckoned with".
Vera vs. Gonzaga in the future? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Silva the Sniper
It may have took a little longer this time around, but the UFC Middleweight Championship bout was an instant replay of the one that took place just over a year ago.
Silva, once again, dominated Rich Franklin in very impressive fashion. This guy is unbelievable. Silva has left no doubt in my mind that he is the deadliest striker in the UFC. His strikes are as accurate as a shot taken by a sniper and are just as deadly. He connected with pin point accuracy with everything in his arsenal; punches, knees, kicks, spinning backfists, spin kicks, etc...Silva threw everything but the kitchen sink at Franklin and made short work of the former champ.
Franklin fought off the attempted clinch early on and faired OK during the first minute of the match; this due to the fact that Silva's first strike came nearly 55 seconds after the opening bell. Franklin worked his kicks and used a good double jab to keep Silva from teeing off; however, Silva was a lion waiting in the grass to make his move. Silva started throwing some punches and went for the clinch. Franklin fought this off quite well and when the two were battling it out against the cage, Franklin scored a takedown. Silva wasn't on his back long though and soon was back to his feet. Once "The Spider" was up and standing again, he began to unload in spectacular fashion and dropped the former champ at the bell.
Franklin had to be carried to his corner and at this point anyone watching the fight knew that it was only a matter of time. By the look in Franklin's eyes, you could see that he, too, knew he was finished.
He came out firing, though, in the second. This aggressive push didn't last long as Silva once again opened his bag of tricks and unleashed a ferocious barrage of strikes that crumpled Franklin. After a couple of shots to the downed Franklin, Big John stopped the fight and Silva remained the champ.
With such a decisive win, one must ask "Is there anyone out there who can even compete with Silva?" Silva is on a totally different level than any other fighter in the 185 pound class. The UFC's middleweight division has lost its appeal now that it only consists of Silva beating Franklin and Franklin beating everyone else.
There is one other fighter who might give Silva a run for his money and that's Dan Henderson, the PRIDE 185 pound champion. Henderson, however, would rather fight at light heavyweight which doesn't cause me any grief because there are a lot of interesting fights that could potentially take place with Henderson at Light Heavyweight. Although, I would eventually like to see him come down to middleweight for a fight with Silva and another title unification bout.
The second loss to Silva poses Rich Franklin with a huge problem; he can beat anyone in the division other than Silva. So what does a fighter do when he can beat everyone else but can't beat the champ? The only decision I can see Franklin making is to move back up to Light Heavyweight. This division is stacked with talent and there is no shortage of great oppenents for Franklin to fight. Silva is just a terrible style matchup for Franklin and is simply just better than Rich. Although, this move will leave the middleweight division with even less legitimate fighers, I believe that there is nowhere else for Franklin to go.
Silva is also posed with a problem; there is no one who can even be considered a challenge for him. With no threats to his title, he may become a 2-fight-a-year fighter or even worse, 1 fight a year. So until Georges St. Pierre wins the Welterweight title, dominates the division for a few more years and decides to move up to middleweight, Anderson Silva, like Franklin, is in limbo.
As long as no new legitimate contenders come out of the wood work, Anderson Silva will dominate this division for a very long time and will no doubt become bored and begin searching for a decent challenge. In my opinion his only option will also be to move up to Light Heavyweight. This would be the icing on the cake for a division that's already stacked with talent. Could you imagine Anderson Silva vs Chuck Liddell, or Anderson Silva vs Shogun, Silva vs. Alexander, Silva vs. Silva??
This would, however, leave the middleweight division completely empty of elite fighters, but would at least give the rest of the division a shot at a title, and would make for more interesting fights at middleweight.
The result of the main event at UFC 77 has left the middleweight division in disarray and has left the rest of the fighters in the division rethinking their career plans.
Silva, once again, dominated Rich Franklin in very impressive fashion. This guy is unbelievable. Silva has left no doubt in my mind that he is the deadliest striker in the UFC. His strikes are as accurate as a shot taken by a sniper and are just as deadly. He connected with pin point accuracy with everything in his arsenal; punches, knees, kicks, spinning backfists, spin kicks, etc...Silva threw everything but the kitchen sink at Franklin and made short work of the former champ.
Franklin fought off the attempted clinch early on and faired OK during the first minute of the match; this due to the fact that Silva's first strike came nearly 55 seconds after the opening bell. Franklin worked his kicks and used a good double jab to keep Silva from teeing off; however, Silva was a lion waiting in the grass to make his move. Silva started throwing some punches and went for the clinch. Franklin fought this off quite well and when the two were battling it out against the cage, Franklin scored a takedown. Silva wasn't on his back long though and soon was back to his feet. Once "The Spider" was up and standing again, he began to unload in spectacular fashion and dropped the former champ at the bell.
Franklin had to be carried to his corner and at this point anyone watching the fight knew that it was only a matter of time. By the look in Franklin's eyes, you could see that he, too, knew he was finished.
He came out firing, though, in the second. This aggressive push didn't last long as Silva once again opened his bag of tricks and unleashed a ferocious barrage of strikes that crumpled Franklin. After a couple of shots to the downed Franklin, Big John stopped the fight and Silva remained the champ.
With such a decisive win, one must ask "Is there anyone out there who can even compete with Silva?" Silva is on a totally different level than any other fighter in the 185 pound class. The UFC's middleweight division has lost its appeal now that it only consists of Silva beating Franklin and Franklin beating everyone else.
There is one other fighter who might give Silva a run for his money and that's Dan Henderson, the PRIDE 185 pound champion. Henderson, however, would rather fight at light heavyweight which doesn't cause me any grief because there are a lot of interesting fights that could potentially take place with Henderson at Light Heavyweight. Although, I would eventually like to see him come down to middleweight for a fight with Silva and another title unification bout.
The second loss to Silva poses Rich Franklin with a huge problem; he can beat anyone in the division other than Silva. So what does a fighter do when he can beat everyone else but can't beat the champ? The only decision I can see Franklin making is to move back up to Light Heavyweight. This division is stacked with talent and there is no shortage of great oppenents for Franklin to fight. Silva is just a terrible style matchup for Franklin and is simply just better than Rich. Although, this move will leave the middleweight division with even less legitimate fighers, I believe that there is nowhere else for Franklin to go.
Silva is also posed with a problem; there is no one who can even be considered a challenge for him. With no threats to his title, he may become a 2-fight-a-year fighter or even worse, 1 fight a year. So until Georges St. Pierre wins the Welterweight title, dominates the division for a few more years and decides to move up to middleweight, Anderson Silva, like Franklin, is in limbo.
As long as no new legitimate contenders come out of the wood work, Anderson Silva will dominate this division for a very long time and will no doubt become bored and begin searching for a decent challenge. In my opinion his only option will also be to move up to Light Heavyweight. This would be the icing on the cake for a division that's already stacked with talent. Could you imagine Anderson Silva vs Chuck Liddell, or Anderson Silva vs Shogun, Silva vs. Alexander, Silva vs. Silva??
This would, however, leave the middleweight division completely empty of elite fighters, but would at least give the rest of the division a shot at a title, and would make for more interesting fights at middleweight.
The result of the main event at UFC 77 has left the middleweight division in disarray and has left the rest of the fighters in the division rethinking their career plans.
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