UFC 77: What Happened, What's Next

Well, another UFC show is in the bag and it's time for me to dwell on the results and ponder the future. I wouldn't call it the greatest MMA show in the history of the sport, but it was without a doubt not the worst. UFC' match maker Joe Silva has done a much better job of putting together competitive matches, rather than setting up the pins for some "superstar" fighter to knock down.

The main event of the evening put UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva up against the man who he took the belt from, Rich Franklin. This was Anderson's second official title defense thanks to Travis Lutter's embarrassing inability to make weight at UFC 67. I was expecting this to be a war, but instead it was another Anderson Silva ambush.Three minutes into the first round Rich Franklin was already staring up at the clock. This is the same guy who went five rounds with David Loiseau and Evan Tanner. What was wrong with Franklin? Fear is the answer.

For this fight to have been a war, Rich Franklin needed to erase their first fight from his mind and he clearly didn't do that. Anytime Anderson put Franklin in his clinch you could see how uncomfortable Franklin became, and because of that Anderson Silva managed to finish this fight the same way he did the first time. Rich Franklin is a great fighter who still has a lot of fight left in him, but until someone comes in and beats Anderson Silva we won't be seeing him in a championship fight for a while. So, what's next for Anderson Silva and the Middleweight division?

After last nights performance Anderson Silva has made himself the best UFC Middleweight Champion ever. Many might call this a bold statement, but there has only been four middleweight champions before him, and the only one of the four to defend the title more than once was Rich Franklin. How bold do you think that statement is now? I think it's only fair for Dan Henderson to get a crack at Anderson Silva next. Dan Henderson has just come off of a loss to Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson. It was a very competitive, five round battle that exposed how small Dan Henderson is for light heavyweight, and how dangerous he could be at middleweight. Henderson still holds the Pride Middleweight title and it's time for UFC to step up and put both belts on the line.

Also on the card we saw two top contending heavyweights go the distance. Tim Sylvia got the deserved judges decision, but the crowd booed him anyway. I'm not a fan of Tim Sylvia, but I do respect his abilities in the cage. He knows how to use his size and is actually a very crisp,fast striker for a guy who is 6"8. Brandon Vera held his own for the first two rounds but Tim's big body was just too much for Vera to handle. Watching this fight and seeing how difficult it was for Vera to take Tim down shows how good Randy Couture is. Vera should have thrown leg kicks all night and then attempt the take down, but Tim moved well and cut off the angles so that he could implement his boring, but effective fighting style. This win puts Tim Sylvia near the top for contenders of the now vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship. The question is, who is sitting at the Top with Tim?

Cheick Kongo has won four of his last five fights in the UFC and one of those wins are over top Heavyweight Mirco Cro Cop. These facts put Cheick near the top of the rankings, but a fighter that many people are forgetting about is former Pride Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Rodrigo has only one fight in the UFC which was a win over Heath Herring, but outside of the UFC Nogueira has victories over Mirco Cro Cop, Josh Barnett, Fabrico Werdum and Dan Henderson. Noguiera has also gone the distance with Heavyweight King Fedor Emelianenko. So, it would make sense for the UFC to put Cheick up against Nogueira and the winner of that fight take on Tim Sylvia for the Heavyweight Title.

The future is looking good for the UFC and the sport. Brock Lesnar was announced last night as the newest fighter on the UFC roster. This news is leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many people due to Brock's involvement with WWE, but that's just plain ignorance. Lesnar finished his amateur career as a four-time all-American, two-time big-ten Champion and the 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion with a record of 106-5 overall in four years of college. Brock's athletic abilities are almost surreal for a guy his height and weight, and if this guy can put together a good enough striking game to put him in a position to implement his grappling skills then UFC Heavyweights better watch out, because he can very well end up being a devastating fighter.

Well, for anyone who managed to make it to the end of this article, thank you for reading and keep an eye out for more just like it. I will be doing rundowns of all the weight classes of the UFC and share my thoughts on who should be contenders, who should be signed, and who doesn't belong. Don't be afraid to share your comments with me, good or bad.

Peace

Ezzedean Fadel

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