Silva vs. Franklin: Final Prediction for the Rematch

Tonight, an exciting rematch takes place at UFC 147, when legendary middleweights Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin meet in the Octagon. 

This fight is a rematch of UFC 99 in Germany, where the two main-evented the card en route to a "Fight of the Night" bonus. Franklin won that bout via unanimous decision in a very back-and-forth affair.

There are a number of intangibles in this fight that will help predict the outcome. 

First, the striking battle between these men is a close matchup. While Silva is a powerful, aggressive striker, Franklin is more technical and accurate with his strikes. 

Silva likes to use the Muay Thai clinch in his striking game, as he utilizes his sharp knees to batter opponents. He also uses looping punches that have immense power behind them to try and knock people's heads off.

Franklin will need to stay away from Silva's clinch, as it was his downfall in his two fights against another Brazilian—Anderson Silva. If Wanderlei is able to lock in a tight clinch, it could be bad news for Franklin.

Franklin will need to stay on the outside and circle away from Silva's power. He will need to pick him apart with punches and movement. If he gets into a sloppy brawl with Silva, he's likely to either get caught or lose a decision based on Silva's brawling ability.

As for the grappling portion, it's a matter of whoever is on top that will get the advantage. Both are great grapplers, but they're defensive enough off their back to avoid submissions. As said, whoever's on top will have the advantage as they smother the bottom man.

Both men have solid gas tanks, so cardio will likely not be an issue. This is even more so the case, as Silva's surgically fixed nose had helped immensely in his last few fights.

Franklin will have the psychological edge here, as he already beat Silva once. That said, Silva will have the home-field advantage fighting in Brazil. Franklin is obviously American, which the Brazilians will rally against.

While Franklin still has a good chin, Silva's has deteriorated over the years. If Franklin lands cleanly, it could spell trouble for "The Axe Murderer." This is almost the same situation as when Franklin fought Liddell. He weathered the early storm, only to smack Liddell with an accurate punch that rendered him unconscious.

In the end, the fight will look somewhat similar as the first fight. The only difference is that the man they call "Ace" will land a clean shot and end Silva's UFC career.