Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin: What a Win Would Mean for Franklin

After a contentious decision in their first meeting in 2009, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin will attempt to erase all doubt with another victory over Wanderlei Silva Saturday night at UFC 147 in Brazil.

If he is able to get the victory, the question has to be asked: What would lay ahead in Franklin's future?

Due to injuries and other factors, Franklin has not been an active fighter in recent years. Tonight's fight against Silva is only his third since 2010. A victory would put him back in the win column after dropping a decision to Forrest Griffin at UFC 126.

Does a win move him up the ladder in either division? Most likely not. This fight, like their first encounter, is not in the middleweight or light heavyweight division. It is contested at a catchweight of 190 pounds. 

Win or lose, Franklin's career is winding down inside the Octagon.

Not being in title contention in either division makes the choices for future fights even more narrow. Both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions are seeing an influx of young, hungry fighters looking to make a name for themselves at the expense of the former rulers of the weight classes.

A fight against one of the young lions in either division does not help Franklin. We have seen the same scenario with other fighters. Most recently with Shogun Rua turning down a fight with Glover Teixeira. Those fights are all risk and no reward for recognizable figures like Franklin and Rua. It makes no sense to take the risk.

The fights that Franklin will go after are ones that make sense for his career and his wallet. Battles against other aging fighters with big names. That is why being paired up with Wanderlei Silva makes so much sense, other than filling the gap left by Vitor Belfort.

All in all, a win for Franklin does not have an impact on the current landscape of MMA.

Winning the fight does not thrust him in to title contention. It does not emphatically alter the trajectory of his career. 

What it does have an impact on is his legacy. Two wins over Silva will be an excellent addition to his resume. Proving the first go-round (at UFC 99) was neither luck or a bad decision is important. A clear victory in the rematch will erase the memories of a close first fight.

Franklin will go down as a company man and one of the UFC's greatest fighters, but a win at UFC 147 puts Franklin in a class by himself as the only fighter in MMA history with two wins over Wanderlei Silva.

If he demolishes the former PRIDE champion it could mark the retirement of Silva. Dana White told Ariel Helwani if he takes a lot of damage in a loss he will sit down with him like he did with Chuck Liddell.

If that ends up being the case, then Franklin will have retired both Liddell and Silva. It will elevate him from being a UFC great to an MMA great.

This is a legacy fight for Franklin.