UFC 147 Results: Rich Franklin's Win over Wanderlei Silva Will Prove Meaningless

Rich Franklin's (29-6, 1 NC) unanimous decision win over Wanderlei Silva (34-12-1, 1 NC) at UFC 147 from Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Saturday will prove meaningless in the end.

Franklin, 37, was once a UFC champion at the middleweight division, but that was six years ago, and Franklin has gone just 7-5 in his last 12 fights.

His last shot at the middleweight title came in October 2007, when he fell to Anderson Silva via a second-round TKO. Can we really expect Franklin to show us anything more nearly five years later?

The answer: no.

Franklin defeated Wanderlei Silva three years ago at UFC 99, and here we are again in 2012.

That's not to say that Franklin didn't impress on Saturday night, topping Silva in his home country of Brazil, but his win over an aging and fading Silva is simply meaningless at this point in both fighters' careers.

Though some would argue that at age 37, Anderson Silva is beginning to slide, we have yet to see such evidence. If Chael Sonnen defeats Silva at UFC 148 next month, then maybe Franklin will get his third and final title shot.

Either way, though, Franklin wouldn't be long for the middleweight crown. With all the talent that the UFC's middleweight division has to offer, including Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort and Sonnen, there simply isn't enough room for the elder statesman.

Franklin is one of the best to ever step inside the cage, and he'll have plenty of more fights to prove he can still perform at a high level, but to suggest that he is a title threat after escaping five rounds with Silva is absurd.

There was a time when Franklin, who turns 38 this coming fall, dominated the division, but that time has passed. In the end, Saturday night's result will prove meaningless.

Follow Patrick Clarke on Twitter for more take on the UFC.