Silva vs. Franklin Results: Rich Franklin Proves He Deserves Shot at Title

Rich Franklin looked better than he had any right to in his victory over Wanderlei Silva in a 190-pound catchweight bout Saturday night. In doing so, he showed the UFC world that he deserves a shot at the title. 

Franklin has been a marvelous fighter during his long career, but it was fair to write him off heading into this match. You could have based that write-off on the fact that he hadn't fought in 16 months or that he was a relative dinosaur at 37 years old—or both. 

In retrospect, those should have been reasons used when saying Franklin would look fantastic. This proud fighter would not have stepped back into the ring after 16 months off, and at that advanced age, if he did not have a plan and felt he had the tools to pull it off. 

ESPN's Franklin McNeil offers up this post-fight quote from Franklin to shed a little light on this: "I will talk to Dana (White), but the idea was to move back down to 185 and make another title run before I retire. I'm getting up there in years."

Well, Rich, that plan is in now fully in action. Here is the most surprising part of his plan: Franklin hadn't just managed to defy the odds by coming back as good as he was before, he actually came back a smarter and more well-rounded fighter. 

Franklin was simply overwhelming in this fight. While he had to survive a serious scare in the second, he was able to bounce back from that with great footwork and a strong jab. Other than that moment near the end of the second, he was never in serious jeopardy of losing this fight. 

Franklin wants to drop down to 185 pounds, and the rest of the fighters at that weight should take notice, because he won't be doing it as a farewell tour. He will be going for the title.