Silva vs. Franklin: 4 Fights Rich Franklin Could Take Next

After a stellar performance against Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin proved to the world that he is still an elite fighter who can strike with the best.

Many predicted that Franklin wouldn't want to play Silva's game last night, and attempt to win this war on the ground. Instead, he outboxed a world-renowned knockout artist for the majority of five rounds.

Now that Franklin has announced his move back to middleweight and his hopes to regain the UFC middleweight championship, we know that he is looking for some high-profile fights.

Here is a look at four fights that Rich Franklin could take next.

Brian Stann

Brian Stann is working his way up the ladder in the middleweight division, and his only stumble came at the hands of the current No. 1 contender. Originally scheduled to face Bellator champion Hector Lombard in August, Stann had to pull out of the contest due to injury.

Clearly, the UFC thinks highly of Stann if they were willing to let him welcome Lombard into the organization. Could he play the role of welcome wagon one more time when Franklin returns to the middleweight division?

This fight won't do as much for Franklin's career as any of the others on this list, but it is definitely the most winnable option. Franklin can beat any fighter on this list; however, Stann doesn't have the experience or game planning to beat Ace.

Michael Bisping

When Michael Bisping announced that he turned down a fight against Cung Le, I immediately wondered why he wasn't offered a bout against Franklin in the first place.

If Bisping is going to get his elusive title shot, he will need to defeat a former champion or a current top contender. Tim Boetsch isn't exactly the caliber of fighter required to boost someone into the title scene. 

Franklin vs Bisping is a highly intriguing battle that puts a former champion against a surging contender. With each man possessing the same goal of obtaining a title shot as soon as possible, they stand in each other's way.

Vitor Belfort

I'm sure that Rich Franklin would love to get this loss off of his record. So long as Belfort is in the middleweight division, his knockout victory over Franklin will keep him above "Ace" in the rankings.

This is a dangerous fight for Rich, as it didn't take long for Belfort to leave him motionless on the canvas. 

Although this isn't a rematch that will garner much demand (Brazilian fans still want to see Silva vs. Belfort II first), it is a battle between former champions who are hoping to fight for gold sooner rather than later. A win of this caliber will do wonders for both men.

Loser of Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

Franklin isn't ready for a title shot yet. Wanderlei Silva is a beloved figure, but he wasn't ranked high enough to garner a crack at the belt. 

If Ace can defeat someone who just fought for the belt, there is no denying that he is ready for one last shot at glory.

If Anderson loses to Sonnen, it's highly unlikely that the UFC will book Silva/Franklin III, so this fight really only works if Chael Sonnen ends up being unsuccessful in his second title bid.

After all, Sonnen and Franklin have been the only two people to challenge The Spider on multiple occasions in the UFC.