Rich Franklin Favored to Take Down Wanderlei Silva in Rematch at UFC 147

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Jun 21, 2012

Rich Franklin Favored to Take Down Wanderlei Silva in Rematch at UFC 147UFC 147: Silva vs. Franklin II may not be the most exciting UFC card ever put together, mostly because of all the shuffling of fighters, but it'll at least appease the bloodlust of UFC betting and fight fans when it plays out this Saturday from Brazil.

So who are you betting on?

The main and preliminary cards feature 11 fights (including five on the main card), with 20 of the 22 fighters being Brazilian-born. Only Rich Franklin and Mike Russow — both Americans — will not have at least some hometown support in the crowd.

Wanderlei ?Axe Murderer? Silva vs. Rich Franklin

A rematch from UFC 99, which Franklin won via unanimous decision, this one will be different as Franklin is probably closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Silva has something to prove, not just in front of his own fans, but also to show that moving to the UFC was a good idea.

Getting in close will be important for the Axe Murderer. He's fighting in a high-risk, high-reward situation against the experienced Franklin. Expect Franklin to sit back on the outside and let Silva chase him for much of the fight. Franklin is a -175 favorite on Bovada's UFC betting lines against Silva's +145.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Mike Russow

This is one of the few fights on the entire card that wasn't tampered with in recent weeks because of injuries. Russow is undefeated in his UFC career and 15-1-1 all-time, having not lost since submitting to Sergei Kharitonov on Feb. 24, 2007.

The 34-year-old Werdum has had a very different career. He's 15-5-1 all-time. He's never lost by submission, which bodes well, considering eight of Russow's 15 wins have come via submission. However, consistency has never been a trait of Werdum's. Still, he's a -500 favorite to win, while Russow's odds are holding at +350.

This may look like a dull UFC card, especially considering the Brazilian flavor, but that doesn't mean it can't be good.

Photo via Flickr/dankos-unlmtd

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