But Silva has lost two of his three UFC fights since coming back to the organization in December 2007, and his latest was a brutal KO at the hands of Rampage Jackson in a bout he was favored in.

At UFC 99: The Comeback in Cologne, Germany, “The Axe Murderer” faces fellow superstar Rich Franklin, a guy that might be his exact opposite as a fighter.

Whereas Silva is wild, unpredictable, and explosive, “Ace” is more technical and even-keel most of the time in the Octagon.

Franklin is a somewhat surprising -155 to +115 favorite over Silva. But go back and look at Silva’s record and realize he’s lost 4 of his past 5 fights and suddenly the line makes more sense.

Silva said he has gone back to the drawing board to add some more technical ability behind his wild flurries of muay thai strikes and he has tried to correct some defensive flaws as well. Silva’s game has grown a bit stale because the attrition of so many legendary, all-out battles in PRIDE has caused him to lose a step.

Franklin fared pretty well against a tough opponent in Dan Henderson, at least on his feet, before dropping a tough decision, and the catchweight (195) mark seems like a good spot for him to be at instead of his usual middleweight level.

Franklin should come out strong and motivated, but the difference in this fight will be Silva’s ability to channel his inner raging demon and finish the fight when he has the upper hand.

Silva is one of the best finishers in mixed martial arts and the UFC and if he lands one of his trademark flurries of punches on Franklin, he has the ability to rush in and end the fight in a flash.

Franklin is a sound fighter who doesn’t make mistakes but he doesn’t have quite the explosiveness of Silva, and his clinch defense or lack thereof could also come into play in this one like it did in his first fight against Anderson Silva.

Franklin should make this a close fight, but Silva is the better bet here because of what this fight means to his career and because of his experience fighting on the big stage.

By Nick Meyer of BetUS

The early BetUS UFC odds are out now for the June 13 event, and the main event has Rich “Ace” Franklin as a solid bet over Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva in a light heavyweight fight that should be a stand-up war.

Franklin is currently favored with odds of -150 to +110 over Silva, in what is being dubbed as a match between one of the UFC’s most technical boxers (Franklin) and one of its wildest, most unpredictable muay thai fighters (Silva).

The muay thai clinch game will no doubt be a point of emphasis for Franklin, considering he was brutalized by Anderson Silva in their first fight and Wanderlei Silva is probably equally skilled in that department.

There are plenty of other fights to keep an eye on in regards to UFC 99 lines, including the Spencer Fisher-Caol Uno fight at lightweight.

Fisher is currently a +200 to -150 favorite over Uno, who is coming off of a loss to lightweight superstar Shinya Aoki and has lost 2 of 3 fights coming in. The Japanese star Uno is a good wrestler and grappler who prefers the rear naked choke.

Fisher combines the tough mindset of Pat Miletich’s famed camp with a crafty striking and submission game and counts a win over welterweight challenger Thiago Alves as one of his best victories. Fisher’s game is a little more refined but the Uno brings an element of the unknown into the fight in his first UFC bout since 2003.

Marcus Davis and Dan Hardy will also do battle at UFC 99 and there’s a little bit of bad blood between the two as Hardy has questioned whether or not “The Irish Hand Grenade” is a true representative of the country, since he was born in America.

Davis has as much knockout power as any welterweight in the UFC, which has him sitting as a -220 to +170 favorite going into the fight. Hardy on the other hand has a solid all-around game and is a wiry-strong, unpredictable-at-times fighter who has won his first two UFC wagering fights since coming to the organization.

At the welterweight level, Mike Swick will face Ben Saunders in what looks to be an even matchup between two guys who are just a notch below the division’s elite tier.
Swick has only lost 1 time in 9 fights inside the Octagon and is an athletic, exciting, well-rounded fighter, yet he still flies under most fans’ radar screens. Saunders on the other hand is a monster at the weight class’ standards at 6-foot-3 who is listed as a Jeet Kune Do fighter in the style of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Swick and Saunders should pull out all the stops in a fight that has Swick as a solid -215 to +165 favorite. This one has Fight of the Night potential along with about five others on the card, which should make for an exciting night in Germany on June 13 at UFC 99.

By Nick Meyer of BetUS.