Rich Franklin defeats Yushin Okami by Unanimous Decision at UFC 72 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The fight was somewhat boring at times as both these skilled fighters tested each others weaknesses and abilities. The first two rounds were all Rich Franklin, Okami had trouble getting any thing done offensively against Franklin. The third round goes to Okami for his ground and pound and submission attempts. Although, Franklin showed his skills in escaping Okami’s attacks. Rich Franklin takes two out of three rounds on all three judges scorecards, to pull off the Unanimous decision win over Yushin Okami.
While a decision is probably not the way Rich Franklin wanted to win, it is a step forward to regaining the Middleweight title from Anderson Silva.
I want to see Franklin fight Silva, this time he can't be scared, he has nothing to lose. When he fought Silva, he was on his heels, which means he wasn't wanting to be aggressive. He must have saw some footage that scared him a little. Next time he will be out to hurt Silva, not keep a belt.