UFC 147: Silva vs. Franklin 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 147: Silva vs. Franklin II. June 23, 2012. Mineirinho Arena, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The first UFC event in Belo Horizonte and the live finale of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Season 1. Rich Franklin defeated Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) in a five-round catchweight main event at 190 lbs. The event was the most heavily altered UFC card in the promotion’s history, with the UFC offering full ticket refunds to buyers before the event — the first time in UFC history this had occurred.
The original main event was Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2, which was moved to UFC 148. The proposed replacement was Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva; Belfort broke his left hand and was replaced by Rich Franklin. The card featured the TUF Brazil Season 1 finals and drew 16,643 fans.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: June 23, 2012
Venue: Mineirinho Arena (Ginásio Mineirinho), Belo Horizonte, Brazil (first UFC in Belo Horizonte)
Attendance: 16,643
Main Event: Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin — catchweight 190 lbs (5 rounds) — TUF Brazil S1 Finale
Result: Franklin def. Silva — UD (49-46 x3) — Franklin’s second win over Wanderlei; nearly stopped in R2
Notable: Full ticket refunds offered (first in UFC history); Sonnen/Silva moved to 148; Belfort injury; Werdum TKOs Russow; TUF Brazil finals; $65k bonuses
The Build-Up
UFC 147 went through three different main events. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 was originally announced, then moved to UFC 148 due to scheduling (UN Conference conflict). Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva was proposed as the replacement. Belfort broke his left hand in training and was replaced by Rich Franklin. The UFC announced on June 18 that full refunds were available for three days, acknowledging the diminished card.
Main Event
Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin — Catchweight 190 lbs
Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva had fought previously at UFC 99 in June 2009, where Franklin won by decision. The rematch was at a slightly reduced catchweight of 190 lbs. Silva attacked aggressively through rounds one and two. In round two, he nearly stopped Franklin with a blitz of punches; Franklin dropped and appeared close to finished. The bell saved him. Franklin recovered fully in round three, controlling with his ground-and-pound and decision-making. Judges scored 49-46 x3 for Franklin.
Co-Main Event
Fabricio Werdum vs. Mike Russow — Heavyweight
Werdum dominated Russow on the feet and ground before landing a sequence of strikes that stopped the fight at 2:28 of round one. His run of impressive finishes continued.
Full Results
Preliminary Card (FX / Facebook)
Rodrigo Damm def. Anistavio Medeiros — Submission (RNC) — R1, 2:12 — Sub Night ($65k to Damm)
Francisco Trinaldo def. Delson Heleno — TKO — R1, 4:21
Marcus Vinicius def. Wagner Campos — TKO — R? — KO Night ($65k to Vinicius)
Main Card
Hacran Dias def. Yuri Alcântara — Decision — R3 — FW
Fabricio Werdum def. Mike Russow — TKO — R1, 2:28 — HW
Rony Jason def. Godofredo Pepey — Decision — R3 — FW; TUF Brazil FW Final
Cezar Ferreira def. Sergio Moraes — Decision — R3 — MW; TUF Brazil MW Final
Main Event — Catchweight 190 lbs (5 rounds)
Rich Franklin def. Wanderlei Silva — UD (49-46 x3) — Fight of the Night ($65k each); Franklin saved by bell in R2
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva — $65,000 to each fighter.
KO of the Night: Marcus Vinicius — $65,000.
Sub of the Night: Rodrigo Damm — $65,000.
Records & Milestones
First UFC in Belo Horizonte — the third Brazilian city to host the UFC (after Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo).
First UFC ticket refund offer before an event — the only time in UFC history that a full pre-event refund was made available to ticket holders.
TUF Brazil Season 1 finale — Cezar Ferreira (MW) and Rony Jason (FW) crowned as the inaugural Brazilian TUF champions.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 147 will be remembered as the event that fell furthest from its original billing. Three separate main events were announced and withdrawn. The UFC’s decision to offer full refunds was an unprecedented acknowledgement of the card’s reduced appeal. Despite this, 16,643 fans attended in Belo Horizonte and the event delivered competitive fights at every level of the card.
Rich Franklin's win over Wanderlei was his second. The fight itself was not a classic, but Wanderlei’s round-two attack that nearly stopped Franklin was one of the most sustained moments of aggression on the card. Franklin’s post-round recovery was one of the best in the fight’s history.
FAQ
Why did UFC 147 go through so many main event changes?
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 was moved to UFC 148 due to a scheduling conflict (United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio). Vitor Belfort, the proposed replacement main event fighter, broke his left hand in training. Rich Franklin replaced Belfort.
Was UFC 147 the first time the UFC offered ticket refunds?
Yes. The UFC offered full ticket refunds from June 18-20, 2012, citing the repeated changes to the main card. It was the first time in UFC history that a pre-event refund was available.
Was UFC 147 the first UFC in Belo Horizonte?
Yes. UFC 147 was the UFC's first event in Belo Horizonte and the third city in Brazil to host a UFC event, after Rio de Janeiro and (via UFC 35.5) Sao Paulo.
Was UFC 147 the TUF Brazil finale?
Yes. The TUF Brazil Season 1 finals took place at UFC 147. Cezar Ferreira won the MW title by defeating Sergio Moraes. Rony Jason won the FW title.
Had Rich Franklin fought Wanderlei Silva before UFC 147?
Yes. Franklin defeated Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision at UFC 99 in June 2009 in Cologne, Germany, at a catchweight of 195 lbs.
References
Comments