I know it hasn't happened yet, and far be it for me to predict the future... but wait, speculation is half the fun, right?
If you're like me, you'd love to see Wand, Franklin, Liddell, Ortiz, Couture and a laundry list of other legends continue their fighting careers forever and never age. Unfortunately, I didn't find the genie, so I'm not getting any wishes granted... yet.
While it pains me to say I'm glad the Iceman retired, I think we all died a little bit the night Chuck decided to hang it up, much as many old school MMA junkies did when Evan Tanner passed away. All I can say is this; no matter what happens this weekend, two things are certain; the careers of both Silva and Franklin will be impacted greatly.
Make no mistake about it, this is as much a super fight now as it was five years ago, despite both fighters aging, and having to compete with the new hybrid style mixed martial artists. There's just something about a good old fashioned slug fest, to which there is no doubt in my mind that's what we'll all be watching Saturday night.
What happens after the fight is over, is an entirely different story.
Win or Lose, I think that Rich is close to retirement. He seems to have rededicated himself to training in the last couple years, but I think it may be too late. I think the only relevance Franklin can continue to have in either the middleweight or light heavy divisions is that of the gate keeper. He's tough and durable, but his age is starting to show. Sure he's got the heart and endurance to eke out some wins, but he's certainly past his prime as a top contender. I would much prefer any fighter retire still looking decent instead of getting repeatedly thumped on, a la Chuck Liddell (even though he looked to be in his best shape ever for his fight with Franklin). I think that time for Franklin is coming soon; maybe not Saturday night, but within his next few fights. Win or lose Saturday, I think it will be one of Franklin's last appearances in the cage.
Although Wand says that he's still got a lot of fights left in him, that doesn't mean he should stay in the cage. He's made a name for himself with his school and apparel line, and he'll forever be a legend and pioneer of mixed martial arts. He has a long future ahead of him outside of the cage as a coach, and I hope he makes the most of that opportunity.
With that being said, Wand may have four or five good fights left, before he starts getting out worked by the stronger and faster next gen fighters. Being the king of the stand and bang game has had it's advantages for Silva, cementing his place as one of the most ruthless fighters in MMA with a plethora of highlight reel finishes. But for Wand, much like Liddell, it comes with a major downside.
One thing about the human body is that when it takes punishment repeatedly over a period of time, it toughens itself to become more tolerable. That works for the whole body... except for the head. It's quite the contrary for the old thinker; the more you get clocked, the less punishment you can take over time. Years of trading haymakers and bombs with the big dogs comes with a hefty price, that jaw of steel begins to crumble. I have no doubt that Franklin will test the jaw of Silva, and we'll see how it holds up.
Win or lose for Wand, I think we'll see him a handful more times in the octagon, although I think a loss here could cut that number down a couple.
I wish the best for both men, truly legends of the sport and future HOFers, and either way I'll be excited and sad to see who wins, and who loses. I just hope for the sake of their families, friends and fans they make the right choices post UFC 147.
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