CINCINNATI, Ohio — In establishing dominance over opponents some 30 years ago, Major League Baseball's "Big Red Machine" had it all: power, speed, timing, confidence.

So how fitting was it that Anderson Silva — showcasing power, speed, timing and confidence — would retain his UFC Middleweight title in the same city that produced the Big Red Machine?

"Pound for pound, he [Silva] is the best fighter in the world," said UFC president Dana White.

Before more than 16,000 fans at the U.S. Bank Arena on October 20, Silva scored a convincing TKO over former middleweight champ Rich Franklin. While the majority of the first round was fairly even, Silva dropped Franklin at the end of the round and then finished him off in Round 2.

When pressed as to whom could compete with Silva, White said there are some fighters, including Dan Henderson, who would make for a good fight. However, Henderson is reluctant to drop to middleweight, said White.

Time will tell. In the meantime, the Silva Machine rolls on.

Following are highlights from the fight. For additional coverage, check out the January issue of Ultimate Grappling.


The Main Card
The Fighters: Alan Belcher (11-3) vs. Kalib Starnes (10-3-1)
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Belcher
How/When: TKO Round 1

The Fighters: Eric Schafer (9-3-2) vs. Stephan Bonnar (14-4)
Division: Light heavyweight
The Winner: Bonnar
How/When: 2:27 of Round 2 by TKO


As It Happened: Schafer got Bonnar's back, but the choke was not there. Most of this round was spent on the ground. With a minute to go, Schafer went for the RNC, but Bonnar survived. Bonnar reversed and established side control as Round 1 ended.


In Round 2, the fight immediately went to the ground. Bonnar, from Schafer's guard, threw some hammerfists to the face and body punches. Bonnar threw more punches and then ended up in Schafer's half guard.  Bonnar was in total control through the first two minutes of Round 2. If he was not in side control, dropping punches, he was in Schafer's guard throwing a ton of punches. Bonnar, sensing blood, drove punch after punch into Schafer.

The Fighters: Alvin Robinson (10-2) vs. Jorge Gurgel (14-3)
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Robinson
How/When: Unanimous decision


As It Happened: The fight went to the ground, and Gurgel ended up in Robinson's guard. In an attempt to escape, Robinson tried to slide away, but Gurgel stayed with him and maintained side control. The bulk of the fight was on the ground with Gurgel in complete control. Robinson was unable to mount any kind of attack.
In Round 2, the fight again went to the ground. Gurgel's tenacity prevented Robinson from mounting any kind of an attack for the first two minutes, though Robinson did throw some hammerfists from the bottom.

Robinson reversed and ended up in Gurgel's guard. He dropped a few fists into Gurgel's face. The momentum turned as Robinson now had complete control and did some damage with ground and pound. Gurgel was unable to escape. Robinson mounted him and punished him as the round ended.

In Round 3, the fight went directly to the ground and Robinson ended up in Gurgel's guard again. Robinson was again in control, as Gurgel was unable to escape. Gurgel took some heavy punishment.
With less than two minutes to go, Gurgel was still defending from his back. He was just unable to escape from Robinson's smothering attack.

The Fighters: Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Tim Sylvia (26-3)
Division: Heavyweight
The Winner: Sylvia
How/When: Unanimous decision


As It Happened: For the first three minutes, the two fighters spent most of the time tied up against the fence. They did exchange a few knees, but neither one delivered any punishing blows.

In the final 13 seconds of Round 2, Vera showcased some nasty aggression. As he walked back to his corner after the bell, he flashed thumbs up to his corner.

In Round 3, after a verbal blasting from his corner, Sylvia came out and took control. He threw combos and had Vera backing up and covering up.

The Fighters: Rich Franklin (24-3) vs. Anderson Silva (20-4)
Division: Middleweight Championship bout
The Winner: Silva
How/When: TKO Round 2


As It Happened: Franklin unleashed a nice combination and then danced away. Moments later, Silva threw a spinning back kick. He also got some knees off from the clinch, but Franklin worked his way out. While the first 4 ½ minutes were fairly evenly matched, Silva assaulted Ace just at the end of the round and the former champ went down hard.

Franklin seemed to be OK at the outset of Round 2, but Silva quickly took control. On the far side of the octagon, Silva pummeled Franklin with an array of knees, elbows, kicks and punches, sending Franklin to the canvas for good.


The Undercard
• The Fighters: Matt Grice (9-2) vs. Jason Black (23-3-1)
The Winner: Black
As It Happened: In an incredible war between two warriors, Matt Grice, cornered by Pat Miletich, and Jason Black went three exciting rounds. Black won, but the bout was initially scored a draw. During the post-fight interviews, someone interrupted commentator Joe Rogan and indicated that the scores were tabulated incorrectly. Black was then announced as the winner.

At the beginning of Round 2, Black blasted Grice with punches and had his head spinning and his world upside down. Grice survived and went on to nearly score a victory with a variety of submissions, including a triangle.

The Fighters: Forrest Petz (19-5) vs. Josh Burkman (20-4)
The Winner: Josh Burkman by decision

The Fighters: Demian Maia (7-0) vs. Ryan Jensen (11-3)
The Winner: Maia

The Fighters: Jason MacDonald (20-9) vs. Yushin Okami (22-4)
The Winner: Okami


The Top Moments
The U.S. Bank Arena was full before the first undercard bout began, and they provided a huge cheer for Matt Grice when he was introduced.
Matt Grice, somehow weathered an incredible storm at the outset of Round 2. Jason Black just punished him with punches, but Grice hung tough.

By the Minute
9:56 p.m. Set to the Who's Baba O'Reilly, a montage of UFC highlights was shown.
10:12: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are live." — UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer
10:18 Matt Hughes greeted a variety of photographers at the octagon, including Ultimate Grappling photog Jaimee Itagaki.

What PPV Didn't Show
BJJ sensation Andre Galvao and UFC light heavyweight fighter Wanderlei Silva, in the media room prior to the fight, laughing and having a good time before the undercard started.
Jorge Gurgel, wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt, warmed up in the octagon about 15 minutes before the undercard began.

The Media Conference Call
On October 11, the UFC held a media conference call. Rich Franklin, Anderson Silva, Tim Sylvia and Brandon Vera were on the call.

We are talking about the fight in Cincinnati. I don't want to get into PRIDE shit. — UFC prez Dana White

I am confident, but I am always confident. I never underestimate any opponent, especially Rich Franklin, who goes in there to bang. — Anderson Silva

I am feeling great. If I were not, I would not take this fight, because Brandon Vera is a tough guy. — Tim Sylvia



The Post-Fight Press Conference
It was another day at the office. — Anderson Silva, talking about his victory over Rich Franklin at UFC 77. Special thanks to Ed Soares for translating