Rich Franklin: Once wanderlei arms start moving, bad things happen.

“We did get to spar a bit, but nothing like that,” laughed Franklin, who worked with Silva in Los Angeles to prepare for his UFC 99 main event bout against Wanderlei Silva. “When we did spar, it was just going back and forth with the two Silvas – himself and the Wanderlei version.”



If you’ve seen the outtake video from Silva’s upcoming instructional DVD, you know that the UFC middleweight champ has an uncanny ability to mimic other fighters’ styles in the gym. This talent allowed Franklin to get an early look at the man he’ll be facing this Saturday and begin formulating a game plan for a fighter he says reminds him “of a blender. Once his arms start moving, bad things happen.”



“He (Anderson) does a phenomenal Wanderlei impersonation,” said Franklin. “He mimics him so well that I almost thought I was standing in front of Wanderlei for a moment.”