Issue 103
The people of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, queued for hours to watch beloved UFC legend Wanderlei Silva work out ahead of his main event fight against Rich Franklin on the city’s UFC 147 card in June 2012.
The open workouts, staged at Praca da Estacao, attracted thousands of fans, with the biggest cheer of all reserved for the former Pride champion, who struck mitts for 20 minutes with coach Rafael Cordeiro, to the delight of the crowd.
Despite losing the main event a few days later, Wanderlei vs Franklin II – a rematch of their 2009 showdown at UFC 99 in Germany – more than lived up to the hype, with both being rewarded with ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus checks once again, and a standing ovation, following the final bell.
