Bad Blood, Boos Aside, Sylvia, Silva Rule UFC 77

The bad guys ruled last night's Ultimate Fighting Championship 77 from Cincinnati. As they entered the cage, they were booed. As their hands were raised, they were booed.

In fact, Tim Sylvia and Anderson Silva only got support from the unlikeliest of people last night -- their bloodied opponents.

Sylvia, twice a champion, was announced as if he had never won a fight in his life and booed by fans as if he had wronged them. When you're the big bully in every fight, that tends to happen.

The 6-foot-8 Sylvia lived up to his reputation of simply overwhelming smaller opponents, beating 6-foot-2 Norfolk native Brandon Vera via unanimous decision.

"I know you guys boo Tim and he's not your favorite fighter," Vera said to the crowd after the decision. "But Tim's a good guy if you get to know him."

In the middleweight title fight, a rematch, Silva once again pounded hometown favorite Rich Franklin to defend his title for the second time.

Silva crumpled Franklin (24-3) with a few seconds left in the first round and picked up right where he left in the second round. Silva (20-4) ended the fight via technical knockout 1 minute 7 seconds into the second round with an unblocked knee to the nose.

"Please, definitely don't boo him," Franklin, a Cincinnati native, said to the crowd. "He's a great champion and a great guy."

Sylvia (26-3) won last night's fight in the third round when he opened a fountain of blood on the top of Vera's head with about a minute left, then overwhelmed Vera (8-1) with a barrage of punches.

After coming off back surgery, Sylvia has been on a mission to regain the heavyweight title that he lost to Randy Couture in UFC 68. Last night's win went a long way in doing just that, considering that after Couture's departure from the UFC, Sylvia would likely compete with Antonio Rodrigo Noguera for the division's top spot. But Sylvia chose instead to call out Cheik Congo.

Sylvia said he didn't want to wait for Couture, who "has been going around picking on people. I think he should pick on somebody his own size."

Lightweight Alvin Robinson (10-2) also drew boos after he upset hometown favorite Jorge Gurgel (14-3) via unanimous decision. Middleweight Alan Belcher (11-2-1) opened a wide cut on Kalib Starnes' forehead early in the first round and won via technical knockout.

After losing the first round on the ground, light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar (14-4) defeated Eric Schafer (9-3-2) 2:47 into the second round with ground and pound.

It was also announced that Brock Lesnar has signed a contract to fight in the UFC.