Rich “The Ace” Franklin conquered Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva via unanimous decision in the “UFC 99: The Comeback” main event Saturday in Cologne, Germany (Sunday in Manila).

The MMA veterans, who fought at the catchweight of 195 lbs., slugged it out at the Lanxess Arena in three rounds.

Franklin garnered the scores 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

“This is my victory,” said Franklin, as quoted by Ufc.com. “I fight for my fans. I wanted to give a show for them. They’re the reason why I’m here today.”

The fight in Cologne was the first event that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held in Germany.

“After my last fight in Dublin, it was a disappointment going to a decision,” added Franklin. “I didn’t want to go to a decision again, but Wanderlei’s way too strong of a fighter.”

Franklin now has 27 wins, four losses and one no contest. Silva, meantime, is at 32-10-1, with one no contest.

“The Ace” is a former UFC middleweight champion while “The Axe Murderer” is a former PRIDE champion.

Earlier in the main card, Cain Velasquez remained unbeaten by winning over Cheick Kongo via unanimous decision.

The judges’ scores were 30-27 across the board for Velasquez, who has won all of his six fights. Kongo, on the other hand, is at 24-5-1.