A title shot out of reach, Franklin went on to take superfights at middleweight, light heavyweight and catchweight against the likes of Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.
He sent Liddell into retirement and defeated Silva two times. He proved to be the unofficial spokesman for the UFC, fighting in places like Brazil, Canada, China, Germany and Ireland to educate the fans on what MMA was all about as the sport was still in early stages across the world.
Franklin never had the look and he never had the god-given skill. But he had the intangibles and the mental fortitude that the foundation of mixed martial art was built on. Not only did Franklin accomplish the goal of becoming champion, he helped MMA become recognized as legitimate sport and was a significant part of putting the UFC on the map. An unlikely career that started while a math teacher and turned it into being a pioneer and future UFC Hall of Famer we all should be proud of.
You can email him at stevemuehlhausen yahoo. The rematch in was a repeat of the first fight, and with the odds of Franklin getting another crack at Silva slim, he approached his career with an intention to only have big fights, and he had more than his share, facing off with Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva twice , Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Cung Le. Yet despite being 44 years old and nearly seven years removed from his last fight, the One FC executive admits that the itch is still there.
I was just in the gym grappling yesterday and you can't take that out of a person. Just because you retire doesn't mean that it just goes away. I still feel I'm at that point where I think I could compete with some of the best.
I couldn't consistently do it, but I feel like that it's still there. It's not something you can just remove from a person. If you love chocolate cake and somebody says you can't have it anymore, you don't wake up tomorrow and say, 'Man, I hate chocolate cake. Franklin laughs, at peace with the fact that he will always be a fighter at heart and also at peace with a career that landed him in the UFC Hall of Fame.
But at times like these, there are tough decisions to be made, such as revealing the one fight that truly represented who he was as a fighter. I would rather be the guy who was untouchable. Perfect is boring, though, and Franklin was never boring. Yan Pellerin. UCC Marvin Eastman.
WFA 1. Aaron Brink. IFC - Warriors Challenge Dennis Reed. EC Career statistics: SLpM: 4. Click on row to see detailed stats. Rich Franklin Cung Le. Rich Franklin Wanderlei Silva. Rich Franklin Forrest Griffin. Rich Franklin Chuck Liddell. Rich Franklin Vitor Belfort.
Rich Franklin Dan Henderson. Rich Franklin Matt Hamill. UFC Breakthrough Sep. Rich Franklin Travis Lutter. Rich Franklin Anderson Silva. Rich Franklin Yushin Okami. UFC Victory Jun. Rich Franklin Jason MacDonald. UFC Unstoppable Oct. Over the last few years, Ace has been plagued with injuries and a recent loss to Brazilian Powerhouse Vitor Belfort.
While contemplating his next move, he did UFC President Dana White a great favor, and served as a last minute replacement coach and opponent for Chuck Liddell on this season of the The Ultimate Fighter. Last night, in a fight that may serve as a career shaper for both men, Rich Franklin showed why he's truly an ace.
In what was an action packed fight, Franklin was able to put "The Iceman" down with a right hand towards the end of the 1st round. What made his victory even more impressive was his ablility to get the win even after suffering a broken left arm from a blocked body kick administered by Liddell. Whether Franklin continues fighting in the lb division is uncertain, but regardless of where he goes from here, he has surely ensured that he'll be a UFC Hall of Famer.
Throughout his career, Ace has carried himself with dignity and class which for so many reasons has earned Rich Franklin the title of "Nicest Guy in MMA".
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