Rich Franklin
| Rich Franklin | |
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| Born | Richard Jay Franklin II October 5, 1974 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Division | Middleweight Light Heavyweight |
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) |
| Style | Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Team | Team Extreme/The JG MMA and Fitness Academy |
| Trainer | Matt Hume Jorge Gurgel (Jiu-Jitsu) Joel Jamieson (S&C) |
| Rank | Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 37 |
| Wins | 29 |
| By knockout | 15 |
| By submission | 10 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Losses | 7 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By decision | 2 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Amateur career | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Other information | |
| University | University of Cincinnati |
| Spouse | Beth |
| Notable school(s) | William Henry Harrison High |
| Website | http://www.richfranklin.com/ |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
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Richard Jay Franklin II (born October 5, 1974)[1] is an American mixed martial artist currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion.
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Background [edit]
Franklin was born to Richard Sr. and Vaila Franklin. The couple divorced when Rich was five years old. He has one biological brother, Greg, and five step-siblings.[2][3]
Prior to becoming a full-time MMA fighter, Franklin graduated from William Henry Harrison High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and later earned a master's degree in education at the University of Cincinnati,[4] and taught mathematics at the Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.[5]
Franklin and American Fighter President Jeff Adler created The Keep It In The Ring Foundation to advocate non-violence and build character in youth. This is done through after school sports, martial arts and life skills programs. His nickname "Ace" comes from his resemblance to Jim Carrey, who played the character Ace Ventura. Joe Rogan once called him "Evil Jim Carrey". Franklin made his acting debut in a film called Cyborg Soldier where he plays an escaped super soldier and partners with Tiffani Thiessen.
Franklin is a born-again Christian and quotes Psalm 144:1 on his webpage and fighter gear. February 21, 2006, was officially named "Rich Franklin Day" in Cincinnati by the city's mayor.[6][7]
Mixed martial arts [edit]
According to Rich, he first learned submission fighting from instructional video tapes. He has been associated with and trained with Meat Truck Inc. and currently trains at facilities run by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jorge Gurgel, (New Generation Martial Arts); Neal Rowe, a Muay Thai instructor (Sacan Martial Arts); and Rob Radford, a boxing instructor (Boxing 4 Fitness). Franklin is currently ranked as a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel. Since losing his title to Anderson Silva, Franklin has started training under Matt "The Wizard" Hume.
UFC career [edit]
Franklin began his UFC career with a perfect 3-0 start, including a victory over skilled MMA veteran Evan Tanner at UFC 42, Edwin Dewees at UFC 44 and Jorge Rivera at UFC 50.
On April 5, 2005, Franklin fought in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale, which was the first live UFC card on free cable TV. He faced former UFC champion Ken Shamrock and won the fight via TKO due to strikes. Franklin was highly impressive in this fight as he was able to knock Shamrock out, something that no one else had done to that point in Shamrock's career. Franklin's win over a mixed martial arts icon like Shamrock propelled him into UFC stardom and established him as one of the organization's biggest stars.[8] The win over Shamrock also ensured a title opportunity for Franklin.
Middleweight title [edit]
This title shot came at UFC 53 on June 5, 2005. Franklin defeated Evan Tanner for a second time to win the UFC Middleweight Championship. The victory led to him being a coach (along with welterweight champion Matt Hughes) on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter.
At UFC 56 on November 19, 2005, Franklin defended his title against Nate Quarry, a competitor from season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter. Franklin won the fight via highlight reel KO in the first round.
At UFC 58 on March 4, 2006, Franklin defeated David Loiseau in a unanimous five round decision to retain his title. Franklin broke his left hand early on in the second round. The injury required surgery, including a metal plate and screws and Franklin was out of action for six months.
Losing the title [edit]
At UFC 64 on October 14, 2006, Franklin lost his title on his return fight after being defeated by Anderson Silva. The fight was stopped by TKO (knees) at 2:49 of the first round after Franklin received a knee to the face. Franklin, who was considered by many[who?] to be the favourite coming into the bout, was caught in a clinch by the Brazilian, with Silva delivering a flurry of knees and kicks that rendered the champion. On October 19, Franklin underwent surgery due to the nasal fracture he received during the fight.
Franklin made his return at UFC 68 against Jason MacDonald. Franklin showed superior striking during the fight, and mounted MacDonald in the closing seconds of the second round, causing significant injury and swelling around MacDonald's left eye. MacDonald's corner advised ending the fight and Franklin was declared the winner by TKO (corner stoppage) between rounds. After the fight Franklin called Anderson Silva to the Octagon and said that he and Dana White had agreed to a fight for the title in Franklin's hometown of Cincinnati.
Return to contention [edit]
In a bout that would determine the top contender in the middleweight division, Franklin fought world ranked Yushin Okami at UFC 72 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Franklin defeated the top middleweight contender by unanimous decision to be officially announced as the number one contender for Silva's middleweight championship. The bout was only Franklin's second overall fight that went the full distance (due to being a non-title fight, it was three rounds). All three judges scored the bout 29–28 to Franklin. Franklin also became the first person to main event a UFC card in Northern Ireland.
Franklin fought Silva for a second time at UFC 77 on October 20, 2007. Prior to the bout, he had recently signed a new six-fight contract with the UFC. Much like their first fight, Silva was able to effectively neutralize Franklin in the clinch, eventually defeating the former champion via TKO (knees) at 1:07 in the second round.
After Rich's second loss to Anderson, he began making regular trips to Seattle, WA to train with Matt Hume of AMC Pankration and Joel Jamieson of 8WeeksOut and trained with both of them to prepare for UFC 83, where Franklin faced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Travis Lutter. During the bout Lutter was able to secure a tight high-level armbar, though Franklin was able to escape the hold and go on to win the bout via TKO (strikes) at 3:01 of round 2.
Move to Light Heavyweight [edit]
At UFC 88, Franklin made his return to the light heavyweight division against close friend and training partner Matt Hamill. Franklin won by TKO following a kick to the liver which prompted the referee to call a stop to the fight at 0:39 in round 3.
Franklin met with former Pride Welterweight Champion and former Pride Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland. In a closely contested fight, Franklin ultimately lost by controversial split decision. The winner would gain the opportunity to coach Team USA on Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter. Franklin became the first person to main event a UFC show in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
At UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany, Franklin defeated former Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision at a catchweight of 195 lbs. Franklin became the first person in UFC history to fight in four different countries, in four consecutive fights.
At UFC 103 another catchweight contest, Rich lost to former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort. This was Belfort's first bout in the UFC since February, 2005. After a lengthy feeling-out process, Belfort connected with a left hook that dropped Franklin, following up with a flurry of left hands that ended the contest via TKO at 3:02 in the first round.
Franklin was rumoured to face multiple-time UFC Champion Randy Couture at UFC 115. After contrasting reports on who would be his opponent, Franklin eventually was confirmed to face former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell on June 12, 2010, following the withdrawal of Liddell's original opponent, Tito Ortiz. During the contest, Liddell showed improved striking from that seen in his recent fights, showing more proficient kicks. In the final seconds the opening round, Liddell connected with a head kick and moved forward to attack an arguably stunned Franklin, only to be knocked out by a compact counter right hand at 4:55 of round 1. During the post-fight press conference, Franklin confirmed that his left forearm had been broken by a head kick Liddell threw during the middle of the round. Fortunately, however, the forearm would not need surgery, allowing Franklin to recover faster.
Franklin faced former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126.[9] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Franklin was scheduled to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 133 on August 6, 2011 in Philadelphia.[10] Nogueira was forced out of the bout due to a shoulder injury.[11] Unable to find a suitable replacement on short notice, the UFC pulled Franklin from the card as well.[12]
Franklin faced Wanderlei Silva in a rematch, replacing Vitor Belfort who suffered a hand injury. In the main event at a 190 lbs catchweight on June 23, 2012 at UFC 147.[13] He won the fight via unanimous decision, with both participants earning Fight of the Night honors for their performances.
Return to Middleweight [edit]
Franklin returned to the middleweight division against former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le on November 10, 2012 in the main event at UFC on Fuel TV 6.[14] He lost the fight via KO in the first round.
Personal life [edit]
Rich has a wife named Beth who is a former English teacher.[15]
Championships and accomplishments [edit]
Mixed martial arts [edit]
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
- Two successful title defenses
- Second most consecutive middleweight title defenses in UFC (2)
- Second most successful middleweight title defenses in UFC (2)
- Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Chuck Liddell
- Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Wanderlei Silva (x2)
- Record for most significant strikes in a UFC Middleweight Championship bout vs. David Loiseau (127)
Mixed martial arts record [edit]
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 36 matches | 29 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 15 | 5 |
| By submission | 10 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 29–7 (1) | Cung Le | KO (punch) | UFC on Fuel TV: Franklin vs. Le | November 10, 2012 | 1 | 2:17 | Cotai Strip, Macau | Middleweight bout |
| Win | 29–6 (1) | Wanderlei Silva | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 147 | June 23, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Catchweight of 190 lbs. Fight of the Night |
| Loss | 28–6 (1) | Forrest Griffin | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 126 | February 5, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 28–5 (1) | Chuck Liddell | KO (punch) | UFC 115 | June 12, 2010 | 1 | 4:55 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Light Heavyweight bout. Knockout of the Night. |
| Loss | 27–5 (1) | Vitor Belfort | KO (punches) | UFC 103 | September 19, 2009 | 1 | 3:02 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Catchweight of 195 pounds. |
| Win | 27–4 (1) | Wanderlei Silva | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 99 | June 13, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Cologne, Germany | Catchweight of 195 pounds. Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 26–4 (1) | Dan Henderson | Decision (split) | UFC 93 | January 17, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Dublin, Ireland | Light Heavyweight bout |
| Win | 26–3 (1) | Matt Hamill | TKO (body kick) | UFC 88 | September 6, 2008 | 3 | 0:39 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Light Heavyweight bout |
| Win | 25–3 (1) | Travis Lutter | TKO (punches) | UFC 83 | April 19, 2008 | 2 | 3:01 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| Loss | 24–3 (1) | Anderson Silva | TKO (knees) | UFC 77 | October 20, 2007 | 2 | 1:07 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | For the UFC Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 24–2 (1) | Yushin Okami | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 72 | June 16, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom | UFC Middleweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 23–2 (1) | Jason MacDonald | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC 68 | March 3, 2007 | 2 | 5:00 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| Loss | 22–2 (1) | Anderson Silva | TKO (knees) | UFC 64 | October 14, 2006 | 1 | 2:59 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Lost the UFC Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 22–1 (1) | David Loiseau | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 58 | March 4, 2006 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 21–1 (1) | Nate Quarry | KO (punch) | UFC 56 | November 19, 2005 | 1 | 2:34 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 20–1 (1) | Evan Tanner | TKO (doctor stoppage) | UFC 53 | June 4, 2005 | 4 | 3:25 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Won the UFC Middleweight Championship. Won coaches position on The Ultimate Fighter 2. |
| Win | 19–1 (1) | Ken Shamrock | TKO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale | April 9, 2005 | 1 | 2:42 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Light Heavyweight bout |
| Win | 18–1 (1) | Curtis Stout | Submission (punches) | SuperBrawl 38 | December 12, 2004 | 2 | 1:28 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 17–1 (1) | Jorge Rivera | Submission (armbar) | UFC 50 | October 22, 2004 | 3 | 4:28 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Middleweight bout |
| Win | 16–1 (1) | Ralph Dilon | Submission (kimura) | Alaska Fighting Championship | July 14, 2004 | 1 | 0:56 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | |
| Win | 15–1 (1) | Leo Sylvest | Submission (punches) | SuperBrawl 35 | April 16, 2004 | 1 | 1:13 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Loss | 14–1 (1) | Lyoto Machida | KO (head kick & punches) | Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 | December 31, 2003 | 2 | 1:03 | Kobe, Japan | Both Machida and Franklin fought at a weight of 214lbs |
| Win | 14–0 (1) | Edwin Dewees | TKO (punches and knees) | UFC 44 | September 26, 2003 | 1 | 3:32 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Light Heavyweight bout |
| Win | 13–0 (1) | Roberto Ramirez | KO (punch) | Battleground 1: War Cry | July 19, 2003 | 1 | 0:10 | Villa Park, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 12–0 (1) | Evan Tanner | TKO (punches) | UFC 42 | April 25, 2003 | 1 | 2:40 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 11–0 (1) | Antony Rea | TKO (punches) | UCC Hawaii: Eruption in Hawaii | September 17, 2002 | 1 | 2:46 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 10–0 (1) | Yan Pellerin | Submission (armbar) | UCC 10: Battle for the Belts 2002 | June 15, 2002 | 1 | 3:23 | Hull, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 9–0 (1) | Marvin Eastman | Submission (armbar) | World Fighting Alliance 1 | November 3, 2001 | 1 | 1:02 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 (1) | Dennis Reed | Submission (punches) | Extreme Challenge Trials | August 5, 2001 | 1 | 1:38 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 (1) | Chris Seifert | Submission (punches) | Extreme Challenge 41 | July 13, 2001 | 2 | 1:45 | Davenport, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 (1) | Travis Fulton | TKO (broken hand) | RINGS USA: Battle of Champions | March 17, 2001 | 1 | 5:00 | Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States | |
| NC | 5–0 (1) | Aaron Brink | No Contest (foot injury) | IFC: Warriors Challenge 11 | January 13, 2001 | 1 | 2:42 | Fresno, California, United States | For IFC Light Heavyweight United States Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Dennis Reed | Submission (armbar) | Extreme Challenge 35 | June 29, 2000 | 1 | 1:56 | Davenport, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Gary Myers | KO (head kick) | WEF 9: World Class | May 13, 2000 | 3 | 0:59 | Evansville, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Rob Smith | TKO (punches) | Extreme Challenge 31 | March 24, 2000 | 1 | 2:30 | Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Eugene Pinault | Submission (punches) | Extreme Challenge: Trials | October 4, 1999 | 1 | 1:27 | Davenport, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Michael Martin | KO (head kick) | World Extreme Fighting 6 | June 19, 1999 | 1 | 0:21 | Wheeling, West Virginia, United States |
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Fighter Profile at Fightline.com".
- ^ "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Cincinnatimagazine.com. 2007/07. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
- ^ "Greg Franklin, the brother of UFC superstar Rich Franklin, made his UFC debut of sorts last night in Memphis as a referee for several fights on the prelim card". Bloodyelbow.xom. 2009-12-13. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
- ^ "Rich Franklin Talks About the Unseen Side of MMA". Kickboxing.com. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ "My Most Dangerous Opponent". Retrieved 2009-08-22.[dead link]
- ^ http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/rich-franklin/bio
- ^ http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-rich_franklin.htm
- ^ http://www.ufc.com/news/Defining_Moments__Rich_Franklin
- ^ "Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin Fight Planned for Feb. 5 UFC Card". mmafighting.com. October 5, 2010.
- ^ "Rogerio Nogueira vs. Rich Franklin Latest Addition to UFC 133 in Philly". MMAWeekly.com. April 22, 2011.
- ^ "Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Off UFC 133 with Injury, UFC Looking for Replacement". MMAFrenzy.com. July 16, 2011.
- ^ "With Nogueira out, Franklin also scratched from August's UFC 133 event". MMAjunkie.com. July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Rich Franklin steps into UFC 147 headliner against Wanderlei Silva". mmajunkie.com. May 30, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ^ Burke, Tim (August 5, 2012). "Rich Franklin Vs. Cung Le Set For UFC On Fuel 6 Main Event In Macau". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
- ^ "Married to the Sport The beautiful Beth Franklin reveals what it's like to be the wife of an Aco Stakuraca fighter". MensFiteness.com. 2009-12-20. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
External links [edit]
| Preceded by Evan Tanner |
4th UFC Middleweight Champion June 4, 2005 - October 14, 2006 |
Succeeded by Anderson Silva |
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- 1974 births
- American mixed martial artists
- Middleweight mixed martial artists
- Light heavyweight mixed martial artists
- Living people
- Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
- People from Cincinnati, Ohio
- American schoolteachers
- American Christians
- American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- University of Cincinnati alumni
- Mixed martial artists from Ohio
