Rich Franklin
| Rich Franklin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Richard Jay Franklin II October 5, 1974 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Other names | Ace |
| Residence | West Chester, Ohio[1] |
| 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 (190 cm) |
| Style | Muay Thai, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Team | Team Extreme/The JG MMA and Fitness Academy Evolve MMA |
| Trainer | Matt Hume Jorge Gurgel Joel Jamieson John Cross |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel |
| Years active | 1999–2015 (MMA) |
| 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 record | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Other information | |
| University | University of Cincinnati |
| Spouse | Beth Franklin
(m. 2002; div. 2011) |
| Notable school(s) | William Henry Harrison High |
| Website | http://www.richfranklin.com |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
last updated on: September 16, 2011 | |
Richard Jay "Rich" Franklin II (born October 5, 1974)[2] is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. As of June 2014, Franklin has been the Vice President of Asian mixed martial arts company ONE Championship.
Background[]
Franklin was born to Richard Sr. and Vaila Franklin. The couple divorced when Rich was five years old. He is one of seven children and has 3 brothers and 3 sisters including one biological brother, Greg and five half-siblings.[3][4]
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,[5] and taught mathematics at the Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.[6]
His nickname "Ace" comes from his resemblance to the actor Jim Carrey, who played the character Ace Ventura. Joe Rogan once called him "Angry Jim Carrey".
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.[7]
Business[]
American Fighter
In 2002, Franklin and his business partner Jeff Adler created American Fighter athletic clothing brand. Initially the brand featured T-shirts, but quickly grew into an athletic apparel brand featuring a full line of athletic training clothing, casual wear and training gear for martial arts. In 2012 Affliction Clothing expressed interest in the name and its widespread appeal. They acquired the majority of the company from Franklin and his business partner bringing the brand to mainstream retailers where it continues to grow.
Ze/Lin
In October 2013, Franklin and friend and business partner Billy Zebe launched Ze/Lin Organic Juice & Fusion Café. Located in Beverly Hills, California. The storefront was closed 9 months later and the company focused on wholesaling and distribution for the bottled juices.
ONE Championship
In April 2014, Rich signed on as a Vice President in the ONE Championship organization. ONE Championship (ONE) is a Singapore-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched on July 14, 2011. It is widely recognized as the biggest MMA promotion in Asia. Franklin serves as the face of the brand and travels throughout the US and Asia hosting seminars and speaking engagements, promoting fights and working with the fighters.
Mixed martial arts[]
According to Rich, he first learned karate at the Harrison Okinawan Karate Dojo in the early 1990s, under Bill George & Steve Rafferty. He also studied 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 black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel, earning this on October 11, 2014. After losing his title to Anderson Silva, Franklin started training under Matt "The Wizard" Hume.
UFC career[]
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[]
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[]
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 unable to continue. 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[]
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 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[]
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. Though it was logged as a clear win for Belfort, there was discussion over the multiple illegal blows to the back of Franklin's head.
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 Antônio Rogério 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[]
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.
Retirement from MMA[]
After teasing the possibility of one more MMA fight before calling it quits, Franklin instead announced his retirement on September 28, 2015.[15] Franklin penned a retirement column on theplayerstribune.com in which he indicated that a recent conversation with his mother helped make the decision and the understanding that “his body has slowed down.”[16]
On April 13th 2019, on the broadcast of UFC 236 it was revealed that Franklin would be introduced into the UFC Hall of Fame.[17]
Film career[]
Franklin made his acting debut in a film called Cyborg Soldier where he plays an escaped super soldier and partners with Tiffani Thiessen. In 2010 he starred in The Hammer, a story inspired by the life of deaf UFC fighter Matt Hamill. He can be seen playing MMA Coach Billings in the 2014 comedy Mantervention.[18][19]
Championships and accomplishments[]
Mixed martial arts[]
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
- Two successful title defenses
- 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)
- UFC Hall of Fame (Pioneer wing, class of 2019)
- UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
- Sherdog
- Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame[20]
Mixed martial arts record[]
| Professional record breakdown | hide | |
|---|---|---|
| 37 matches | 29 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 20 | 5 |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 2 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| 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 | Macau, SAR, China | Return to Middleweight. |
| Win | 29–6 (1) | Wanderlei Silva | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 147 | June 23, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Catchweight (190 lbs) bout. 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 | Knockout of the Night. |
| Loss | 27–5 (1) | Vitor Belfort | TKO (punches) | UFC 103 | September 19, 2009 | 1 | 3:02 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Catchweight (195 lbs) bout. |
| Win | 27–4 (1) | Wanderlei Silva | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 99 | June 13, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Cologne, Germany | Catchweight (195 lbs) bout. Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 26–4 (1) | Dan Henderson | Decision (split) | UFC 93 | January 17, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Dublin, Ireland | |
| Win | 26–3 (1) | Matt Hamill | TKO (body kick) | UFC 88 | September 6, 2008 | 3 | 0:39 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| 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 | KO (knee) | 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. Broke the record for the most consecutive UFC Middleweight title defenses (2). |
| 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 | TKO (submission to 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 debut. |
| 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 | TKO (submission to punches) | SuperBrawl 35 | April 16, 2004 | 1 | 1:13 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Loss | 14–1 (1) | Lyoto Machida | TKO (front kick and punches) | Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 | December 31, 2003 | 2 | 1:03 | Kobe, Japan | Catchweight (214 lbs) bout. |
| Win | 14–0 (1) | Edwin Dewees | TKO (punches and knees) | UFC 44 | September 26, 2003 | 1 | 3:32 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| 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 | UFC debut. |
| 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 | TKO (submission to punches) | Extreme Challenge Trials | August 5, 2001 | 1 | 1:38 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 (1) | Chris Seifert | TKO (submission to punches) | Extreme Challenge 41 | July 13, 2001 | 2 | 1:45 | Davenport, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 (1) | Travis Fulton | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 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 the 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 | TKO (submission to 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[]
References[]
- ^ Rich Franklin changing focus, not retiring Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- ^ "Fighter Profile at Fightline.com". Archived from the original on January 4, 2010.
- ^ "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Cincinnatimagazine.com. July 1, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "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. December 13, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- ^ "Rich Franklin Talks About the Unseen Side of MMA". Kickboxing.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
- ^ "My Most Dangerous Opponent". Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
- ^ Hardin, Marc. "Rich Franklin changing focus, not retiring". The Enquirer. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ http://www.ufc.com/news/Defining_Moments__Rich_Franklin[permanent dead link]
- ^ "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. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Rich Franklin steps into UFC 147 headliner against Wanderlei Silva". mmajunkie.com. May 30, 2012. Archived from the original on June 1, 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.
- ^ Dave Doyle (September 28, 2015). "Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin officially retires". mmafighting.com. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ^ "Rich Franklin changing focus, not retiring". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ Raimondi, Marc (April 13, 2019). "Rich Franklin to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame". MMA Fighting. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ "'Mantervention' Official Site". Scatena & Rosner Films. December 20, 2013. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
- ^ Burke, Tim (August 5, 2013). "'Mantervention' on IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/6/Imagining-an-MMA-Hall-of-Fame-Best-of-the-Rest-71501
External links[]
- Official website
- Team American Fighter official Myspace
- 8weeksout.com
- Professional MMA record for Rich Franklin from Sherdog
- Official UFC Profile
| show UFC Middleweight Champions |
|---|
| show Authority control  |
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- 1974 births
- American male mixed martial artists
- Middleweight mixed martial artists
- Light heavyweight mixed martial artists
- Living people
- Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
- Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
- Sportspeople from Cincinnati
- American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- University of Cincinnati alumni
- Mixed martial artists from Ohio
- People from West Chester, Butler County, Ohio