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Rich Franklin
BornRichard Jay Franklin II
(1974-10-05) October 5, 1974 (age 50)
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Other namesAce
ResidenceWest Chester, Ohio[1]
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
DivisionMiddleweight
Light Heavyweight
Reach76 in (193 cm)
StyleKickboxing, Boxing, Pankration, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
StanceSouthpaw
Fighting out ofCincinnati, Ohio, United States
TeamTeam Extreme/The JG MMA and Fitness Academy Evolve MMA
TrainerMatt Hume
Jorge Gurgel (Jiu-Jitsu)
Joel Jamieson (S&C)John Cross Crosstraining
Rank  Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel
Years active1999–2015
Mixed martial arts record
Total37
Wins29
By knockout15
By submission10
By decision4
Losses7
By knockout5
By decision2
No contests1
Amateur record
Total2
Wins1
By submission1
Losses1
By knockout1
Other information
UniversityUniversity of Cincinnati
SpouseBeth Franklin (2002–2011)
Notable school(s)William Henry Harrison High
Websitehttp://www.richfranklin.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: September 16, 2011 (2011-09-16)

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 was announced as a 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.

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/business partner Billy Zebe launched Ze/Lin Organic Juice & Fusion Café. Located in Beverly Hills, California, the café featured cold press juices, smoothies, gluten free and vegan pastries, etc. Due to the brand gaining popularity, Ze/Lin closed its storefront 9 months later to focus 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 14 July 2011. It is widely recognized as the biggest MMA promotion in Asia. Franklin will serve as the face of the brand and will travel 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 11 October 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.[7] 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.

Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

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.[8] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Franklin was scheduled to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 133 on August 6, 2011 in Philadelphia.[9] Nogueira was forced out of the bout due to a shoulder injury.[10] Unable to find a suitable replacement on short notice, the UFC pulled Franklin from the card as well.[11]

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.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14] 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.”

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 Hamill, 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.[15][16]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
37 matches 29 wins 7 losses
By knockout 15 5
By submission 10 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 of 190 Pounds. 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 (punches) 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 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
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.
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 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 Submission (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 of 214 pounds.
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 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 (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 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

References

  1. ^ Rich Franklin changing focus, not retiring Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  2. ^ "Fighter Profile at Fightline.com". Archived from the original on 2010-01-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Cincinnatimagazine.com. July 1, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "Rich Franklin Talks About the Unseen Side of MMA". Kickboxing.com. Archived from the original on 2009-06-15. Retrieved 2009-08-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "My Most Dangerous Opponent". Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ http://www.ufc.com/news/Defining_Moments__Rich_Franklin[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin Fight Planned for Feb. 5 UFC Card". mmafighting.com. October 5, 2010.
  9. ^ "Rogerio Nogueira vs. Rich Franklin Latest Addition to UFC 133 in Philly". MMAWeekly.com. April 22, 2011.
  10. ^ "Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Off UFC 133 with Injury, UFC Looking for Replacement". MMAFrenzy.com. July 16, 2011.
  11. ^ "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. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "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. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Dave Doyle (2015-09-28). "Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin officially retires". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  15. ^ "'Mantervention' Official Site". Scatena & Rosner Films. 2013-12-20. Archived from the original on 2014-01-22. Retrieved 2013-12-21. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Burke, Tim (August 5, 2013). "'Mantervention' on IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  17. ^ http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/6/Imagining-an-MMA-Hall-of-Fame-Best-of-the-Rest-71501
Preceded by 4th UFC Middleweight Champion
June 4, 2005 - October 14, 2006 		Succeeded by
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