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Revision as of 22:30, 1 January 2011

Rich Franklin
BornRich Jay Franklin, Jr.
(1974-10-05) October 5, 1974 (age 50)
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Other namesAce
NationalityUnited States American
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
Division185 & 205 (Present)
Reach76.0 in (193 cm)
StyleFreestyle Fighting, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
StanceSouthpaw
Fighting out ofCincinnati, Ohio
TeamTeam Extreme/AMC Pankration/JG MMA Academy
TrainerMatt Hume
Jorge Gurgel (Jiu-Jitsu)
Rank  brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active1999–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total34
Wins28
By knockout15
By submission10
By decision3
Losses5
By knockout4
By decision1
Draws0
No contests1
Amateur record
Total2
Wins1
By submission1
Losses1
By knockout1
Other information
UniversityUniversity of Cincinnati
SpouseBeth
Notable school(s)William Henry Harrison High
Websitehttp://www.richfranklin.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: September 18, 2009

Rich Jay Franklin II (born October 5, 1974[1]) is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion.

Background

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,[2] and taught mathematics at the Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.[3]

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 "An angry 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.[4][5]

Martial arts background

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 and Joel Jamieson

UFC career

Middleweight title

Franklin began his UFC career with a perfect 3-0 start, including a victory over skilled MMA veteran Evan Tanner at UFC 42.

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.[6] The win over Shamrock also ensured a title opportunity for Franklin.

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 knockout 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 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 unconscious. 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.

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 neutralise 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. 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 Fighting Championships welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland. In a closely contested fight, Franklin ultimately lost by 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. In another catchweight contest, Rich lost to former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort at UFC 103. 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 by knockout at 3:02 in the first round.

Move to Light Heavyweight

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 long-time light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee 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 is expected to face former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126.[7]

Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

Personal life

Rich has a wife named Beth who is a former English teacher at Reading High School.[8][9]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
34 matches 28 wins 5 losses
By knockout 15 4
By submission 10 0
By decision 3 1
Draws 0
No contests 1
Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
United States Forrest Griffin UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort February 5, 2011 United States Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Win 28–5 (1) United States Chuck Liddell KO (Punch) UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin June 12, 2010 1 4:55 Canada Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Light Heavyweight bout. Awarded Knockout of the Night
Loss 27–5 (1) Brazil Vitor Belfort KO (Punches) UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort September 19, 2009 1 3:02 United States Dallas, Texas, US Catchweight of 195 pounds
Win 27–4 (1) Brazil Wanderlei Silva Decision (Unanimous) UFC 99: The Comeback June 13, 2009 3 5:00 Germany Cologne, Germany Catchweight of 195 pounds. Awarded Fight of the Night.
Loss 26–4 (1) United States Dan Henderson Decision (Split) UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson January 17, 2009 3 5:00 Republic of Ireland Dublin, Ireland Light Heavyweight bout
Win 26–3 (1) United States Matt Hamill TKO (Kick to the Body) UFC 88: Breakthrough September 6, 2008 3 0:39 United States Atlanta, Georgia, United States Light Heavyweight bout
Win 25–3 (1) United States Travis Lutter TKO (Punches) UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre II April 19, 2008 2 3:01 Canada Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Loss 24–3 (1) Brazil Anderson Silva TKO (Knees) UFC 77: Hostile Territory October 20, 2007 2 1:07 United States Cincinnati, Ohio, United States For UFC Middleweight Championship
Win 24–2 (1) Japan Yushin Okami Decision (Unanimous) UFC 72: Victory June 16, 2007 3 5:00 United Kingdom Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK Becomes the #1 contender for the UFC Middleweight Championship
Win 23–2 (1) Canada Jason MacDonald TKO (Corner Stoppage) UFC 68: Uprising March 3, 2007 2 5:00 United States Columbus, Ohio, United States
Loss 22–2 (1) Brazil Anderson Silva KO (Knee) UFC 64: Unstoppable October 14, 2006 1 3:59 United States Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Lost UFC Middleweight Championship
Win 22–1 (1) Canada David Loiseau Decision (Unanimous) UFC 58: USA vs Canada March 4, 2006 5 5:00 United States Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended UFC Middleweight Championship
Win 21–1 (1) United States Nathan Quarry KO (Punch) UFC 56: Full Force November 19, 2005 1 2:34 United States Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended UFC Middleweight Championship
Win 20–1 (1) United States Evan Tanner TKO (Doctor Stoppage) UFC 53: Heavy Hitters June 4, 2005 4 3:25 United States Newark, New Jersey, United States Won UFC Middleweight Championship. Won coaches position on The Ultimate Fighter 2.
Win 19–1 (1) United States Ken Shamrock KO (Punches) The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale April 9, 2005 1 2:42 United States Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Light Heavyweight bout
Win 18–1 (1) United States Curtis Stout Submission (Strikes) SuperBrawl 38 December 12, 2004 2 1:28 United States Hawaii, United States
Win 17–1 (1) United States Jorge Rivera Submission (Armbar) UFC 50: The War of '04 October 22, 2004 3 4:28 United States New Jersey, United States
Win 16–1 (1) United States Ralph Dilon Submission (Kimura) Alaska Fighting Championship July 14, 2004 1 0:56 United States Alaska, United States
Win 15–1 (1) United States Leo Sylvest Submission (Strikes) SuperBrawl 35 April 16, 2004 1 1:13 United States Hawaii, United States
Loss 14–1 (1) Brazil Lyoto Machida TKO (Head Kick and Punches)[10] Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003: Inoki Festival December 31, 2003 2 1:03 Japan Kobe, Japan
Win 14–0 (1) United States Edwin Dewees TKO (Strikes) UFC 44: Undisputed September 26, 2003 1 3:32 United States Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–0 (1) United States Roberto Ramirez KO (Punch) Battleground 1: War Cry July 19, 2003 1 0:10 United States Illinois, United States
Win 12–0 (1) United States Evan Tanner TKO (Punches) UFC 42: Sudden Impact April 25, 2003 1 2:40 United States Miami, Florida, United States UFC Debut
Win 11–0 (1) France Antony Rea TKO (Punches) UCC Hawaii: Eruption in Hawaii September 17, 2002 1 2:46 United States Hawaii, United States
Win 10–0 (1) Canada Yan Pellerin Submission (Armbar) UCC 10: Battle for the Belts 2002 June 15, 2002 1 3:23 Canada Quebec, Canada
Win 9–0 (1) United States Marvin Eastman Submission (Armbar) World Fighting Alliance 1 November 3, 2001 1 1:02 United States Nevada, United States
Win 8–0 (1) United States Dennis Reed Submission (Strikes) Extreme Challenge Trials August 5, 2001 1 1:38 United States Ohio, United States
Win 7–0 (1) United States Chris Seifert Submission (Strikes) Extreme Challenge 41 July 13, 2001 2 1:45 United States Iowa, United States
Win 6–0 (1) United States Travis Fulton TKO (Broken Hand) RINGS USA: Battle of Champions March 17, 2001 1 5:00 United States Iowa, United States
NC 5–0 (1) United States Aaron Brink No Contest (Accidental Injury) IFC: Warriors Challenge 11 January 13, 2001 1 2:42 United States California, United States For IFC Light Heavyweight United States Championship.
Win 5–0 United States Dennis Reed Submission (Armbar) Extreme Challenge 35 June 29, 2000 1 1:56 United States Iowa, United States
Win 4–0 United States Gary Myers KO (Kick) WEF 9: World Class May 13, 2000 3 0:59 United States Indiana, United States
Win 3–0 United States Rob Smith TKO (Punches) Extreme Challenge 31 March 24, 2000 1 2:30 United States Wisconsin, United States
Win 2–0 United States Eugene Pinault Submission (Punches) Extreme Challenge - Trials October 4, 1999 1 1:27
Win 1–0 United States Michael Martin KO (Kick) World Extreme Fighting 6 June 19, 1999 1 0:21 United States Wheeling, West Virginia, United States

See also

References

  1. ^ "Fighter Profile at Fightline.com".
  2. ^ Dhoot, Jatinder. "Rich Franklin Talks About the Unseen Side of MMA". Kickboxing.com. Retrieved 2009-08-22. {{cite web}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  3. ^ "My Most Dangerous Opponent". Retrieved 2009-08-22. [dead link‍]
  4. ^ http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/rich-franklin/bio
  5. ^ http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-rich_franklin.htm
  6. ^ http://www.ufc.com/news/Defining_Moments__Rich_Franklin
  7. ^ "Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin Fight Planned for Feb. 5 UFC Card". mmafighting.com. October 5, 2010.
  8. ^ Lancaster, Marc (September 25, 2003). "Ultimate Fighter". The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on September 25, 2003. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; February 24, 2007 suggested (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ http://www.sherdog.com/events/Inoki-Bom-Ba-Ye-2003-Inoki-Festival-2048
Preceded by 4th UFC Middleweight Champion
June 4, 2005 - October 14, 2006 		Succeeded by

Template:The Ultimate Fighter 2 Template:The Ultimate Fighter 11

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