Rich Franklin

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1 Career
2 Road To The Championship
3 Present Day
4 Mixed martial arts record
5 Gallery
6 External links

Career

In order to pursue fighting as a full time job, Rich Franklin (born October 5, 1974) had to leave behind a glamorous and lucrative career as a math teacher at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Franklin's Pro career started off strong on March 24, 2000, and with a further eight wins and no losses, he made his UFC debut. On April, 25, 2003 Rich Franklin defeated veteran Evan Tanner by TKO in the first round.

Moving between the UFC and various smaller productions Franklin continued to score victories, eventually racking up a twelve win streak, all by knockout or submission. Rebounding from a loss to Lyoto Machida in his next bout, "Ace" continued on to become a true superstar in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, winning his next eight bouts.

Road To The Championship

After being brought back for UFC 50, where he would score a third round Armbar victory over Jorge Rivera, Franklin had fully established himself as a contender. Knocking out Ken Shamrock in his next Octagon appearance, Rich had earned a title shot, and an exclusive contract with the UFC.

Victorious in a rematch against Evan Tanner at UFC 53, Rich "Ace" Franklin was crowned the UFC Middleweight Champion. As a result Franklin was chosen as a coach and featured during season two of The Ultimate Fighter. His team included future stars Marcus Davis, Keith Jardine, and Rashad Evans.

Present Day

Subsequent to his stint on The Ultimate Fighter, "Ace" Franklin had two successful title defenses. First a KO over Nate Quarry, followed by a hard fought decision win over David Loiseau. Unfortunately for the champ, next on the list of challengers was Anderson Silva.

On October, 14, 2006 Rich Franklin suffered a brutal TKO loss at the hands, feet, and knees of Anderson "Spider" Silva, lasting only until 2:59 of the very first round. Having lost his belt, "Ace" worked his way back into contention with wins over notable foes Jason MacDonald, and Yushin Okami. Sadly, Franklin was dealt a second TKO loss in his bid to regain the Middleweight Title.

Recently Franklin decided to return to fighting in the Light Heavyweight Division of the UFC.