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The Ultimate Fighter Championships used to be seen as a backstreet sport. The kind of fight that should be hidden in the dark like cockfighting and dog rings. Nowadays we see the UFC in the international arena being sponsored by big names. UFC has the same grandeur and respect as mixed martial arts and boxing.
Many people put this change down to the UFC Gentlemen - Ace Franklin.
In 2005 the UFC was really starting to get attention. It was exploding with popularity, and to keep this power going, the UFC wanted a new face to show their new audience. They wanted someone who would remove the thuggish stereotype it had gained, they wanted someone who had the skill, grace, and charisma. Of course, they picked the world-class fighter Rich Franklin.
Franklin started off as a math teacher. He was even teaching part-time alongside his MMA fighting career. He held the American Dream in his hand and was able to cross over from everyday worker to athlete.
Everything changed for him when Shamrock lost against his rival Ortiz. Ken Shamrock was the best fighter of his time, and this defeat brought thousands to the UFC, but Shamrock needed someone to dominate over and bring him back to speed.
Ortiz refused a rematch, so the UFC put the legendary Shamrock up against a wholesome math teacher. Franklin already had the crowd on his side, as they loved his story and his skill, so the match would be good for ratings and can get Shamrock back on his feet - or so they thought.
Now let's remember, Franklin wasn’t a newbie at this point. He had won the UFC 3 times already, but he was no Shamrock. When the crowds showed up for the fight, it wasn’t his name they were screaming.
As Shamrock himself says “I should destroy this kid”.
When the fight began, Shamrock got Franklin into his classic leg lock, Franklin should have tapped out right there and then. But he managed to slip through and produce a flurry of blows which knocked Shamrock out in the first round.
He won. The math teacher beat his hero, the best UFC fighter. A new star was born.
This kind-hearted, "everyday" guy was the fighter the UFC was missing, and now he had the country's attention.
If you had been following the MMA betting for a guy like Franklin, you would be rolling in the money.
The first fight against Shamrock was also the first UFC live fight on free cable TV. It was a massive deal to the UFC and to both fighters involved.
From that moment on Franklin was already a legend. But he had to keep proving himself, so no one could suggest it was a fluke. Just a couple of months later, Franklin was up against Evan Tanner. His first-ever victory was against this legend who had only succumbed to Ortiz before Franklin came along.
Now they were both fighting for the title championship, and if Franklin could dominate against Tanner, no one would question this math teacher’s skill. And of course, Franklin one.
He was becoming a one-round knockout, defeating star after star. If this math teacher could do it, anyone could. Everyone started rooting for this amazing talent that they could connect to.
The wins kept on coming as Franklin beat the welterweight champion, Matt Hughes, defending his title against Power Hungry Nate Quarry, and defeated the Bone Crushing David Loiseau.
In 2006, Franklin’s winning streak stopped. Up against Anderson Silva, it seemed as though the Shamrock vs Franklin fight was re-created. But this time Franklin was dealt a flurry of blows.
This was Franklin’s first loss, and it ended in surgery.
Some might have thought the Anderson Silva loss was enough to stop Franklin, but they were wrong. Just one year later, healed and ready to go, Franklin beat the top middleweight contender in 2007. He instantly took that title and was Silva’s number one enemy for the title.
The drama and tension that surrounded this fight were enough to put Franklin into a 6 fight contract. The UFC wanted to utilize the intensity that Franklin brought.
In the end, Franklin took part in 37 matches and won 29 of them. He was only knocked out 5 times, while the other 2 losses came through as decisions.
The biggest part of Franklin’s fighting legacy was his ability to knock people out in the first round. He did this 20 times over his career. 5 times his opponents lost through submission and just 4 times it had to come to a decision.
The real legacy that Franklin brought to the table was his ability to bring people into the sport. Franklin will always be the “everyman”. He was a teacher who dreamed of bigger things. He fought his hero and won.
He is the man sitting on the couch, the friend at the park, the fighter in the ring.
Without Franklin, UFC could still be seen as a backstreet fighting ring. But now we know it as a daring sport of skill and power.
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