UFC 148: How Will Rich Franklin Be Remembered?

Although Anderson Silva may be the universal king of the middleweight division, he received such a title from the man who had previously been atop the 185-pound rankings—Rich "Ace" Franklin.

Few fans remember Franklin virtually carrying the middleweight division until Silva destroyed him in their two encounters.

Franklin's rise to stardom was paralleled by the UFC's rise to prominence following the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar may have stolen the show, but ultimately, it was Franklin and UFC legend Ken Shamrock who were the main event of the evening.

He may have been a big star in years past, but Franklin is hardly considered much more than the epitome of a company man for the UFC nowadays.

With his roles changing as the years progressed, the question of how Franklin will be remembered is one that should be on everyone's mind when he steps into the cage at UFC 148.

A Great UFC Champion?

Rich Franklin made his UFC debut in grand fashion at UFC 42. Going against the durable veteran Evan Tanner, Franklin stopped Tanner in the first round via TKO.

It would be over a year until Franklin would grace the Octagon again, but once again, he found his hand raised following another impressive outing.

An impressive showing against UFC legend Ken Shamrock on the finale of The Ultimate Fighter would land Franklin a title shot at UFC 53. Defeating Tanner for a second time, Franklin found a UFC belt being strapped around his waist.

Franklin defended his belt twice—a highlight reel KO of Nate Quarry and a decision victory over David Loiseau set the stage for Anderson Silva to announce his arrival.

The outcome of both those bouts are well documented, and Franklin's struggles throughout the rest of his career are well known to fans.

Will these fans be able to move past his current run of tough luck and remember Franklin as a great UFC champion?

The Man Who Crumbled in the Clinch?

Rich Franklin's illustrious career includes wins over many notable opponents, yet it will always be his two bouts with Anderson Silva that fans will remember most.

Silva, a dangerous striker, had put himself on the map with his dominant (and I do mean dominant) showing against the indestructible Chris Leben. When Silva stepped in to challenge Franklin, fans were expecting the UFC veteran to give the Brazilian a run for his money.

Their first meeting was shocking in that Silva controlled Franklin using the muay-Thai plum and broke Franklin's nose in the process. Franklin would rebound with two straight victories and earned a rematch.

Franklin showed he had made improvements to avoid being clinched with Silva, but in the end, the champion was just too good, and Franklin was beaten again by the muay-Thai clinch.

The former middleweight champion's career never seemed to regain the momentum he had prior to the Silva bouts. I don't mean to imply that Franklin was a broken man following the losses, but you can definitely see these were the turning points in his career.

Unless Franklin can make another title run, it will be these two losses that will be thought of first when recalling Franklin's career.

The Math Teacher from Ohio?

One of the more prominent items that were featured about Rich Franklin during his early UFC years was his background as a teacher. Teaching students isn't exactly a way to train for MMA, but Franklin did what he could on the side and eventually found success.

While fans may relate to guys like Roy Nelson because they look similar, they should relate to Franklin as he epitomizes the "just a regular guy" image.

You can tell from when Franklin talks that he's the same person he was before winning a UFC title which has contributed to his popularity with fans. The greed of "the big leagues" wasn't able to change Franklin, and he remains the math teacher who would make you do your trigonometry homework one way or the other.

The Ultimate Company Man?

Since losing the title to Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin has had a roller coaster of a UFC career. Franklin won his next two bouts but has since alternated wins and losses.

No doubt contributing to the instability in Franklin's record has been the instability found in his fighting career post-Silva. After he was defeated for a second time by the Brazilian, there remained little doubt in fan's minds that Franklin could challenge for the 185-pound title again.

With no clear direction, Franklin took a myriad of bouts that took place at 205 pounds, 195 pounds and 185 pounds. The bout against Chuck Liddell in particular solidified Franklin's place as the ultimate company man for the UFC.

After Tito Ortiz backed out of The Ultimate Fighter and a rubber match with Liddell, Franklin stepped in to run the show and challenge "The Iceman." The bout meant virtually nothing for Franklin's career yet he stepped in, showing his fighting spirit.

This is likely how most UFC fans will remember the former middleweight champion as he has clearly settled into this role the past few years. It's not all that bad either. The UFC has a guy they know will step in for any fight at any given moment, and Franklin continues to be one of the more prominent faces the company showcases to fans.

How Will You Remember Rich Franklin?

Of course, it's up to the fans to choose how they remember Rich Franklin. There's a number of ways for fans to remember "Ace," and to be honest, he could be considered all of the above.

Franklin may also be considered for the UFC Hall of Fame given his history of helping the company grow and a darn good fighting record to boot.

How will you remember one of the most popular fighters of all time?