Reclaiming the Throne: Rich Franklin's Quest to become a Champion

Reclaiming the Throne: Rich Franklin’s Quest to become the UFC’s next Light Heavyweight Champion

            In October of 2006, many MMA analysts thought that Rich “Ace” Franklin was the best middleweight fighter in the world. With his only professional loss having come in late 2003, from a then unknown Brazilian by the name of Lyoto Machida, Franklin was on a tear in the UFC, having defeated the likes of Ken Shamrock, Evan Tanner, and Nate Quarry. With two successful titles defenses to his credit, it looked as if Franklinwas set to experience a lengthy run as the UFC’s middleweight champion; that is until he met Muay Thai master Anderson“The Spider” Silva. At the time of their first meeting Silva was not well known by casual MMA fans in America, largely due to the fact that he fought exclusively in Brazil, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Having impressively defeated Chris “The Crippler” Leben just four months previously, little was known about the Brazilian other than that he was a solid striker who had done well in various MMA promotions overseas.

            Before the first Franklin/Silva fight, which took place at UFC 64, odds makers had Franklin picked as a heavy favorite, despite the fact that he had spend the past seven months recovering from a serious hand injury that required major reconstructive surgery. Yet the MMA cognoscenti felt that Silva was quite capable of winning the UFC middleweight title, especially since he had not lost a fight in over two years (for Silva’s last, and most interesting, loss see Silva vs. Chonan at PRIDE Shockwave 2004). Still, no one was prepared for what happened when Franklin and Silva finally squared off. More reminiscent of a grown man fighting a helpless child than two athletes of nearly equal skill competing against one another, Silva quite literally demolished Franklin with a firestorm of punches, kicks, and bone shattering knees delivered from his patented Thai clench.

            With his title taken from him by the man who would soon become the face of MMA, a battered Franklin quickly recovered from the nasal surgery which was required after his loss to Silva and fought up-and-comer Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald at UFC 68 and top ranked middleweight Yushin Okami at UFC 72; Franklin earned easy victories over both of his post-Silva opponents, defeating MacDonald via TKO and Okami by unanimous decision. Once more, Franklin looked as if he were unstoppable; but, then again, so did Silva who, in between his first and second fights with Franklin, ran roughshod over top contenders Travis Lutter and Nate “The Great” Marquardt. Clashing for the second time at UFC 77, many thought that Franklin stood a much better chance of defeating Silva, who showed signs of weakness (at least temporarily) in his match with Lutter. Still, speculation wasn’t enough to help Franklin crush “The Spider,” who used his uncanny striking ability to once again annihilate the former champion.

            Forced to confront the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to win against Anderson Silva anytime in the near future, Franklin decided to make the transition to the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Having fought previously at 205 lbs., Franklin was no stranger to the demands that inevitably coincide with a change in weight class. Still, Franklin could not have picked a more difficult time to make a serious run at one of the UFC’s most hotly contested titles.

            Whereas Franklin (even after his two losses to Silva) is still one of the best middleweights in the world, his move to the realm of the light heavyweights will force him to confront some of MMA’s best fighters, among them: Forrest Griffin, Lyoto Machida, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Rashad Evans, Thiago Silva, and, of course, the loveable Wanderlei Silva. Currently ranked third among the world’s light heavyweights (according to the most recent edition of FIGHT! magazine), Franklin’s textbook victory over rising star Matt “The Hammer” Hamill has certainly proven that Franklin can be successful in his new weight class. However, Franklin will have to fight at least once more (possibly against the ever dangerous Dan Henderson) in order to earn a title shot. Yet, even if Franklinis able to win his next fight against an as yet unnamed opponent (rumor has it that Chuck Liddell and Mauricio Rua are also being considered), there is no telling who he might face for the light heavyweight title.

            The current champion, Forrest Griffin, who wrested the title from an atypically timid Quinton Jackson at UFC 86, is besieged on all sides by contenders who desperately want to lay claim to his newfound prize. With a possible match against undefeated wrestling phenom Rashad Evans rumored to be in the works, Griffin will have a difficult time retaining his title in the months to come. Even if Griffindoes manage to fend off a particularly tenacious Evans, he will soon be forced to face the winner of the Lyoto Machida/Thiago Silva fight, which is set to take place sometime in the very near future. While it is entirely possible that Griffin may successfully defend the light heavyweight championship, such an outcome is highly unlikely considering the level of competition in the UFC’s second largest weight class.

            A Griffin/Franklin championship bout would make for a very interesting contrast in styles and would, ultimately, benefit Franklin who is the superior striker and more well rounded of the two fighters. Still, it should not be assumed that Franklin would simply demolish Griffin, who is counted among the toughest  and most determined combatants in all of MMA. Rather, to achieve victory against Griffin, Franklin would have to press the action of the fight in much the same way as he did in his recent outing with Matt Hamill. By knocking Griffin off balance with well timed combinations (and by also employing his dreaded liver kick), Franklin could manage to keep the champion at a discreet distance, thereby rendering Griffin’s typical blitzkrieg of punches ineffective. While such a strategy may seem foolish given Griffin’s stellar performance against Quinton Jackson (one of the best strikers in MMA), it is important to remember that Griffin is often unsuccessful when facing opponents who are more aggressive than himself. (For examples of how Griffin struggles with fighters that come out swinging, see Griffinvs. Jardine and Griffin vs. Ortiz).

            Yet another compelling match up for Franklinwould be a title fight against the man that many think will defeat Forrest Griffin at UFC 92, Rashad “Sugar” Evans. With a record of 14-0-1 (7-0-1 inthe UFC), there is no question that Evans is one of the UFC’s most promising stars in any division. Possessed of an outstanding wrestling pedigree and solid striking ability, Evans would prove to be a major stumbling block in Franklin’s quest for the light heavyweight crown. Still, were Franklin and Evans to face one another in the octagon, the result would almost certainly be a victory for Franklin, whose experience training with top level grapplers would give him the advantage necessary to win by judges’  decision . While it is entire possible that Franklin could knock out Evans with a barrage of punches early on in the first round (something that Franklin has done to a number of fighters throughout his career), he would also have to avoid falling prey to Evans’ dangerous right hand. Not a knockout artist by choice (although he is fast gaining that august distinction), Evans would almost certainly prefer to use his first rate ground-and-pound technique to overwhelm Franklin. Once on the ground, Franklin would be at a disadvantage with Evans, who was a collegiate wrestling champion with a nearly flawless record. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Evans would dominate Franklin on the mat. With 9 out of his 24 wins coming by way of submission, Franklinis no stranger to forcing his opponents to tap. Conversely, Evans has virtually no submission skills and can claim only one submission victory in his entire MMA career.

            While MMA fans and analysts could argue endlessly over the outcome of a hypothetical battle between Franklin and Evans, a much more fascinating scenario involves Franklinfacing Lyoto Machida for the light heavyweight championship. If Machidacontinues his wining ways (by vanquishing his next opponent, Thiago Silva), look for Machidato defeat either Forrest Griffin or Rashad Evans by split decision once their respective paths cross. If Franklinis equally successful against Dan Henderson, then it is a foregone conclusion that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva will schedule Machida/Franklin II for some time in early 2009.

             Having suffered his first lost to Machida over five years ago, Franklinhas improved virtually every aspect of his MMA game since his last meeting with the Shotokan karate master. Not known for taking the fight to his opponents, but rather chipping away at them with intermittent kicks and punches, Machidais infamous for causing his adversaries to make serious tactical mistakes by frustrating them with his elusive behavior. While many in the MMA community have criticized Machida for what they claim is timidity on his part, Machida’s unusual fighting style has earned him a record of 13-0 and enabled him to defeat a number of exceptional fighters, among them Stephan Bonnar, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. With 8 of his 13 wins coming via decision, it is almost impossible to believe that Machida would knockout a much more experienced Franklin for a second time. For Franklin (or any fighter for that matter) to be successful against Machida he must not allow the Brazilian to dictate the pace at which their match is fought. Rather, Franklin has no choice but to be the aggressor in his theoretical bout against the endlessly patient and highly cerebral Machida. By engaging Machidain a close-range striking war and attempting numerous takedowns, it is highly likely that Franklin would unbalance “The Dragon” to such an extent that he could earn a TKO or unanimous decision victory. Yet, if Franklin allows Machidato employ his hit-and-run tactics, then “Ace” will have a difficult time avenging his first MMA loss.

            With a long way to go before he can call himself the UFC light heavyweight champion, Franklinis currently attempting to rise to the top of one the most competitive divisions in the MMA universe. A victory over Dan Henderson (or a fighter whose resume is equally impressive) would not only prove that Franklin is a force to be reckoned with at 205 lbs., but also illustrate his resiliency and unflagging determination to once again be crowned  king of the proverbial mountain. While no one can argue that Franklin’s losses to Anderson Silva were among the most crushing ever witnessed, what cannot be disputed is the fact that Franklin has recovered from those nightmarish defeats and returned to the octagon looking stronger than ever before. Such an overwhelming desire to succeed is not what makes great fighters; it’s what makes great champions.