About Rich Franklin
Richard Jay “Rich” Franklin II, an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, was born on October 5, 1974. His estimated net worth is $4 million. Since 2014, Rich Franklin has served as vice president of the Asian mixed martial arts organization ONE Championship.
Rich Franklin’s narrative begins on October 10, 1974, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Rich Franklin was unable to play college football despite having a burning desire to do so. So he returned to karate (his father first enrolled him at the age of 12). There, he made friends with Josh and Shawn Rafferty, the instructor’s kids. The three started learning various fighting arts, including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). Josh and Rich resumed their training in a shed in the Raffertys’ backyard after the schools they were attending closed.
Franklin trained in BJJ with his longtime friend Jorge Gurgel, despite having initially learnt submission fighting from instructional films.
Franklin and the Raffertys made the decision to engage in combat after watching a local amateur MMA show. Franklin had earned his degree from the University of Cincinnati by this point and had secured employment as a teacher. He started learning MMA at Excalibur Fitness with Kerry Schall and others, and he defeated Rob Smith through first-round TKO in his first professional bout. Franklin actually won Marvin Eastman during a 10-bout winning streak (one fight ended in a no contest) before getting his big break in the UFC.
On April 25, 2003, Franklin faced Evan Tanner for the first time in the UFC. Franklin defeated him with ease, winning through TKO in the opening round. From there, he went 7-1 in a number of organizations, including the UFC, losing his first fight by TKO to Lyoto Machida (head kick and punches). Franklin, though, was given another opportunity to compete against then-UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner after defeating Ken Shamrock on national television. This time, it took him longer, but in the end, he outlasted his bloodied opponent by way of a fourth-round TKO, earning him the UFC championship belt.
On The Ultimate Fighter 2, Franklin competed against Matt Hughes as a coach. He guided Rashad Evans, the heavyweight champion of season 2.
When Anderson Silva challenged Franklin for his championship belt at UFC 64 on October 14, 2006, Franklin was one of the UFC’s greatest stars. Unfortunately, Silva’s Muay Thai clinch was too much for the one they nickname Ace. Franklin finally lost the fight after a knee. Franklin had another chance to defeat Silva at UFC 77, but he was defeated by TKO in the second round.
Franklin’s versatility is one of his greatest fighting assets. Franklin has above-average wrestling and jiu jitsu skills, is technically proficient on his feet, and smashes powerfully. He also consistently shows up to fights in fantastic shape. His battles are frequently highly interesting as a result.
Franklin’s induction into the UFC Hall of Fame was made public during the 2019 UFC 236 broadcast. Rich Franklin’s net worth is projected to reach $4 million as of 2023. currently acknowledged as the ONE Championship’s vice president.
