Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire for Rich Franklin

Rich Franklin is nearing the end of his slow, but steady transition to move permanently to 205 pounds and the division in which he started his mixed martial arts career years ago.  After his catch weight (at 195 pounds) fight with Wanderlei Silva, who is moving down to 185 pounds, Franklin will settle in at light heavyweight and hope to make a run for the title there.

Doing so won’t be easy, of course.

While the middleweight division is not nearly as deep as the light heavyweight division, it is led by the seemingly unbeatable Anderson Silva, who has not tasted defeat in the UFC and has already beaten “Ace” twice, both times in decisive fashion.  Meanwhile, the light heavyweight division, always a strong point for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is deeper than ever.

What was Franklin to do?  A third matchup with Anderson Silva is not what anyone wants to see (including Franklin himself), and he recently said that he doesn’t “have a place at 185 pounds anymore”.  That alone isn’t a big deal, as by this time next year, Silva may have beaten two of the other top fighters in the division (Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt) more than once, also.  Other than Demian Maia and Michael Bisping, there aren’t a lot of potential contenders that Silva hasn’t already faced, and after another trip through the list, Hendo and Marquardt may also find themselves with little alternative but to switch divisions or wait for Silva to retire, too.

Still, now Franklin has moved from a division where there are a few very tough fighters to where nearly every fighter is a nightmare in waiting.  In the light heavyweight division, fights against heavy-handed opponents like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and an apparently rejuvenated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua loom.  There are elusive strategists, such as champion Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida, who handed Franklin his first professional loss in Japan years ago.  Even fighters who are not in the title picture, such as Keith Jardine, will provide an intriguing challenge and a long night for anyone who faces them.

However, it’s more likely that Franklin relishes the challenge than anything.  Franklin has possibly been miscast in recent years as a bit of a front-runner, owing to the fact that he ruled over the middleweight division in the pre-Silva era, and has been without any real direction now that “The Spider” has taken over.  However, Franklin worked hard to get where he was, and will likely do so again in the light heavyweight division.  Franklin has the all-around game to frustrate opponents, along with underrated power and ground skills.  To me, he’s similar to Forrest Griffin, though (with apologies to Forrest) I think he will be a better fighter in the division in the long term.

Like Griffin, Franklin’s qualities on the inside trump that of any natural abilities that he may have.  One of his best attributes is on display right now, as he trains with Anderson Silva, the man who famously rearranged his nose and defeated him twice in violent fashion.  Unlike so many fighters who are known for stubbornly sticking to one camp, one style, or one strategy, Franklin is willing to do anything to win.  That may be the key in his upcoming fight against Wanderlei Silva, and that is the number one reason why Franklin will be a force to be reckoned with at 205 pounds. 

Sometimes, like when Franklin decided that he’d be best served at light heavyweight, you have to know when a change is in order to give you the best possible chance to win.  That’s what Franklin has always done, and will no doubt continue to do as he searches for gold in his new division.

by Jon Hartley for Fightmania.com

Tags: Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Demian Maia, Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Rich Franklin, UFC, Wanderlei Silva