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Friday, February 5th, 2010
Anytime you lose a fight, you wish you could have done things differently. My loss to Lyoto Machida early in my career showed a sign of arrogance on my side. I did not have the proper time to prepare for that fight. I didn’t think it would matter though.
At the time I was undefeated and the thought of losing was not part of my thought process. Since the fight took place in 2003, Lyoto was relatively unknown back then, and we did not do adequate research on him. I was devastated because that was my first loss, but looking back at the fight, I deserved to lose.
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Saturday, January 16th, 2010
A question many fans have been asking lately is whether God really has a place in MMA. Message boards light up when this topic is discussed. Some fans even get angry hearing fighters give thanks to God after a win or a loss. They think the fighter believes that God is actually taking sides in the fight. That isn’t how I see it at all.
I feel that God has a place everywhere…including MMA. Christian fighters can be a witness for the Lord. We have been given a huge platform and if we can touch just one person, we need to make the most of it.
Many Christians think of fighting as an ungodly thing. I feel it necessary to give thanks for the blessings I have in my life. Even in a loss I am grateful for things like my health, so oftentimes you will hear me thank God that neither me nor my opponent were injured during the fight.
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Sunday, December 6th, 2009
This year will be the first year I have taken any kind of break during my time with the UFC since I began fighting for them in 2003. The only down time I have given myself is when something is broken and I am required to give it time to heal. Other than that, I train, fight, train, fight and so on.
It will be good for me to mentally reset. I plan to take a few months off and then get back on track for my next fight. I will still be in the gym, I just won’t be pushing myself like I do for a fight. Normally once one fight is over, the UFC is already trying to schedule my next fight…and this time I will finally get a short break in between.
I am asked all the time when I may retire from fighting. I am not mentally ready to leave the sport, and physically I feel good. Until one of those two factors change, I am here to entertain.
Tags: break, rich franklin, time off
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
A few parents have written in asking what advice I could give their children about growing up and preparing for their future. Even though I am not a parent myself, being a teacher in the past helps me to see things from the parental perspective when it comes to kids.
I believe nothing in life will prepare you for anything better than old fashioned hard work. You are only as strong as your weakest link. I always tell kids that laziness with your grades will carry over to laziness in your athletics or other avenues in life. They have to find a way to stay on top of their work and create their own success.
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Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
All of my fights hold distinct memories for me. The fans tend to remember my quick knock out of Nate Quarry, or my successful armbar escape from Travis Lutter’s submission attempt, or my 3 round battle with Wanderlei Silva.
I think the one that stands out the most though- is my 5 round war against tough competitor, David Louiseau. I broke my hand in the second round and fought over 15 minutes more with the broken hand. I could feel my bones clicking together every time I threw a punch or tried to make a fist.
That victory was bitter sweet. David and I ended up hanging out in the hospital for the rest of that night. Somehow fighting with a broken hand didn’t seem as glorious to me as the fans make it seem, but I am glad the fans were impressed.
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Thursday, September 10th, 2009
I don’t believe that children always get the chance to do the things they want to do, nor do they always know what they want until it is too late.
My parents weren’t the type of parents who pushed me to participate in sports or music or anything like that. Sometimes I wish they forced me to learn to play an instrument…but I am not sure I would have liked it as much then as I like playing the drums as an adult…although I am sure it would have made me a better musician.
Every day of my childhood, I chose to play football. Whether it was with friends or on a team, I loved the game. The one thing I wish I had done differently though would have been to focus more on individual sports like wrestling. I believe that would have helped my fight career. I spent endless hours playing football and I am not sure that football has had any impact on my career as a professional fighter.
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Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
The business side of “Rich Franklin” seems to grow with responsibility each year I fight. This morning for example… Aside from praying and going to the bathroom, the first thing I did was checked my email to only end up writing this Hit and Run.
I am not only a fighter. I also co-own the company, American Fighter. Most people think I am just a sponsored fighter, but my responsibility runs deeper than that. As an owner, many new aspects of business creep into my day in some shape or form. Whether it be meeting with my business partners to talk about new deals, setting up appearances, or talking with my fight manager about my next fight…some part of my day is always “business-filled.”
I could write a book on how travel and everyone tugging me every direction possible is nearly impossible to manage. I am “Living The Dream” as they say :) Would I trade it though? Absolutely not!
Tags: "American Fighter", business, rich franklin
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Monday, August 17th, 2009
I’m often asked how great life is for me now that I’ve entered into what some people call a life of fame. I would say fame has its days where you want people to know your name. It is nice getting comped tickets to a ball game when you didn’t expect it, because a fan was working. Or having a random person approach you in the airport to take a picture, and tell you how much they admire your fighting style.
There are times when you are out with family, and want to enjoy the sanctity of your family time without taking pictures or signing autographs though, and that is one of the most obvious downfalls…
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Friday, August 7th, 2009
I have been asked how great it feels to be looked up to by so many kids and adults as a result of my popularity in the UFC. I have also been asked if I like being considered a role model.
To answer the question honestly, I don’t like the idea of being a role model. Kids who look up to an athlete or celebrity look up to only what they see on television, and that oftentimes is not the true heart of a person.
Kids have ideal role models, such as parents, family members or close friends who love them…they are just too young to realize it. One false move for me in the public eye could affect a child negatively for life. That is a tremendous amount of responsibility.
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Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Any time you participate in a full contact sport there is a risk of brain injuries. I would run the same risk if I were playing football or hockey. Any sport that puts you in a situation where you can get hit in the head lends itself to this possibility. I understood there was a risk when I began fighting as an amateur.
The UFC and state athletic commissions do an excellent job of making my career as safe as possible. We are tested before every fight and have to be cleared by the doctor before accepting the next fight. We are given blood tests for diseases, MRI’s, CAT Scans, EKG’s and everything else you can think of. If I began to see any markers for permanent damage on tests such as a CAT Scan, I would consider a career change.
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