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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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Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
A fan asked what I think about tattoos since I don’t have any, and most fighters out there do. I don’t have tattoos because I can’t think of anything I would want to keep on my body forever.
I have many times thought about getting my Bible verse tattooed. However, it is not just the content, but the placement of the tattoo that would eventually bother me. Had I gotten the 1994 overplayed armband tattoo, even if the ink was the best artwork in the world, I would get sick of looking at that thing everyday. I see other people with tattoos and admire the artwork, but at this point in my life, they just aren’t for me.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Immediately after leaving the octagon, I return to my locker room and isolate myself with my team for a few minutes. My adrenaline begins to wear off at this point and the pain sets in. If needed, I begin to situate myself with ice and then open the doors to let the press in. They usually interview me while I am icing.
After icing for 15 minutes or so, I go to see the athletic commission and do my urinalysis. From there we head up to the press conference… unless I have to go to the hospital for some sort of examination.
By the time we leave the hospital or press conference it is usually 3 or 4 in the morning. The “Post Fight” party continues with room service in my hotel room with my team. This is the exciting life of a “Superstar” 
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Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
My mental preparation on fight day begins in my hotel room before I go to the arena. Don’t ask me why, but I always clean my room. It helps me to start feeling organized and ready for the day. Maybe the line of thinking is that if everything is in place in my room, everything will fall into place later in the day as well….
Unlike most fighters who listen to music to get pumped up before a fight, music is not used as motivation for me. I spend the first portion of time in my locker room keeping my mind off the fight. I don’t want to peak too soon in the day.
As the fight begins to approach, I do visualization exercises. I picture myself going through the fight, executing the drills we have worked on. My mental conditioning coach (Brian Cain) gave me audio tracks of locker room sounds and arena sounds during the fight…including introductions by Bruce Buffer.
These things make up my fight day ritual.
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Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
The week before a fight is always nerve-racking. At the same time I’m burnt out on training and I can’t wait to get on with the real fight I’ve been obsessing over.
The most nervous I’ve ever been was when I was getting ready to fight Ken Shamrock. Everyone would say to me, “Do you realize you’re fighting the world’s most dangerous man?” Ken had by then accumulated an uneven fight record. At the same time, there was no denying he’d won some really scrappy battles and had been a major force in the UFC. There was a lot on the line and I had a very difficult struggle keeping calm.
I’ve been asked if my level of anxiety is higher when fighting a more highly-regarded fighter. Honestly, that’s not the case. Anyone who gets to the UFC is capable of splintering my skull, and I approach all with a lot of wariness. Wanderlei Silva’s stature in the UFC is high and secure. I’m approaching him with all the respect I’d accord to any animal I might encounter on the eastern plains of Tanzania.
Come early June, yes, I’ll be nervous. And I’ll be relying on my support system - my training buddies, my family and friends, and you. I will be ready - and with my emotions under control.
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