Rich is sending out a new weekly email to anyone who signs up on richfranklin.com or americanfighter.com to receive his thoughts about training, fighting and the mma world in general. Here is the first one so you can get an idea…
COPING WITH FEAR

I’m often asked questions about FEAR – whether I experience it, how often, when – that kind of thing. These are good questions – I never get tired of talking about this with fight fans.

There are lots of things I fear in life – and not just a savage strike coming my way at 100 mph. Of course I fear the same things everyone else does – a life-altering diagnosis, the drunk driver crossing into my lane, the phone call telling me someone I really care about has died.

But it is true that when it comes to the octagon, fear is part of the process. Failure to manage this powerful emotion gives your opponent a huge advantage just for showing up.

Just before my fight career had started, I was in an amatuer boxing contest in Cincinnati. My opponent had nearly a 40 pound weight advantage and was 3 inches taller than me. I was nervous and the crowd seemed to anticipate my doom.

In the end, the referee stopped the fight in the 3rd round, and raised my hand in victory. This experience helped teach me to keep my fear in check and make it work for me as an energizing force.

Being brave isn’t about not being scared. It’s about doing your best in spite of it.

Keep striving,

Rich Franklin

For the past few weeks, I’ve been training with Matt Hume here in Seattle, getting ready for Travis Lutter. Our UFC fight will be in Montreal on Saturday, April 19th.

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