RICH FRANKLIN

ATTRIBUTES

OFFENSIVE SKILLS

DEFENSIVE SKILLS

ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES

LEFT HEAVY STRAIGHT

LEVEL 2 - BOTH STANDING, STRIKING RANGE

Franklin’s left straight is a fast and heavy punch with a respectable reach. Look to land this technique strike often to batter rivals from the outside.

FLYING LEFT/RIGHT KNEE

LEVEL - MUAY THAI CLINCH CAGE, OFFENSE

Franklin also has devastating Muay Thai strikes, especially when he presses his opponent against the cage. Unleash these brutal technique knees to rock rivals in the clinch.

LEFT/RIGHT HOOK

LEVEL 2 - OPEN GUARD ,TOP

“Ace” can bring down some nasty technique strikes in multiple sub positions if he chooses to use his strong takedowns or clinch grappling ability to bring the fight to the floor.

STRENGTHS

• Heart

• Conditioning

• Well Rounded

A former UFC middleweight champion, Rich “Ace” Franklin dominated the 185-pound division until he ran into Anderson “The Spider” Silva back at UFC 64.

Though he didn’t come out on top during that epic battle, Franklin has gone on to use his excellent technique and well-rounded skill set to remain competitive in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.

He is skilled at throwing both punches and kicks on the feet, lending versatility to his game—keep your distance and try to land his long kicks and heavy left straight.

“Ace” is also dangerous in the clinch, enjoying excellent offensive clinch grappling and striking ability.

Land crushing technique knees in the Muay Thai Clinch when elusive opponents are evading his somewhat lumbering stand-up game.

He can also work some solid ground-and-pound from the top, and his strong offensive clinch grappling skill and takedown ability help him bring the fight there when needed.

WEAKNESSES

• Strength

• Clinch striking defense

• Submissions

Though he possesses a well-rounded game, Franklin wasn’t born a supremely gifted athlete, and he’s been known to become overwhelmed by explosive fighters in the past.

He isn’t the fastest draw in the west, so try using superior speed and footwork to light him up with quick striking combinations on the feet.

Though he’s dangerous in the clinch when working his offense, Franklin is also vulnerable to his opponents’ clinch strikes, as made painfully clear by Anderson Silva in both of their brutal encounters inside the Octagon.

In short, don’t let “Ace” bully you—pressure him and attack him right back, using superior speed to overwhelm his lackluster striking game and exploiting his poor clinch and ground grappling defense.

Franklin isn’t especially good with submissions, so you’ve little to fear when you’ve got him on the ground—pass his guard and pour on the offense with power shots from the top.