Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder Rich Franklin was the tacit figurehead of the organization in incrementally reshaping the brand image from “human cockfighting.” Most of his peers embodied the archetype of a fighter to which the mainstream audience could not relate. Franklin, a former high school teacher lacking garish ink on his body or flamboyant hairstyle, became the distinctive figure fans could associate with and a common man they could look up to. The organization inducted him into the Pioneer Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame class in 2019. With 37 professional fights under his belt during a 13-year career, Franklin compiled a 29-7 record with one no contest.
5 Things You Might Not Know About Rich Franklin
