On Monday, the UFC former middleweight champion Rich Franklin published a poignant farewell article on The Players Tribune. Though he didn’t say he was retiring in the article, it was a matter of semantics — the 40-year-old Franklin wrote that he was closing one chapter of his life and beginning another.
Franklin, who is currently the vice president of the Asia-based promotion, ONE Championship, was instrumental in helping the UFC — and the sport of MMA — get over to the masses. The former math teacher-turned-cagefighter was exactly the right spokesman the UFC needed to change opinions on what kinds of people fight in the cage.
He appeared on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour to talk about his decision to hang up the gloves.
"Well, it’s been a couple of years since I was in the cage, and I’ve been saying all along that I planned on fulfilling that contract by doing that last fight, but I guess the timing now really came up," he told Ariel Helwani. "I turn 41 in a week, and you start looking at things and realize like — in the time I’ve been out of the cage and I’ve turned 41, maybe it is time to actually hang up the gloves and move onto something else. Which is what I said when I was writing it.
"I’m not announcing my retirement, I’m just announcing that I’ve closing one chapter of my life and starting another."
Franklin, who defended the 185-pound championship twice between 2005-2006 against Nate Quarry and David Loiseau, has ever been expanding on his career in the martial arts. He has been involved in a couple of different companies, the latest — Armor Gel — which helps heal wounds and soothe irritated skin.
Source:http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/9/29/9414143/rich-franklin-reflects-on-hanging-up-the-gloves-and-his-contributions
For more:http://www.mmaweekly.com/video-dana-white-reflects-on-rich-franklin-retirement
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- Franklin was a great fighter, his resume speaks for yourself, he didn't need obnoxious antics or talk how great he was, even the dumbest fans around can do a google search and see a fighter with a excelente resume.
Rich got beat by some of the greatest fighters and beat some of the greatest fighters, he showed heart, and the cages aroud the world lost one great showman.
You could have been all I wanted
But you weren't honest
Now get in the ground
You choked off the sorriest of favors
But if you really loved me
You would have endured my world
But if you're just as I presumed
You're whore in sheep's clothing
Fucking up all I do
The end, if so here we stop
Then never again will you see
This in your life
Hang on to the glory at my right hand
Here lay to rest is our love ever longed
With truth on the shores of confession
You seem to take premise to all of these souls.
You stormed off to scar the armada
Like Jesus played letter
I'll drill through your hands
The stone for the curse you have blamed me
With love and devotion, I'll die as you sleep
But if you could just write me out
To never mis-wonder
Happy will I become?
Be true that this is no option
So with sin I condemn you, demon raiding in love.
Hang on to the glory at my right hand
Here lay to rest is our love ever longed
With truth on the shores of confession
You seem to take premise to all of these...
