Rich Franklin makes retirement official
Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin hasn’t stepped into the cage since 2012, but his retirement hadn’t been official until today:
Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin hasn’t stepped into the cage since 2012, but his retirement hadn’t been official until today:
After teasing the possibility of one more MMA fight before calling it quits, Rich Franklin instead today announced his retirement.
The former UFC middleweight champion penned a retirement column on theplayerstribune.com, a site that future MLB Hall of Famer Derek Jeter founded in 2014 to give athletes a direct medium to reach fans.
According to 40-year-old Franklin (29-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC), who hasn’t fought since a November 2012 loss to Cung Le, a recent conversation with his mom helped make the decision. That, and the understanding that his body has slowed down.