Rich Franklin in Talks to Fight Randy Couture in June, Eyes Title Run
Former middleweight champion Rich Franklin, who moved up to light heavyweight in 2008, recently spoke to The Boston Herald about his likely matchup with Randy Couture, a run at the 205-pound title, and how much longer he plans on fighting:
“It’s not signed yet, but we’ve been working Randy now for a while. We’ve talked June, then we talked August and now we’re talking June again. I think we’re having problems with Randy’s scheduling. So I really don’t know what the plan is at this point.
“I’m at a point now where I’ve fought enough fights and it’s time for me to make a title run again and see where that takes me. That’s where my focus is Now. It depends on the speed of things. I would imagine I’ll probably end up negotiating one more contract before I retire. I’m looking at another two or three years of fighting.”
Franklin (26-5), who has five fights left on his current UFC contract, topped Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision last June before suffering a first-round knockout to Vitor Belfort in September. He underwent abdominal surgery in January that was expected to keep him out of action until May.
SEE ALSO:
- Randy Couture vs. Rich Franklin Possible for UFC 115 in Vancouver
- Randy Couture vs. Rich Franklin Now In The Works for August
- Dana White: UFC Planning Franklin vs. Couture, not Liddell
Tags: Randy Couture, Rich Franklin
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I’d really like to see one more Couture title fight before he hangs it up……..
I wonder if they’d give it to him with a win over Franklin ? probably not I guess with recent former champions like Rashad and Rampage fighting and of course Shogun vs Machida, seems like there would be at least another title eliminator fight for Couture should he get past Franklin ( which would be difficult in my opinion )
I doubt Rich can make a title run, nothing against him but i think the elite have passed him up. This is my series of hopeful outcomes. Lil Nog beats Forest, Couture Beats Franklin, Little Nog and Coture fight for number 1 contender (or close to #1).
I see your point Corey, but i have to respectfully disagree.
Franklin is still strong and healthy enough to make a run at the 205 title is he really focuses and stays diciplined.
He’s got great stand up including a strong left kick and unorthodox striking. He’s got good grappling and imho, some of the best defensive ground skills at 205. He’s a very well rounded fighter. I just question his heart sometimes. I think he got somewhat caught against belfort but I feel like he gave up and sometimes i wonder where his level of confidence is.
I think he would tko couture and possibly make to atleast the top 4.
Couture on the other hand, although he “won” against vera, and beat coleman, i doubt that he could ocmpete against the top guys of the division. He would definitely be put to sleep. he’s a great competitor and would probably use his clinch but the top fighters at 205 are stronger than him, more well rounded than him and would just outclass him. That’s just my take on it.
i apologize for all the spelling errors :D
Oops, for some reason I had thought Rich had shoulder surgery… I guess even I can be wrong sometimes… ;)
Dana and joe are gonna try to give couture the easiest possible route to a title fight. There are certain guys like Rampage/Evans/Jones that he should avoid if he wants to get a title shot. I could see him getting the next shot at the title if neither Evans or Rampage impress in their fight. I could also see him fighting Forrest/Lil Nog winner after Franklin. But who knows if he beats the piss out of Rich they might throw him to the front of the line
Well we know that Couture will not fight Forest because they train together. However a fight with Little Nog could create good drama. He already fought big nog so a fight with little nog would be interesting. Although i think little nog will tko him like i think he will do to Forest. Then again im bais because little Nog is my favorite light heavy. (maybe that has something to do with the fact Brent and I are twins.)
I think Couture could take Evens if he could get close enuff to get the clinch and work a takedown same with Rampage. That’s just the catch can he work to get inside.
i do not think couture or franklin either one can contend for the light heavyweight title. i know they are both warriors of the sport but i do not see either one of them beating machida, shogun, rashad, or rampage.
Its pretty simple, actually.
If Randy Couture keeps winning, he eventually gets another title shot. His future is in his own hands, and I believe that Dana White has said as much shortly after Couture beat Coleman on a satelite radio MMA talk show.
In terms of the sport questions could be posed about the wisdom of giving a 47 year old man a title shot, but obviously the fans would love it, which means that Dana and the Fertitas would love it, because of all the money Couture draws when he fights.
But how does all this relate to Rich Franklin?
Of course if he wins he jumps back into the spotlight, defeating a beloved UFC Hall of Famer.
Which is at least theoretically possible, as Rich Franklin is a great fighter, and IMO still has good fights left in him with men like Liddell, Ortiz, Griffin, Bonnar, and even Jardine.
But Randy Couture is a bad match-up for him, plain and simple.
Consider:
- Franklin has never been the strongest wrestler or Octagon controller, and he’s talking about stepping in with an Olympic wrestling alternate and the master of cage control.
That sounds like a long night of getting fenced and clinched for a UD loss, or getting gNp’ed into a ref stoppage.
- Franklin has exhibited minimal submission skills in the Octagon, which could pose a problem if Couture continues working catch-wrestling with Neil Melanson over at Xtreme Couture. If the Natural is going to add the threat of submitting a downed opponent along with his already-potent gNp, its a fairly bleak outlook for Franklin.
If Franklin isn’t careful, and Couture is serious about catch as he’s previously stated, that sounds like Franklin getting hooked in transition and/or a scramble, and earning a submission loss.
- Franklin has never been a consummate knockout artist, like Liddell or Wand, has only moderate power at 205, and basically the only way Franklin wins a theoretical throwdown with Couture, assuming both men come to the cage healthy, is for Franklin to knock Couture out, which won’t be easy while he’s trying like He11 to avoid getting “Couture’d” for the majority of the fight, the way Brandon Vera did and so many others have in the past.
The Natural has a few ways in which to beat Franklin, and Franklin needs a knockout, or at least a knockdown severe enough to lay on some punishment and get the ref to wave off the fight.
Outside of that, the outlook is none too snappy for Rich Franklin if he fights Couture…