How would prime Rich “Ace” Franklin do in today’s MW division?

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Well rounded skills. KO power. Huge MW (also fought at LHW). 2 MW title defenses. Wins over Liddell, Wand 2X, Okami, Lutter, Hammill, Tanner 2X. Took prime Hendo to a split decision.
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Beings he got completely demolished by Anderson and stiffened by lee imma say not well
 
Not even gatekeeper status, he'd fail the Derek Brunson test.
 
Lower 15 at best. Middleweight evolved fast after strikeforce and dream fizzled out. Silva is a top 5'er minimum any era but Rich hasn't aged that well all things considered.
 
Prime Rich had literally no idea how to defend a basic Muay Thai clinch. He would get thrashed by the lowest level guys.

Ok he fought a prime Anderson, that is not really fair. Anderson would have destroyed any MW with the clinch he put on Franklin. He also beat Wanderlei 2x who has a nasty clinch game. With that said, Franklin would be in the top 10, guy had a beast work ethic and would evolve.
 
Anderson would have destroyed any MW with the clinch he put on Franklin.

Then why the fuck didn't he just finish every fight like that, and why did Chris Weidman drop him when Anderson tried it on him? You people are something else. Almost everyone can defend the Thai clinch to some extent these days. Hell even Rich having no answer for it the second time is bizarre to this day.
 
Not even gatekeeper status, he'd fail the Derek Brunson test.

He could very well beat Brunson. He could lose too but then he would be the best win in Brunson's career, who has been ranked in UFC for the last decade.
 
I think he'd do just fine against the top 10. MW almost seems littered with journeymen right now and Israel just happens to be the best of them.
 
Well rounded skills. KO power. Huge MW (also fought at LHW). 2 MW title defenses. Wins over Liddell, Wand 2X, Okami, Lutter, Hammill, Tanner 2X. Took prime Hendo to a split decision.
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Apart from his MW championship run vs not so great competition, but still legit and flawless, Rich Franklin gave good versions of Henderson, Wanderlei and Okami all they could handle.
Any of those guys in their prime including Rich Franklin would be #5-10 in today MW division in my opinion. And #1 contenders for Mousasi in Bellator.
 
Well I think. Franklin was a student of the game type guy and would always be sharpening. Have no doubt he would be picking up the modern techniques just fine. He's too smart a guy to not be able to adapt.
 
Well rounded skills. KO power. Huge MW (also fought at LHW). 2 MW title defenses. Wins over Liddell, Wand 2X, Okami, Lutter, Hammill, Tanner 2X. Took prime Hendo to a split decision.
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How you didnt include Loiseau and Quarry for the tittle and prime Jason McDonald by KO among his best wins?
 
Then why the fuck didn't he just finish every fight like that, and why did Chris Weidman drop him when Anderson tried it on him? You people are something else. Almost everyone can defend the Thai clinch to some extent these days. Hell even Rich having no answer for it the second time is bizarre to this day.

So you are going to compare a declining Silva vs a Silva in his prime..... Great one. Go watch what shots Anderson ate by Jorge Rivera in their fight in the clinch. Rich did have a better go around the 2nd time, Anderson was just that good sorry.
 
He could very well beat Brunson. He could lose too but then he would be the best win in Brunson's career, who has been ranked in UFC for the last decade.

That wouldn't be as good of a win as Lyoto Machida or even past his prime Anderson Silva (a fight where Brunson was robbed).
 
That wouldn't be as good of a win as Lyoto Machida or even past his prime Anderson Silva (a fight where Brunson was robbed).

Prime Franklin could very well be better than very declined versions of Silva and Machida post USADA. Ridiculous that you need to resort to 40 years old glories to hype the "new generation" lol.


Especially if he finished Franklin, not by controversial Dec, it would easily be his best win and in the very least top3, for a guy that has been ranked fringe top5 in UFC for years now
 

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