R. Franklin (photo) was defeated by A. Silva in 2006 and in the rematch in 2007. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Nervousness and pressure are feelings that any high-performance athlete is likely to encounter sooner or later. In the case of former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, the apprehension came precisely at one of the most important moments of his career: defending his belt against Anderson Silva. During his participation in the “TED Talks” event (promoted by the foundation of the same name) in Chicago (USA), Franklin revealed the extent of his tension behind the scenes at UFC 64.
“I was fighting at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. A crowd of 20 thousand people was present, the place was completely packed. Tension was in the air. I was sitting backstage as usual. I was nervous. In fact, I even prayed to God, 'If you can, please make the lights go out, that would be great,” said the fighter, in a speech titled “How to be a Loser”, aimed at encouraging people to deal positively with defeat. “This is a true story. This is not a joke. There is no hook for humor there”, he assured.
Indeed, Franklin's fears were proven true in the Octagon. In combat, the North American was completely dominated by Anderson Silva and lost the belt to the Brazilian. A year later, Ultimate gave Franklin the right to perform at home, in the state of Ohio, in the rematch against Silva. Even under these conditions, “Ace”, as he is known, was once again defeated by Spider. In his career, Rich Franklin has a record of 29 wins, seven losses and one fight without result. The athlete has already announced that he is just one fight away from retirement.