Former rival, Rich Franklin says doping will tarnish Anderson Silva's reputation

R. Franklin (photo) was defeated by A. Silva in 2006 and in the rematch in 2007. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin knows the feeling of sharing the octagon with Anderson Silva. The American has already faced the Brazilian on two occasions in the past decade, and even lost the belt to “Spider” in 2006, beginning his long period of reign in the UFC. Franklin considers that the recent doping case involving Anderson could tarnish the Brazilian's reputation, and compared his former rival to cyclist Lance Armstrong.

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In an interview with the “Submission Radio” podcast, Franklin stated that Anderson's case could raise questions in the minds of fans. “I feel bad for him. Sincerely. Anderson had this great run, and of course when something like this happens, fans will start to wonder how long he's been using this stuff. It's a shame to think that this could tarnish his reputation. This is how he will end his career. Even if he doesn't stop now, this is the factor that will make him remembered. Sort of like Lance Armstrong,” he analyzed, comparing “Spider” to the protagonist of one of the biggest doping cases in the history of sport.

“And then we start to wonder: how long has he been using this? There are guys who know how to game the system. They know how to take their substances and beat the exams, somehow. And I do not know. I don't know how they do it. I'm not saying that this is the case with Anderson, but people will start to question that”, added the former champion.

Franklin admits that, after the controversy came to light, he questioned whether the Brazilian was using prohibited substances in the two fights between the two. However, the North American does not want to use what happened as an excuse for the defeats. “If I said it never crossed my mind, I would be a lie. And I do not know. I don't know if he was wearing anything when we fought. Regardless, even if he used it, I'm not sure it made any difference, and I don't want to attribute a defeat to that kind of thing,” he pondered.

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