On April 19, 2008, fight fans witnessed a showdown between two of MMA’s best middleweights when Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin faced off against Travis Lutter in the co-main event of UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2. And at just over three minutes into round two, Franklin proved in diabolical fashion that he is still a very serious contender to regain his UFC title.

At the time of this interview, Rich is at home in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he says, “ It feels good to win every once in a while and not require a hospital visit.”

Although Rich was fighting before a Canadian crowd of over 21,000 fans, the audience clearly showed they were in his corner when he entered the Octagon, and they treated him as a local hero. Their loyalty was appreciated by Ace. “The Canadian fans are very supportive of me. I would return to Canada to fight anytime,” says Franklin.

Prior to Rich’s bout with Travis, there were no secrets regarding the strategy of either fighter: Rich would be looking to keep the fight standing, and Travis would be hell-bent on taking it to the ground. Not surprisingly, twenty seconds into the fight, Lutter attempted his first shoot on Franklin.

Then just under three minutes into the round, Travis had Rich from behind. Guest commentator Kenny Florian said, “This is probably the worst possible position to be in: Lutter trying to take your back.” Seconds later, Travis got the mount, then he seized Rich’s right arm and wrapped on an arm bar. For a split second it appeared this would be curtains for Franklin. But Rich spun out of the hold.

“Wow! What an escape by Franklin. That is a high-level counter right there. He (Rich) was in big trouble… Lutter transitions beautifully into arm bar, his (Rich’s) arm was locked out. Franklin really impressed me with that counter,” said Florian.

Rich, was your spin out from the arm bar something you’d practiced with Jorge Gurgel?

“It is something we have practiced in the past, but we did not practice that in particular for this fight.”

Was that the turning point in the fight?

“I think the first lead hook I landed was the turning point of the fight.”

What was it like winning in front of the 21,000 fans?

“The energy in a crowd the first time you fight in a new place is indescribable.  It doesn't matter whether you are in front of 2100 or 21,000.”

Did you dedicate the win to your dad?

“Not really...I have never understood dedicating an event or performance I should say to someone else. His absence did affect me, and you can read about that in the ‘Franklin Equation’ on my webpage.”

What did Matt Hume say to you before the fight?

“Matt, Rob, Neal and Jorge told me to just go out there and have fun...all the preparation was finished.”

Were you happy with the way you fought the fight?

“I am my own worst critic. There were things I liked about the fight and things I did not. I can't say I was pleased with my performance, but I wasn't necessarily disappointed either.”

“No, I said fighting in my home town is a two-edged sword. There is extra pressure to perform and extra media work. However, you always have the fan support and do not have to travel far.”

You came out to ‘For Those About To Rock  (We Salute You)’ again for this fight. Are you an AC/DC fan? Have you seen them Live?

From the opening seconds, Travis Lutter’s corner was calling for him to get his hands up. Were you surprised that Travis still maintained a low guard?

“Not really because he was looking to close the distance and take me down.”

Most of the opening round was fought in Travis’s backyard. Did you feel confident the whole time, or were there moments when you thought things weren’t going the way you wanted them to?

“If things had completely gone my way, I wouldn't have been on the ground in the first place. With that in mind, I was very calm and confident while I was on the ground.”

Do you think a certain amount of Travis’s gassing was due to frustration rather than lack of cardio?

“I believe some of his ‘gassing’ may have been due to frustration. I also landed a few knees at the beginning of the fight that may have taken something out of him.”

Do you feel you’ve lodged a strong case for a rematch with Anderson?

“Not really. I am not sure the fans would want to see that yet anyway. I will just take this process one fight at a time.”

Is Matt Hume confident you can take Anderson?

“Matt believes I could beat Anderson. However, he is a great champ and I would have many things to change.”

“You can just let the fans know I am not leaving yet.”

Rich, is there anything you'd like to add?

Your sponsors?

“American Fighter, Global Payments, and Campbell Hausfeld.”

It’s Sunday morning and Rich is casually sitting back at home in Cincinnati having had knee surgery in Las Vegas two days ago. “I always take Sundays off...even when I have a healthy knee,” says Franklin.

Prior to the operation, Rich celebrated a traditional Christmas at home. His wife Beth’s family was in town and her parents stayed with them. For New Year’s Eve, Rich’s uncle had a party at his house and the whole family welcomed in 2008 in a low-key manner.

This down-to-earth lifestyle is in contrast to that of the elite full-contact athlete who transforms into a superhero when he enters the Octagon before millions of p-p-v fans, and who has helped attract some of the biggest crowds to UFC events in the last few years.

Rich has long been good friends with Matt Hughes, but says he was not involved in Matt’s preparation for UFC 79. “I was in Canada filming for the movie, but would have done anything I could to help if he would have asked me.” And due to Franklin’s spending Christmas and the New Year with family in Cincinnati, he was unable to attend the Vegas UFC, so he watched it from home.

Also on that card was Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva.

Rich, what did you think of Chuck vs. Wanderlei?

“What an excellent fight!”

Who are you mainly training with now?

 “I still have my camp in Ohio...Jorge Gurgel (BJJ black belt, New Generation Martial Arts), Rob Radford (boxing instructor, Boxing 4 Fitness), and Neal Rowe (Muay Thai instructor, Sacan Martial Arts) are my coaches. Mike Ferguson still does my strength and conditioning. For the Silva fight, I began working with Matt Hume and that is something I would like to continue during my career. I have learned a lot from him in just a few short weeks, and wish we had more time to work together before the Silva fight.”

Do you still train with Joe Doerksen?

“The last time I trained with Joe was for the McDonald fight. I asked him to come to Wyoming to help me train for the Silva fight, but scheduling was a problem. He is a great friend, and I would use him to train in the future, schedules permitting.”

Was there anything you felt let you down in your fight against Anderson Silva?

“Anytime you lose, you are let down!”

Do you work with weights as much as you used to?

“Yes and no: I lift twice a week. My routine has drifted away from traditional weight lifting to flipping tires, pushing wheelbarrows and much more functional exercises. We still do circuits that I feel are better suited for fighting.”

Do you believe you can beat Anderson?

“I do believe I can beat him; I just need to make some adjustments. He is a great champion and a very intelligent fighter.”

How do you think Dan Henderson will go against Anderson?

“I believe stylistically Henderson is troublesome for Anderson, but both of these fighters are smart men.”

When do we see you compete again?

“Not sure yet: I have to see how my knee heals.”

Your sponsors?

“I am working with American Fighter, Tapout, a tool company from the same home town as I am in called Campbell Hausfeld, and Capitol Payments Processing.”

Rich, is there anything you'd like to add?

“I run into tons of fans who have heard rumors that I am retiring...That is not my plan at this point.”