Bid for the Next TUF Coach: Rich Franklin

The Ultimate Fighter just ended so it is only fitting that fans get ready for the next season. In the future, MMAOpinion will be giving you the most up to date information on the up coming season that starts taping next month, but before then we have to figure out who is going to be the American Team’s head coach. If you haven’t heard, this season is going to take a chapter from the boxing hit The Contender. They are going to be doing a USA vs. UK show and the U.K. coach is considered to be the best British fighter in history, Michael “The Count” Bisping. The coach that will come from our neck of the woods is yet to be determined. It appears that the winner of Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin will represent the U.S. in season nine.

In High School did you ever have that nerdy math teacher you just wanted to punch in the face? I hope his name wasn’t Mr. Franklin, or should I say Ace? If so he would have been the wrong one to mess with. Math teacher turned UFC poster boy Rich Franklin used to rule the UFC until a spider came from Japan. It is no stretch to say that Ace is the 2^nd best 185 pound fighter in the world. Not at all, he is 24-3 in his career with his only losses to Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida 5 years ago. Not impressed? He has wins over Evan Tanner (2X), Travis Lutter, Yushin Okami, Ken Shamrock, and Marvin Eastman. In my opinion there are three different levels of fighters in the world at 185. You have Anderson Silva on top of the mountain. Half way up the mountain is Rich Franklin, and at the bottom of the mountain looking up is everyone else (including Bisping).

Since this fight will happen at 205 I will stop selling you on the 185 Ace. At 205 Rich defeated Matt Hamill in his last fight. Hamill is one of the better wrestlers in the UFC and is at least gatekeeper in the division. Ace had no problem defeating him and will be stepping up the competition against Hendo. Many feel that Rich is on his way down and beyond his best days in the UFC. I tend to disagree, I don’t feel he is on the decline. Every fighter finds his match (for every Chuck there is a Rampage). He has found his and nothing more. If Rich becomes coach he definitely has the experience to lead his team to victory. He has been there and done that, and did very well. His teaching background provides him with the tools to communicate with the young fighters and he would be great to have back on the show.

Dana White has confirmed that the winner of this fight will indeed get the opportunity to coach on the next season. Rich coached opposite of Matt Hughes in season 2 of the reality series. Although Jorge Gurgel didn’t always agree with the decisions he made (Scarecrow), Ace showed time and time again that he is a brilliant coach and cares for his fighters. I for one would like to see what type of antics Rich would allow to go on in the house. Once upon a time the antics of Chris Leben were terrible, now they seem nothing more than tame. What if someone tries to out do Junie Browning? If so how would Ace react? How would Ace react to the antics of Junie Browning? There is no doubt the next season of TUF will be full of excitement, at the end of this exciting fight we will learn who will be there to keep it somewhat clean.