The Other 185-Pound Gorilla in the UFC

With all that’s been ballyhooed about what to do with Fighters.com’s ichi-ban at 185-pounds, UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4), another quagmire has manifest in the dust of 83 for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva: What to do with Fighters.com’s numero dos “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3)?

I’ll fire my gun in salute of Anderson Silva.  How good is Silva?  He’s so good, you can match the last two fighters he’s obliterated in second-round stoppages in a UFC PPV main event.

In fact, two years ago Franklin versus “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) would’ve been an MMA fan’s wet dream to decide the top of the middleweight division.  I’d still buy the fight!

Franklin himself admits, “Realistically, another fight with Anderson wouldn’t be that interesting for fans,” after his two stoppages to “Spider”.  And, though there’s a ribbon of glory to be won for Franklin and Hendo’, it’s not the gold every fighter fights for.

But, Hendo’ has options at 205-pounds and a legit case for a Silva rematch down the line at middleweight.

Franklin, it seems, only has a role as gate keeper to Silva.  Even that, though, only feels lukewarm.

Franklin scored a UD over Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked middleweight “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4); but, it’s likely Okami is still going to get a shot at Silva due to lack of other viable options in the division.

So, short of creating an intercontinental consolation prize for the-best-of-the-rest, Franklin, why let him whither on the vine when his only crime is not being able to beat the most dominant champion in the last two years?

Send Franklin on a world tour; or, bring the world to Franklin.  Match Franklin versus the rest of the world’s top middleweights outside of the UFC.

UFC President Dana White has been burned twice by co-promotions.

In 2003, he entered then UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) in PRIDE’s 205-pound tournament with the intention to pair his champ against then PRIDE champ “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) in the finale.  A top PRIDE contender you may have heard of, “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6), foiled White’s plot, TKOing Liddell in the tournament’s second round.

In 2006, White tried again.  He announced live at UFC 61 that Liddell and Silva would finally fight in the cage; but, PRIDE and Silva pulled out of the fight inexplicably.

Since those incidents and with the growing dominance the UFC has gained over competing promotions, White has become increasingly isolationist.

But, what bigger “f-you” to the competition than, “Our number two can beat your number one.”  What more evidence would White need to convince the MMA universe that DREAM, EliteXC, Sengoku, Strikeforce, etc. are “the minor leagues”?

The tragedy for Franklin, who’s loyal to the UFC, is that there are good fights and plenty of glory outside of the Octagon.

Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) of DREAM, “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in ExliteXC (15-4), “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki of Sengoku (19-8-2), “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6) in HDNet Fights, and “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5) of EliteXC are all on Fighters.com’s top ten middleweight rankings, plus there are newly-crowned Strikeforce titlist Cung Le (6-0) and Icon champion Kala Kolohe Hose (6-1).  Finally, DREAm is holding a middleweight tournament featuring Denis Kang (29-9-1), Gegard Mousasi (20-2-1), and other tough fighters.

Here’s my game.  Franklin is a favorite to beat anyone on that list; but, so what?  He’s a favorite to beat the rest of the middleweights in the UFC too.  So, the difference between Franklin fighting “The Serial Killer” Travis Lutter (9-5) and Franklin fighting EliteXC Middleweight Champion Lawler is hype, gold, and glory.

That’s what this business is about.

Franklin fighting Lawler for the EliteXC title sells as a main event.  White could even convince EliteXC to do it in the Octagon; or, move-in on their network deal and put the fight on CBS for millions to see.

He only risks his division’s runner-up.  He gains a kind of second champion beneath the UFC banner.

The same goes for Franklin versus the winner of DREAM’s Grand Prix champion, Strikeforce Champ Le, or anyone I listed.

It’s a win-win for White, Franklin, and MMA fans.