EXCLUSIVE – Rich Franklin talks about that fight with Chuck Liddell and their relationship over the years

Former UFC middleweight champion, Rich Franklin spoke EXCLUSIVELY to MMABay earlier this week about a multitude of things, including his last fight inside the octagon against Chuck Liddell, a man he not only considered to be one of the best of all time, but a close friend and brother in arms as well.
When asked about his fight last year with “The Iceman” and what kind of relationship he’d had with him over the years, Franklin said:

“I have to give a ton of credit to Chuck. He looked, in my opinion, the best in his career. He was mixing things up well throwing high kicks and takedowns. After he broke my arm, I spent a good portion of the first round in survival mode.”

“Chuck and I had a chance to develop a bit of a friendship over the years. I can remember sitting next to him and Matt Hughes at fights and they would put me in head locks and beat on me like two big brothers. It was very difficult to defend yourself against two world champs. Chuck is a great guy both inside and outside the octagon.”

Franklin returns to the octagon in just a few days time when he meets another former champion of the octagon, Forrest Griffin in the co-main event of UFC 126 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stay tuned to MMABay over the coming week for the full interview with the man dubbed “Ace” prior to this pivotal fight for both men.