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Rich "Ace" Franklin will be taking on current UFC Middleweight champion of the world Evan Tanner at UFC 53 on June 4th. MMA Ring Report had a chance to talk with him about his upcoming fight with Evan Tanner, his future fighting weight, whether his teaching days are behind him, who he feels the top fighters at his weight class are, and his fight with "The worlds most dangerous man" Ken Shamrock.

MMARR: You were on the biggest show in the history of the UFC. More viewers saw that then any show including the show today [UFC 52]. What was it like to be on that show?

RF: Before the show I didn’t let myself lose focus. It was just a fight like any other fight, it was the same octagon, the same cage, and after the show though…I don’t think it really hit me after the show until I got here this week and realized how many people actually saw me in that show, and the people that stop me and know who I am now. It is a big impact it is great for the sport.

MMARR: What happened to Ken Shamrock it looked like he slipped twice or something, was he going for a takedown? What was that?

RF: Well the second slip was obviously trying a high kick to the head, but the first slip um.. you know there have been some questions about it. The best I can figure out, I looked at it, I am guessing that Ken was dropping for an ankle lock of some sort I had just hit him with that body kick and took the wind out of his sails and as he was dropping I caught him with the lead that just knocked him off balance. Nothing that knocked him out or anything like that but he couldn’t execute the move. He still ankle picked me and put me on my back and sat back for the heel hook that I would assume he was trying for in the beginning.

MMARR: You hit him in the face, ground and pounded him quicker then Tito Ortiz did. What was that like? Were you surprised that he wasn’t responding from his back the same way that you possibly expected?

RF: No I think that when he hit the ground, I stepped in and hit him with my lead right in the temple and it kind of dazed him and that was the reason that he wasn’t really responding to the rest of the punches. That is the difference between my fight and Tito’s is that I landed those clean punches that he wasn’t responding too. I was just teeing off, Tito still had to contend with the fact that he was moving, and squirming, and dodging some of the punches and he wasn’t landing them as heavy for that reason.

MMARR: So is it fair to say that you are going to move down to 185 and stay there?

RF: Yeah, I plan on moving down to 185. The fight is set with Evan Tanner June 4th we are fighting for the title.

MMARR: What are your thoughts on Evan Tanner?

RF: Tough competitor, same thoughts I had the first fight. Wasn’t looking forward to fighting him then, I am not looking forward to fighting him now. It is going to be a tough fight. I was fortunate in the first fight that it ended quickly my way. I don’t think that the second fight will be as easy for me.

MMARR: So you don’t think that it will be exactly the same?

RF: No I think that Evan is going to have a little more tape to review on me and I think that he will come in a little more prepared. I am going to have a tougher time beating him.

MMARR: You fought in Japan before, what was it like to fight in Japan?

RF: It sucked because I lost.

MMARR: I saw that fight, it looked like he picked you apart standing up.

RF: Yeah I will tell you one thing Lyoto [Machida] does really well. With his style he has that wide based stance and he inches back on you and he has got a long reach and he sucks you into his game and counters with the long left cross that he has. He is a southpaw like myself. You know I was off that night, he had a good night I didn’t and I got clipped.

MMARR: Would you like to have revenge?

RF: Nah, it doesn’t matter to me. This is my profession, this is what I make good smart business choices and if Lyoto is in my future and that is a smart business choice great. If not then I don’t care, you know whatever my path brings me I am fine with.

MMARR: What are your thoughts on the 185 pound division and who do you rank as the top 185ers in the world?

RF: Well obviously you have got to rank Evan. He has got the belt fight now but there are so many good guys. Matt Lindland, he won tonight we saw that, Riggs, even though he lost he is a great fighter, he got caught with the foot that put him in the triangle choke. Joe Doerksen he is a tough competitor, Ivan Salaverry, he has not gotten a lot of recognition but he is the sleeper in that weight class. He is a force to be reckoned with, someone that can possibly hold the title one day.

MMARR: How about the guys in the 185 pound division on the Ultimate Fighter show?

RF: Mmm…

MMARR: Like Diego Sanchez.

RF: Well Diego I hear is moving down to 170 and a lot of those 185 pound fighters are lighter guys anyways. So I would imagine that a lot of those guys, Koscheck is moving to 170, most of them are going to end up being 170 pounders. There was Mike Swick on that show who actually competed on the Light Heavywight… yeah he is an 185 pounder and that is how most of those guys still are. I think that Swick is going to make a great 185 pound fighter.

MMARR: So how about a match between Forrest Griffin or Stephan Bonner?

RF: They are 205ers man,

MMARR: No more?

RF: I am not at 205 right now, if something like that comes up in the future that is great, I know both of those guys are tough as nails, you saw the fight, and they have just as much if not more heart then I do so, it would be a war in the ring.

MMARR: Is it fair to say your Math teaching [Franklin was at one time a Math Teacher] days are behind you? For now anyways?

RF: Oh definitely they have been behind me for a while and I am not sure that if I have to work full time again if I will ever hold a full time teaching position. I might choose a different profession, all thought I like teaching and I do like working with the students, it is a great job.

MMARR: You can keep those kids in line!

RF: Definitely man, it is easy when you got a job like mine, you just pop in a DVD.

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