Myth: Rich Franklin was a better MW than Chael Sonnen

CoolPotato said:
Chael fanboys are getting desperate.
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desperate for what? he just whomped on shogun, has another marquee fight lined up, and is probably dropping back down to MW where with Anderson not being champion, he's a major player again. compared to recently, it's a good time to be a chael fan again
 
76Knockout said:
Fake belts don't count, including his win over Filho.
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Blindead said:
People actually think that?

Rich was champ, you know, can never take that away...but he was champ when the MW division was a joke. He was also head and shoulders above almost every other MW not named Anderson Silva at the time, though. Definitely a great MW, but I think Chael has been more successful.



Are you joking or just completely clueless? Condit is a former WEC champ. Chael would be a former WEC champ but his opponent missed weight.
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Ignore him, people abuse that fact to bash Chael.
 
Tough to say without them fighting. Chael has more depth to his resume at MW, but you could argue that both of their best wins were Okami, so that is a wash. Being the champ may give Rich the nod.

Also, you forgot Lutter on Rich's list.
 
Blindead said:
People actually think that?

Rich was champ, you know, can never take that away...but he was champ when the MW division was a joke. He was also head and shoulders above almost every other MW not named Anderson Silva at the time, though. Definitely a great MW, but I think Chael has been more successful.



Are you joking or just completely clueless? Condit is a former WEC champ. Chael would be a former WEC champ but his opponent missed weight.
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Condit was interim champ so that kind of counts, still Chael has gotten progressively better while Rich has declined. Chael was the top contender in a tough MW division, Franklin was a champ in the kiddy pool that was the MW division back in the day.
 
Yeah Chael is/was better than Rich imo. He definitely would have been champ back then

Look at how Forrest Griffin beat Rich with top control. Sure it wasn't prime Rich, but still. Chael would have out grappled him definitely
 
Blindead said:
People actually think that?

Rich was champ, you know, can never take that away...but he was champ when the MW division was a joke. He was also head and shoulders above almost every other MW not named Anderson Silva at the time, though. Definitely a great MW, but I think Chael has been more successful.



Are you joking or just completely clueless? Condit is a former WEC champ. Chael would be a former WEC champ but his opponent missed weight.
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Are you joking? Chael beat Filho who was seeing fucking ghosts inside the cage and that fight was shit, and he never officially won the title if i recall correctly? And you call him a former champion? Really?
 
What is the point in trying to discredit Franklin?


I would say TRT Sonnen probably beats Franklin now, but for what it's worth the only time i've been excited to watch Chael fight were his losses to Silva.

Whereas even after losing the belt i've always enjoyed watching Franklin fight, Chael........Not so much.
 
riiiight.
because being the champ (and 22-1 until he met the spider) is much worse than 21-11, right?

I mean, it is not like Sonnen EVER fought guys like Tim McKenzie or Greg Curnut (just to put some names)...

Bottom line is: Franklin did accomplish one thing Chael choked on his way to do it... actually didn't choke... he gave up! :eek:
 
BayStyles said:
Yeah Chael is/was better than Rich imo. He definitely would have been champ back then

Look at how Forrest Griffin beat Rich with top control. Sure it wasn't prime Rich, but still. Chael would have out grappled him definitely
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Horn.jpg
 
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Not sure I can cosign on this but, honestly belts mean very very little when ranking two fighters between one another, especially when discussing fighters from the pride/UFC era.
 
Love both fighters a ton. I do think Sonnen would take it if they ever fought.
 
76Knockout said:
Are you joking? Chael beat Filho who was seeing fucking ghosts inside the cage and that fight was shit, and he never officially won the title if i recall correctly? And you call him a former champion? Really?
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Filho stoned off his ass is better competition than any of the WEC welterweights. Interim belts don't mean shit, as if Diaz wasn't stoned either.
 
kmasonbx said:
How do either of you think this is a good point? Rich lost his belt the second he fought the guy that denied Chael the belt. Do you really think if Chael fought Evan Tanner for the belt he would have lost? Let's be serious.
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Maybe i confused this thread for who is more accomplished, being UFC MW champ and defending twice>>>>>Anything Chael ever did.

As far as them fighting in their prime, Chael could win but Franklin was a beast b4 Silva wrecked him. Strong with powerful strikes, good grappling, tough as nails it would have been a good fight.

People who bring up Rich losing to Forrest be Dec, Sonnen got subbed by Forrest so that point makes no sense. And don't act like Chael has improved his defense that much since that fight, he really hasn't.
 
Myth: they're elite/world class fighters.
 
with the exception of maybe Lindland, Rich fought the best guys available to him (and you'd be surprised, some of the guys he beat don't look impressive now but were top 10 or borderline top 10 at their time)
I have Chael as #3 MW OAT, and Rich as #2 (Anderson being the obvious #1)

in the end Rich was champ and the #1 MW at some point, Chael was not

edit: if they were to fight in the modern day, both in their primes, IDK who I'd pick.
 
Claude said:
Myth: they're elite/world class fighters.
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you need to stop

they're both elite fighters
fedor's competition was elite to

there, you heard what you want to hear, now grumble on back to your troll cave
 
Blindead said:
Filho stoned off his ass is better competition than any of the WEC welterweights. Interim belts don't mean shit, as if Diaz wasn't stoned either.
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Having an announcer name you the winner and new/still champion, and getting a belt wrapped around your waist>>>>>Winning a 3 round fight and getting the belt supposedly "mailed" to you.
 
Anyone who has to take trt is no great!!! Rich is
 
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