Myth: Rich Franklin was a better MW than Chael Sonnen

[KillaWV]

UFC Middleweight was so weak when Rich was champ that Sonnen tapped to Jeremy Horn so he could get out of his contract and go fight for Bodog.

 

[Redhawks100]

*8 years after he was champion.

You use Coleman as a legit opponent (because he was a former UFC champ) to whiteknight Fedor, yet he was 8 years removed from being a champ.

 

[feedhimbrah]

I like rich but I think chael would beat him easily.... Also rich was the champ but chael is the longest reigning people's champ in ufc history!

 

[Sivo The Ram]

id say i like rich more than chael, but i think chael is the better fighter, plus has a better resume. prime vs prime, would have been an interesting fight

 

[Claude]

You use Coleman as a legit opponent (because he was a former UFC champ) to whiteknight Fedor, yet he was 8 years removed from being a champ.

Actually he won the HWGP 4 years before and he had only lost to Nogueira since then. He also did beat Shogun in his prime unlike Chael.

 

[Redhawks100]

Actually he won the HWGP 4 years before and he had only lost to Nogueira since then. He also did beat Shogun in his prime unlike Chael.

Can you read? He lost his UFC belt in 97.

 

[Jeddward]

You can speculate that Chael would have been a champ but you can prove that Rich was a champ.

 

[Raul24]

in that case

guida is better than pettis

 

[Caramon]

Chael P. Sonnen was around when Rich Franklin was at the top of the "weak" middleweight division. He was getting subbed by the likes of Horn and Babalu and getting bounced the hell out of the org.

 

[caxias]

*8 years after.

Chael is older and out of his prime. It just happens that he has always been more skilled than Shogun.

 

[jah provideth]

i'd pay to see this fight - as a CO-main event.

 

[JayElectra]

His resume is arguably better. I did a thread on this awhile past. There really isn't a clear cut #2 MW in MMA history. Hell, Vitor with his two recent wins over Rockhold and Bisping might have a better MW resume than both, now. Also, the UFC belt that Franklin held was no more important or prestigious than the WEC belt that Sonnen should have won. Silva was the fighter that gave the belt its prestige by unifying it with the Pride, WEC and Cage Rage belts.

 

[lowsingle]

if they wouldve fought back then, rich wouldve submitted him. if they fought now, chael would decision him

 

[Nerdslayer]

His resume is arguably better. I did a thread on this awhile past. There really isn't a clear cut #2 MW in MMA history. Hell, Vitor with his two recent wins over Rockhold and Bisping might have a better MW resume than both, now. Also, the UFC belt that Franklin held was no more important or prestigious than the WEC belt that Sonnen should have won. Silva was the fighter that gave the belt its prestige by unifying it with the Pride, WEC and Cage Rage belts.

I think Chael blankets Vitor though

 

[NBKondit**]

His resume is arguably better. I did a thread on this awhile past. There really isn't a clear cut #2 MW in MMA history. Hell, Vitor with his two recent wins over Rockhold and Bisping might have a better MW resume than both, now. Also, the UFC belt that Franklin held was no more important or prestigious than the WEC belt that Sonnen should have won. Silva was the fighter that gave the belt its prestige by unifying it with the Pride, WEC and Cage Rage belts.

How is Vitor close to them?

@ MW hes beaten Martin, Bisping, Rockhold, Akiyama and Lindland who came back from retirement
That isnt even top 10 @ MW

 

[JayElectra]

I think Chael blankets Vitor though

I think he could beat him, as well. I'd certainly favor him over Rich.

 

[JayElectra]

How is Vitor close to them?

@ MW hes beaten Martin, Bisping, Rockhold, Akiyama and Lindland who came back from retirement
That isnt even top 10 @ MW

Hmm... I forgot what the rest of Vitor's resume looked like other than those two wins. Nah, you're right, he can't really be rated equally with them at the moment. Anyway, this was the thread I made last year.

http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f2/who-second-greatest-mw-all-time-2353289/

Weidman deserves inclusion in the conversation, now.

 

[NBKondit**]

Hmm... I forgot what the rest of Vitor's resume looked like other than those two wins. Nah, you're right, he can't really be rated equally with them at the moment. Anyway, this was the thread I made last year.

http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f2/who-second-greatest-mw-all-time-2353289/

Weidman deserves inclusion in the conversation, now.

IMO in order

Anderson
Chael
Marquardt
Rich
Filho (has great, great wins and was a monster @ peak)
Weidman
Okami
Hendo
Bustamante
Lindland

If Chris beats Anderson again especially as dominantly and decisively as the 1st time Id put him in the top 3

 

[bubkusjones]

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.

Condit = former WEC WW Champ and former Interim UFC WW Champ

Chael = neither the UFC or WEC champ (interim or otherwise). Sure, Fhilo may have missed weight causing that fight not to be for a title.

I do think that if the champion misses weight but the challenger makes it, the title should still be up for grabs. I mean, it's not the challengers fault the champ missed weight, so if the challenger wins, he should still get the belt. He met his requirements. That being said, this isn't how it currently works.

 

[the ambush]

The MW division was far better when Chael peaked compared to Rich. Thats a fact.
LMAO at Loiseau getting a title shot

Rich was champ at a time when MW was weeeeak.

I'd give the nod to Chael, just.

Yep. Rich Franklin was the man when MW was weak

He fought for the belt after defeating a 41 year old Ken Shamrock, he defeated Tanner for the belt defended it against mid-low tiers. At that time he had already fought Machida. He was destroyed.

He did good at MW at the time because it was a terrible division with no talent. His greatest wins are not his title fights but fights against out of prime legends like Wanderlei and Chuck, and to make it worse he still struggled with both guys.

So Franklin sucks cause he fought no one?

The dude was a champion, I don't care if he beat Quarry 5x that's still an accomplishment in itself.

When Franklin was dominating opponents put in front of him as champ Sonnen was being submitted by fighters like Babalu and Horn in the same organization. A little history lesson, he's lost to Horn 3 times.

At the time Franklin was on top of the MW division Sonnen was beating guys like Tim Williams, Trevor Prangley, and Tim Credeur while losing to Babalu and Horn (for the third time). It's not like Sonnen was beating world beaters while Rich was on top of the "weak" MW division. He was around, and had been around pretty much the same amount of time as Rich. He simply wasn't even good enough to be in the UFC's "weak" MW division at that time.

Frankly, looking at just their MW careers, they're pretty comparable. They're best wins at MW are Okami (considering the version of Filho that Sonnen beat). The fact that Rich won and defended the title gives him the edge. You can say the MW division was weak at the time, but, as I said, Sonnen wasn't even good enough for it at that time. Plus, Sonnen's performances against Filho and Silva in his first fight against each show how difficult it is to win a title. There are certain fighters who are champions. Rich was one. Sonnen, thus far, was not.

This.

Chael P. Sonnen was around when Rich Franklin was at the top of the "weak" middleweight division. He was getting subbed by the likes of Horn and Babalu and getting bounced the hell out of the org.

And this. Sherdog is so fickle because fans want to remember exlusively what's happened lately, ignoring the past.