Franklin, Champion and Ambassador, Retires

Rich Franklin was always the most unlikely of UFC champions. Perhaps that’s what made “Ace” – who retired on Monday at the age of 40 – such a key part of the promotion’s rise at a pivotal time in its history.A former high school teacher with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and master’s degree in education, Franklin emerged on the world MMA scene in 2005 as one-half of a nationally televised main event against Ken Shamrock.The Cincinnati native w