Rich Franklin is an Ultimate Fighting star and former middleweight champion. He is noted for his flexibility and rounded ability with different fighting styles. He developed his ju-jitsu skills further under acclaimed coach Jorge Gurgel, eventually becoming a brown belt, and moved to his facilities to train under Muay Thai instructor Neal Rowe and boxing instructor Rob Radford. Thus equipped, he began to participate in UFC fights, making a name for himself by defeating the likes of Evan Tanner, Jorge Rivera and Ken Shamrock. Though possessed of good grappling skills, he preferred to finish fights by going for a knockout, taking advantage of his talent for making swift strikes. In 2005, another victory over Tanner made him UFC Middleweight Champion. He subsequently defended the title against Nate Quarry and David 'The Crow' Loiseau before losing it to Anderson Silva.