I'm sure Pride would pay Rich a bit more than 34k BEFORE TAX.
Seeing as there are rumours of him moving back to 205, can you imagine him in the next Middleweight Tournament against Rua, Silva, Arona etc.............
Why would he do that when he could (and will) become one of the most famous MMA fighters in the US?
they can call all they want, but rich is stuck in a long term contract (9 fights) with Zuffa
Prides huge, pays more, would suit his style better (ring over cage) has higher quality challengers, attracts 45,000 fans.
Fame? People like Fedor, Wanderlei etc haven't done badly have they? And Franklin would be going there as a huge star now.
if the ufc had any kind of honor, they'd give him his bonus bread
im sure rich is being taken care of. he probably got
paid well for TUf, that Hummer was free, Xyience is
giving him some bread, etc.
"Franklin would be a good fighter in Pride, but not a champion."
agreed.
"they can call all they want, but rich is stuck in a long term contract (9 fights) with Zuffa "
As Stone Cold Steve Austin said "And thats the bottom line!"
There is thje answer - nothing morer, nothing less. He is hog tied to (actually by) the UFC.
I don't think he'd be champion, but imagine the fights?!
could be the 183lbs champ
lol at frederic
"Second he wants no part of Pride. He would be a 3rd rate fighter there."
Some of you Pride junkies are simply retarded.
What makes people here think that fighters can just go to Pride whenever the hell they like and make a fortune. Truth is, Pride only pays big bucks to those who are marketable in Japan, and I doubt too many people there have a clue who Franklin is. Any Japanese pro-wrestler who fought there made a lot more money than guys like Silva, Henderson, Mino or Fedor when they first joined Pride. REAL fighters have to work their way up the payscale in Pride too, if Pride wants them at all. And btw, I doubt too many 185-pounders in Pride would have a realistic chance against Franklin... the ones that come to mind are Hendo and maybe Bustamante...
yea, at 183, franklin could dominate there at about the same level. Meaning, he could be caught and dropped like he has been here and he could have shaky moments, but overall he is one of the most competent and fully-rounded fighters at that weight, in any organization.
"Any Japanese pro-wrestler who fought there made a lot more money than guys like Silva, Henderson, Mino or Fedor when they first joined Pride."
How much did Baroni make for his first fight in Pride? A guy with a losing record in the UFC making his Pride debut at 183? Was it less than $34,000?
Zuffa figures that Franklin was a school teacher so he's no used to making real money?
fredric doesn't know what he's talking about. The teachers in my school district make very good money.
I wonder how much money fredric makes since he scoffs at $34,000. I make more than $34,000 and I'm not scoffing at it.