Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Used to Teach Mathematics

 June 15, 2010 

Rich Jay Franklin II scored big in mid-June 2010. Despite suffering a broken left arm, he knocked out returning Hall of Famer Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell in the first round of their Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 115 event, which was held at General Motors Place, in Vancouver. 

Franklin, 35, is a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and winner of a middleweight Ultimate Fighting Championship. In a previous life, he faced another tough challenge: teaching mathematics at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati. 

Franklin has a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's in education from the University of Cincinnati. 

In a post on his website titled "My Most Dangerous Opponent," Franklin wrote about the similarities between MMA and mathematics. 

"When I was teaching math at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, I daily encountered a stream of reasons for undone homework and blown tests. There were always some students who had an inability to blast their way through the hard demands. Faced with a math concept they couldn’t readily grasp, they’d turn against the academic challenge. Those students are like bad drivers who, when into an icy skid, can’t resist the impulse to turn against it." 

"Whether it’s learning new MMA techniques, understanding math principles, or any daunting task, failing to master it keeps a person from forging ahead."

With his latest victory, Franklin improves to 28-5 with 1 no contest—and now turns to the light heavyweight title.  

Source: The Examiner (June 13, 2010); "My Most Dangerous Opponent"

Image of Franklin via Wikipedia.