5 UFC fighters who had unexpected jobs before making it in MMA

#4 Rich Franklin

UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort

Rich 'Ace' Franklin is known for the many fights in his MMA career, where he showcased his skills inside the Octagon. Throughout his career, he fought and defeated many UFC legends, although he is best known for his two losses to Anderson Silva.

Another reason Franklin is rather notorious is for fighting at Catchweight, something he did in both his fights against Wanderlei Silva (which he won). A former UFC Middleweight Champion, he has wins against the likes of the aforementioned Silva, Nate Quarry, and even Chuck Liddell.

However, when Franklin was first starting his MMA career, he was a mathematics teacher. He had a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and earned a Master's degree in Education later at the University of Cincinnati. He would regularly teach at a school and has regaled the world with stories of how he often went in to teach maths with his hand in a cast or with a black eye to the bemusement of his students. For his work in teaching alongside his fighting career, Franklin was praised by his colleagues and his students at Oak Hills High School.

He eventually left this teaching career behind when his MMA career took off. February 21st, 2006 was declared 'Rich Franklin Day' by the mayor of Cincinnati for his work in MMA.