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#2. Former UFC champion Rich Franklin
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Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin also competed in several catchweight contests. Having defended the UFC's 185-pound strap twice, Rich Franklin's methodical approach to MMA has always been intriguing to observe.
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Prior to his UFC success, 'Ace' took on karate expert Lyoto Machida in 2003. The two fought at a catchweight of 214lbs. Rich Franklin was finished by a nasty front kick which was followed up with a volley of punches to seal the deal.
Franklin would compete in his next catchweight contest against Wanderlei Silva. The Brazilian is glorified for his ability to move forward and brawl with the best athletes around the globe. In the end, Rich Franklin would find success in the 2009 contest against Silva with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory.
Just three months removed from besting Wanderlei Silva in a calculated slugfest, Franklin took on rising sensation Vitor Belfort at a 195lbs. At UFC 103, the two headlined the main card with a catchweight fight. Franklin was unable to withstand the heavy artillery that Belfort was equipped with and suffered a round one knockout loss.
#1. Did UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski fight at catchweight?
The answer is yes. In November 2017, Alexander Volkanovski fought Shane Young at a 150-pound catchweight. Of course, it should be noted that Young took the contest on roughly a week's notice. In addition, it was Young's debut with the UFC. While the soon-to-be titleholder utterly dominated the contest, he was unable to finish Young.
The UFC would prefer fights to fall within one of their predetermined weight classes. However, since it was a short-notice replacement, an exception was made. Little did the world know how big of an Australian star Alexander Volkanovski would turn out to be.
Alexander Volkanovski was pegged as the biggest favorite on the card. The fight night bout took place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Normally, it seems like the UFC avoids catchweight contests, however in this case, the unusual circumstances permitted the fight.
While the UFC offers an array of weight classes, it seems catchweight bouts are becoming a throwback to the past. Even so, modern gladiators like Alexander Volkanovski only care about gold and dominance, and his last fight against Brian Ortega proved that.
