On Wednesday, Eric Eisner announced that his Double E Pictures production company has optioned the life rights to former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin. David Hollander, know for his work on “The Cleaner” and “The Guardian,” will write the script about Franklin’s career as a fighter.
“American Fighter” tells the unlikely story of how Franklin, a family man and high school math teacher, taught himself mixed martial arts, quickly emerged as one of the dominant figures in the sport, and ultimately became champion of the UFC. The movie also chronicles the rise of MMA as the fastest growing sport in the world and transformation into a billion-dollar industry.
“I’m excited to see the story of my career as a fighter brought to the screen, and I feel confident that the team assembled will do a great job in telling this story,” Franklin said.
Eisner will produce the film with Motion Theory’s Sean Sorensen. Mathew Cullen of Motion Theory will serve as the executive producer.
“I’m happy to be in business with Sean and Motion Theory, and look forward to working with David to capture the story of Rich’s remarkable life,” Eisner said. “This is a truly inspirational story that we are excited to tell.”
Franklin is currently sitting the sidelines after his UFC 133 bout against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was canceled due to an injury to Little Nog.
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