Rich Franklin was the centerpiece of the first ever mixed martial arts event hosted by the US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Illinois that took place on Saturday, December 5.

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?Ace? was not battling it out in the cage like the former UFC middleweight champion is accustomed to, but he was on hand to address the crowd prior to the fights and sign autographs for fans as the action unfolded. *

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Currently, he is taking time off after being on the wrong end of a first round knockout at the hands of Vitor Belfort back in Sept. 2009 at UFC 103.

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The fight took place at a catch-weight of 195 pounds and he will look to return to his winning ways sometime during the first half of 2010 at the 205-pound light heavyweight limit.

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His next fight will also be the final one on his current UFC contract. In a June 2009 MMAmania.com exclusive interview he told me, ?I always pictured myself retiring at the age of 36 or 37. I figure the UFC will negotiate one more contract with me (when his current one expires), and that may carry me to the end of my career.?

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It will be interesting to see if he sticks to that plan if and when negotiations do begin. Either way, we are nearing the end of an era for one of the most successful and recognizable UFC fighters in the history of the organization. *

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The event itself featured a total of fifteen amateur fights with weight classes ranging from 125 pounds all the way up to 265. Seven of the fifteen fights were also title bouts.

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The fighters came from all over the Midwest to show off their skills. The cage they fought in was a six sided hexagon and not the traditional octagonal shape that is synonymous with the UFC.

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The event was sanctioned by Combat Consulting LLC and promoted by Hive MMA, which is a local gym owned and operated by T.J. Mohler.

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Tickets started at $28 dollars and ran as high as $128 dollars per person. $128 dollars paid for a ticket, unlimited Budweiser and Bud Light drafts, food, and a cage side lounge seat.

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The local Pantagraph newspaper had their entertainment editor Dan Craft preview the event in the days leading up to the event. The general theme of the article was positive, however, the ignorance regarding MMA was still recognizable as he did manage to work in the circa-1993 phrase ?no holds barred? when describing the sport.

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Nevertheless, it was a successful night of action for the MMA curious crowd. It was a near sell out in a venue that is traditionally known for putting on semi-pro football and hockey events, in addition to concerts.

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Click here to read the full Pantagraph article referenced above.

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Click here to inquire about future Hive MMA events.

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Click here *to inquire about future Combat Consulting LLC events.

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Derek Bolender is a contributor to CBSSports.com, FoxSports.com, and MMAmania.com in addition to BleacherReport.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and Facebook.com/Derek.Bolender.