A lot of fighters and athletes feign retirement only to return to their chosen sport months or years later. Forrest Griffin seems to think that is not an option when it comes to his UFC career.
The former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion appears to have no illusions regarding where he stands in the landscape of MMA today or his ability to return to the Octagon. When I asked if he saw himself being involved in any competitive combat at any level, Griffin said:
“Not from where I’m at now [laughs]. I mean, I thought I might but I haven’t—You know, it’s a nine-month recovery for the knee, so I haven’t really worked out yet. But I’ve pretty much ruled it out—ruled it out this week.”
On Wednesday, Griffin partook in an hour-and-a-half wrestling workout with Team Syndicate, and looked in good health and spirit for a man who had endured a rehabilitation period over the last year. While his shoulder and knee may still be ailing him, Griffin carried himself well in the session.
When asked how his knees were holding up, Griffin responded, “Better than my shoulder. I’ve only worked out a couple of times. But that’s okay. I’m not very good at working out anyway.”
With his active fighting career seemingly over, the role of coach doesn’t appear to appeal to Griffin either. “No. I got AJ and a couple guys who are my friends that I help. I work with guys like Mike [Pyle] who have helped me out in the past.”
Commentating is not a target for the long-time veteran either. “That’s a coveted position. There’s a long line of guys who want that spot,” he said, adding “I’m not sure they’d want to have a guy who curses on there. Chael [Sonnen] is already in trouble for that.”
Despite his hesitation on various avenues of involvement in MMA, Griffin is staying active under the Zuffa brand.
“Im still working for Zuffa. I’ll be at the Walk for Water, which is an event [Zuffa and] Cirque du Soleil is doing.” The Walk for Water event is a fundraiser put on by One Drop on October 5. Participants walk over five miles while carrying water, recreating the estimated average distance some third world citizens travel each day to retrieve drinkable water. For those interested in helping the cause, information on the series of events can be found OneDrop.org.
As a long-time fan of the sport, it is difficult to hear Griffin sound as if he’s resigned to no longer participating in MMA. He is a pillar of the history in the UFC and a fighter who has given so much. If he is truly done, we ought to all tip our caps to a man who has given up time and body to the sport we enjoy.
Griffin’s career not only includes the UFC Light-Heavyweight belt, but contains wins over Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson, Rich Franklin, Tito Ortiz, Chael Sonnen and Stephan Bonnar. His Ultimate Fighter Finale battle with Bonnar remains a legendary example of the fighting spirit and grit that MMA must retain to be relevant. The former champion deserves nothing but respect for what he has accomplished, and the sport is worse off without him involved in some capacity.
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