(photo via Esther Lin for FanHouse)
Most fighters when faced with their third straight loss under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner would face expulsion from the promotion, but former top lightweight fighter Tyson Griffin (14-5) was spared the axe by UFC president Dana White.
“He royally got screwed. No. No, he won’t be cut. He got screwed…I like guys who come in and fight. I’d rather keep a guy who lost a dogfight than keep a guy who ran around in circles for three rounds and won.”
Griffin faced Nick Lentz in the opening bout of Saturday’s UFC 123 event. Lentz would earn a controversial split-decision in a fight that was far from the highlight-reel for either fighter.
In the three fight losing skid, Griffin has dropped matches to Lentz, Takanori Gomi by knockout at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko, and Evan Dunham by split decision at UFC 115. Griffin has five “Fight of the Night” and one “Submission of the Night” honor to his credit.