Forrest Griffin‘s attention during fight week is difficult to come by.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion is no stranger to the hustle and bustle of the media grind or fans shouting his name in hopes of catching a picture or autograph. But with his showdown against Tito Ortiz quickly approaching, the only thing Griffin truly wants to do is fight.
He knows what he needs to do in order to claim victory against Ortiz, because he has done it before. He is also well aware of how the little things can make the difference between a win or loss, because Griffin has stood on that side of the line as well.
Being a veteran of the sport has taught Griffin many lessons. He knows it could all go silent should he fail to complete the task at hand.
That motivates him to push further.
His work ethic is second to none, and Griffin knows the fans are showing up to see him give it all.
If something gets lost in the exchange from catching a photo-op on his downtime to not acknowledging onlookers during open workouts, focus prevents this from bothering him.
It’s not that he doesn’t want your admiration and support, but on this particular fight week, the only thing he cares about right now is Tito Ortiz.
“The unfortunate thing about being a recognizable figure in the sport is that I get the most attention or whatever when I’m in the worst mood,” Griffin told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “I’m actually a nice, approachable person but during fight week, at airports or when I’m with my daughter I’m not.”
“If I met you on the second day of the Boston Fan Expo and I was dismissive to you I really did have food poisoning. That’s how I know I’m famous because I’ve used both exhaustion and food poisoning as excuses for my behavior. Next I’ll use dehydration and hit the trifecta of famous people excuses.
“People are still mean to me about the second day of the Boston Expo. Apparently I was dismissive and short with people when they came to get photos or whatnot. I really do try but during fight week I’m saving my energy man. I’m appreciative of the fans coming out, make no mistake about it, but I look at it as if I lose this fight people are not going to care about me anyways. I feel like if you just win your fights then can kind of do what you want to do.”
Saturday night will mark the third meeting between the two former champions. Both of their previous affairs ended in split-decision with Griffin and Ortiz each claiming a win apiece.
This fight comes under different circumstances, as Ortiz has announced this will be his final showing inside the Octagon. Griffin intends to put a damper on “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s” send off party and in the process erase any talk that he is on the same path.
“Getting motivated for this fight has been easy,” Griffin said. “The first two fights were close split-decisions. It is a big opportunity to get a win over a good name and a quality opponent. It’s a chance to get back on track to where I want to be. I’m getting the win. Somehow some way I’m going to pull that ‘W’ out.”
“I’ve heard a lot of talk about me retiring. I’m not retiring. I work two times a year for a total of 30 minutes. Every time after I fight I take a month off. I just want to make sure I win a couple fights a year. My whole thing in fighting is to never lose two in a row. Obviously I’ve done that once and don’t recommend it.”
Griffin’s journey through the UFC has been a roller coaster ride filled with successes and setbacks. After winning the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, he became one of the most recognizable faces in the sport. Few imagined the Georgia native would ascend to the top of the rankings, but Griffin silenced his critics after defeating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to claim the UFC light heavyweight title.
He would relinquish the belt in his next outing, but the achievement was set in stone. The achievement meant no one could deny he had made a mark on the sport, and when you tack two N.Y. Times Best-Selling books onto his resume, it’s clear Griffin has come a long way over the past seven years.
“I’m going to continue fighting and I’m going to continue writing books but accomplishments don’t mean anything because you don’t stop in the middle to look back,” Griffin said. “I have a great a great analogy I meant to put in the book and I’m not sure if it made it in there. When you are climbing a mountain you don’t look up towards the peak which is your ultimate goal and you don’t look down where you’ve already been. You keep your eyes right in front of you on the next hand hold or the next foot hold.”
“You have to think of life that way. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself and don’t revisit the past too much. Stay in the moment. Actually Bruce Lee told me that before he died. It was amazing. He told me that in a dream with David Bowie but it was a weird thing.”
Due to the 4th of July holiday, Forrest Griffin was kind enough to break down a few things American and a little more MMA for our Bleacher Report readers. Here is a list of quick hits.
How the Interview began:
“Why don’t you ask me about my game plan. That is always a great one.”
How Griffin celebrates Independence Day during fight week:
“I live everyday like it’s the 4th of July. Lots of guns and red meat. I’m actually thinking about hiring a Sarah Palin look-alike who pole dances. That sounds pretty patriotic.”
Griffin’s thoughts on Tito Ortiz’s head size:
“Tito’s head is big and that makes it easier to hit but I’ll tell you what—when it is on top of you and pushing into you that thing is no joke. It sucks.”
Who is more American: Ted Nugent or Willie Nelson?
“Man that is a tough one but I’m going go with Ted Nugent because the last time I saw him Ted had some wounded veterans out at his compound shooting machine guns. In my book veterans shooting machine guns is as American as it gets.”
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