Most fighters who have won just once in the past five years no longer have a career in the UFC. Not only is Tito Ortiz still under contract for one more fight, he seemingly is going to get to have a say on who his final fight will be against.
There have been numerous rumors of Chuck Liddell and Rampage Jackson, but the one that has the most legs is that of Forrest Griffin.
Ortiz and Griffin have faced off twice before. In 2006, Ortiz won via split decision. Griffin returned the favor at UFC 106 in 2009 with a split decision win of his own.
When fans think of Griffin, they either envision the classic fight against Stephan Bonnar at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale or they think of the man who was embarrassed by Anderson Silva. Many are saying this could be Griffin’s last fight as well.
A date hasn’t been set, nor has the fight contract even been signed. However, it’s never too early to breakdown a potential fight to settle the trilogy between these two UFC veterans.
Heart and Desire
If you follow Ortiz on Twitter or just listen to his tone in interviews, you get the sense that he may not even want to go through the motions of training for this last fight. His emotions peaked when he beat Ryan Bader, but two straight losses have put Tito back on a losing streak. Let’s face it, he’s been doing a lot more losing (six times) than winning (once) since 2006.
Griffin has never taken himself seriously. His attitude toward his UFC career is as goofy as his face. At times it looks like he doesn’t want to be a fighter and other times he is as amped as anybody we’ve ever seen. We’ll know within the first two minutes of the fight how bad Griffin wants to win.
Overall Skill Level
When you watch Ortiz fight against today’s top opponents, it has become increasingly evident that the sport has started to pass him by. Ortiz made his most impressive run as a fighter from 2000 to 2006. At that time, to have great wrestling skills along with decent striking was enough to be successful.
Today’s successful fighters demand so much more. Griffin has also been humbled by how well-rounded the rest of the UFC roster have become. He came into the UFC as somebody who would rely heavily on throwing haymakers. As time went on and the sport evolved, he was able to keep up by evoking more leg kicks and falling back on his good ground game.
Now at the tail end of their careers, both fighters get banged up easier early on in fights. Griffin’s chin is one step away from being that of Chuck Liddell’s, and Ortiz can’t seem to sustain blows to the body like he once did.
This fight, should it come to fruition, will by no means be a “cane and walker” fight. I just wouldn’t suggest you bank on them going at it with guns blazing for an entire three rounds.
What Tito Ortiz Needs to do to Win
The Huntington Beach Bad Boy/People’s Champ will need to capture lightning in a bottle like he did against Bader to beat Forrest Griffin.
Ortiz’s body has become too soft to absorb the hard shots like it could a few years ago. He is going to have to avoid damage to the body. Thankfully for him, Griffin is not known for attacking the midsection.
What Forrest Griffin Needs to do to Win
Many people don’t realize the brutal talent Griffin has faced over the last four years. In that period of time he has faced Shogun Rua (twice), Rampage Jackson, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, and of course Tito Ortiz.
Griffin is 4-3 in those seven fights. Should he face Ortiz this year, it would easily be the most favorable matchup he has had during that span. The Tito Ortiz of 2012 is a long ways off from the Tito Ortiz of 2009.
In order to secure a win against Ortiz, Forrest needs to have the same type of game plan that he had for his fight against Rampage. Crisp kicks to the legs of Ortiz will limit the effectiveness of a potential takedown attempt by Ortiz and make him question his will early on in the fight.
We’ve all seen what happens to Ortiz once he gets a few hard shots as of late. He seems to go in shutdown mode. If Forrest can get off to a good start in the first round and mix in kicks and effective striking while stuffing Ortiz’s takedowns, then he should win by an easy decision.
Who Will Win
Forrest Griffin—easily. Ortiz hasn’t shown us anything in over five years except for a flash punch that dropped Bader and allowed himself to secure the submission. Griffin, while not as sharp or durable as he once was has faced elite competition on a continuous basis, and has had much more success as of late than Ortiz has.
This fight would go to a decision and Griffin would walk out victorious should this event take place.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com