Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin put on an entertaining—but slow—show at UFC 148. For the sake of themselves and MMA fans, I hope this is the last time we see them competing.
The two warriors have tremendous heart and resolve, and I will forever respect the Huntington Beach Bad Boy as the first true personality in the sport. That said, everything has to come to an end at some point.
It was clear last night that the time has come for both men.
Griffin won a controversial decision, but the outcome was secondary to the bottom line.
Through a slow but steady flurry of punches, both men breathed heavily through their mouth. It’s obvious, neither of them could compete against the best in the sport.
It appears that Tito knows this was the end of the line for him, as he was just inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Everything about this night said farewell for the Bad Boy. But Griffin is delusional enough to believe that he still has some fights left in him.
He seems even more out in left field than normal.
Not only did he leave the Octagon immediately after the fight (Dana White had to chase him down and tell him to get back in there), but he went even more weird.
He took the mic from Joe Rogan upon his return and insisted on doing the post-fight interview with Ortiz. His in-fight actions demonstrated that he is past his prime, even in victory, and his post-fight actions proved he isn’t all there mentally.
Ortiz and White weren’t happy with Griffin’s display. Check out this video from MMA Weekly:
If Griffin wants to be with the UFC going forward, maybe he can pine to become a part of the commentating crew. It’s obvious he has an itch to get involved in that aspect of the business.
It was a weird end to what should have been a respectful bout. A bout that should be both men’s swan song.
Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay.net for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com