News came Monday that Forrest Griffin, one of the most popular champions in UFC history, is planning an Octagon return some time in late 2013 following an operation to repair his injured knee.”Dr said my knee is doing great ill be able to go in 6-7 mon…
News came Monday that Forrest Griffin, one of the most popular champions in UFC history, is planning an Octagon return some time in late 2013 following an operation to repair his injured knee.
“Dr said my knee is doing great ill be able to go in 6-7 months,” Griffin tweeted on Monday, according to MMAJunkie.com. “We must have different Definitions of the word great.”
The touchstones of Griffin’s career have been worn smooth by millions of hands-on inspections. Griffin (19-7, 10-5 UFC) is the former UFC light heavyweight champion, though he never successfully defended the belt. He is the better half of the legendary Griffin-Stephan Bonnar war that made The Ultimate Fighter appointment television. He is the often hilarious, often head-scratching personality who captured pieces of even the most peripheral MMA demographics.
As of late, though, Griffin’s story has grown more muddled. Now 33 and with a couple of best-selling books under his belt, Griffin is 3-3 in his last six contests. He has fought only four times in the past three years. Griffin’s physical and mental fighting talents—the toughness, the energy, the stamina—have eroded. This knee injury, which forced the UFC to cancel Griffin’s Dec. 29 bout with Chael Sonnen (and later Phil Davis after Sonnen was tapped to coach TUF), is just the latest setback.
So what does the fight game have in store for a healthy and presumably rested Forrest Griffin? On the one hand, it would be sad to see a proud and popular ex-champion relegated to the novelty circuit. On the other hand, Griffin has openly said he no longer enjoys fighting and doesn’t see himself improving.
Until Griffin and the UFC announce his next move, it’s all speculation. So here’s mine. Griffin’s return will draw interest regardless of the opponent. A Griffin win would advance that interest. At the same time, some kind of celebrity matchup doesn’t make sense, especially now that a trilogy fight with the retired Bonnar is no longer in the cards. Neither does pitting him against a stud like Davis who could end Griffin’s comeback in one swift and embarrassing stroke.
So I say give Griffin an exciting but presumably beatable foil. Let’s see how much he has left. Let’s see what he does before, during and after the fight. Let’s give him a good litmus test before we bank on him to carry a card (any card).
There are no tomato cans in the UFC, and thus no such thing as a charity match. How about a brawler like Fabio Maldonado? How about kickboxer Cyrille Diabate? How about a banger like Joey Beltran, who comes off his drug suspension just as Griffin is set to return?
I’d watch Griffin fight any of those guys. Then again, I’d probably watch him watch paint dry. I’m not alone in that, though. And if Forrest can build up one last head of steam, I’ll have more company by the hour.
Opinions that fans and pundits have on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and its place in MMA are about as varied as the search engine terms that brought you here. With Dana White promising to “test the shit out of” fighters on testosterone replacement therapy to Vitor Belfort lashing out at his critics on Twitter over his own TRT usage, we’ve seen two different extremes over the course of this weekend alone. It’s a complicated issue that has many different ways of being interpreted; possibly none of which are entirely right or wrong by themselves. With that in mind, here’s an attempt at condensing the plethora of opposing views on the issue into nine different ways to look at it, arranged in no particular order.
1.) It’s Incredibly Dangerous For Both Fighters Involved.
Perhaps the most common criticism I’ve heard and read regarding testosterone replacement therapy in MMA is that it makes an already dangerous occupation even more hazardous. This is easy to observe through the perspective of the user’s opponent. It’s one thing if Barry Bonds wants to hit longer home runs, or if Hedo Turkoglu wants to flop harder — their opponents are not physically hurt by their actions in either example. However, if an MMA fighter takes testosterone to become more aggressive and punch harder, the likelihood of his opponent suffering irreparable brain damage increases dramatically.
Often neglected, however, are the additional long-term risks that the TRT user opens himself up to. Testosterone may make a fighter faster and stronger, but it doesn’t exactly undo brain damage. Prolonging a fighter’s physical prime also elongates the amount of time he’s receiving blows to the head. Imagine if boxers like Meldrick Taylor and Riddick Bowe – who showed signs of dementia pugilistica by the ends of their careers yet didn’t retire until they couldn’t stay in shape — had access to testosterone replacement therapy. Giving aging fighters the illusion that they can keep taking shots to the head because they’re still in good physical condition is bound to end in disaster.
2.) TRT Isn’t Nearly The Advantage It’s Made Out to Be.
Opinions that fans and pundits have on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and its place in MMA are about as varied as the search engine terms that brought you here. With Dana White promising to “test the shit out of” fighters on testosterone replacement therapy to Vitor Belfort lashing out at his critics on Twitter over his own TRT usage, we’ve seen two different extremes over the course of this weekend alone. It’s a complicated issue that has many different ways of being interpreted; possibly none of which are entirely right or wrong by themselves. With that in mind, here’s an attempt at condensing the plethora of opposing views on the issue into nine different ways to look at it, arranged in no particular order.
1.) It’s Incredibly Dangerous For Both Fighters Involved.
Perhaps the most common criticism I’ve heard and read regarding testosterone replacement therapy in MMA is that it makes an already dangerous occupation even more hazardous. This is easy to observe through the perspective of the user’s opponent. It’s one thing if Barry Bonds wants to hit longer home runs, or if Hedo Turkoglu wants to flop harder — their opponents are not physically hurt by their actions in either example. However, if an MMA fighter takes testosterone to become more aggressive and punch harder, the likelihood of his opponent suffering irreparable brain damage increases dramatically.
Often neglected, however, are the additional long-term risks that the TRT user opens himself up to. Testosterone may make a fighter faster and stronger, but it doesn’t exactly undo brain damage. Prolonging a fighter’s physical prime also elongates the amount of time he’s receiving blows to the head. Imagine if boxers like Meldrick Taylor and Riddick Bowe – who showed signs of dementia pugilistica by the ends of their careers yet didn’t retire until they couldn’t stay in shape — had access to testosterone replacement therapy. Giving aging fighters the illusion that they can keep taking shots to the head because they’re still in good physical condition is bound to end in disaster.
2.) TRT Isn’t Nearly The Advantage It’s Made Out to Be.
The way that some fans rant about TRT ruining the sport, you’d swear that Jose Canseco is set to fight a 260 pound Ken Shamrock for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Sure, many TRT users have been successful in their recent bouts, but is that because of the drugs or because they’ve been fighting beatable opponents? Was it a colossal upset when Dan Henderson defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua? Or when Forrest Griffin beat Tito Ortiz? Did anyone really think that Vitor Belfort had no chance at knocking out Michael Bisping? Didn’t think so.
Let’s not forget about the times when the extra juice turned out to be meaningless, either. Chael Sonnen still lost to Anderson Silva (twice), Frank Mir still got the tar beat out of him by Junior Dos Santos and Todd Duffee still got knocked out by the doughy Mike Russow. Wait for that last one to sink in before acting like a syringe full of testosterone is enough to make someone unbeatable.
3.) Damn the TRT Users, But Only If We’re Paying No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain.
So, Dana White promises to “test the shit out of” fighters who apply for therapeutic-use exemptions, and suddenly, all is right in the UFC? Not quite. As Old Dad pointed out, only fighters with TUEs have to worry about blood tests. Fighters who aren’t admitting that they’re taking synthetic testosterone are getting the same urine tests that everyone else is subjected to. You know, the same urine tests that can only gauge testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratios, not the presence of synthetic testosterone.
Basically, Dana White’s promise to crack down on testosterone abuse can only catch the fighters who follow the rules for obtaining a therapeutic-use exemption. It’s a great way to make it look like TRT is no longer an issue — the number of people applying should drop once it results in more testing — without actually addressing the problem. If we’re worried about catching cheaters, then why are we only focusing on the guys who are already disclosing their drug usage?
4.) It Fuels the Debate: Are Fighters Entitled to Retire on Their Own Terms?
I’m reminded of what Muhammad Ali’s trainer, Angelo Dundee, said during an ESPN documentary about the tragic Ali vs. Holmes fight. “A fighter has the God-given right to say bye-bye whenever he wants to,” said Dundee, “because it’s the life he leads. I don’t believe in telling a fighter to retire because you’re not God.”
Regardless of your stance on the quote, testosterone replacement therapy supports your belief. On one hand, it isn’t up to the fans to tell someone when he should stop making a living as a fighter. If he wants to use TRT to keep fighting, and is aware of the risks involved, let him proceed. On the other hand, no one is entitled to a career as a professional fighter; that’s why commissions make fighters apply for licenses. Licensing a person who is too old to compete without drugs seems like cognitive dissonance to those who are opposed to TRT.
5.) It Keeps Our Sport From Gaining Legitimacy.
As much as many fans hated watching Allen Iverson cross over Michael Jordan, moments like these are an important part of mainstream sports. Athletes get older, and can no longer keep up with the younger generation. When that happens, they either ride the bench or retire. There’s no discussion about shooting mainstream athletes up with testosterone once they can no longer compete. It’s bad enough that critics of our sport think that MMA fighters are steroid taking lunatics instead of athletes. The fact that many of our aging stars are on TRT can’t possibly be helping our argument.
6.) Every Sport Has Its Drug Issues, and TRT Is Ours.
Wait, are we really going to let some football loving simpleton lecture us about drugs while NFL players are popping painkillers like Pez? The other mainstream sports aren’t without their issues: the NBA has a colorful history with cocaine, the NHL is trying to combat Ambien usage among players and Major League Baseball’s issues with amphetamines are only an afterthought because of The Steroid Era. Athletes are no different from the rest of us. They use drugs to improve their lives the same way that we use drugs to improve our lives.
7.) It’s Addict Mentality at its Ugliest.
As some of you may know, I am very open about my struggles with addiction. I’ll have to be careful here; I don’t want to project my illness onto other people so much as I want to make the case that TRT could be a gigantic red flag in some instances.
That being said, a sure sign of addiction is when a person feels that he or she needs drugs in order to function. The belief that one can’t succeed without taking drugs has caused turmoil in the lives of many addicts, and it’s hard not to spot this mentality in many TRT users. It’s hard to look at a fighter who believes that he can’t compete without a TUE and not think that perhaps low testosterone levels are the last thing that he should be worried about. This is especially true in the instances where fighters who have failed drug tests in the past are using TRT. It hurts to type this, but Michael Bisping has a damn good point.
8.) Who the Hell Even Cares?
This mentality may be is pure, unadulterated capitalism at its ugliest, but why would any fan of the sport be opposed to fighters using a drug that enhances their abilities to entertain us? We aren’t buying tickets and PPVs to see how healthy these guys will be when they’re fifty years old. We’re spending money to see the impressive ways that these guys can hurt each other right now. Fighters have found a legal loophole that aids them in their efforts to entertain us. If anything, we should be upset that some of them aren’t taking full advantage of it.
Oh, and save the ”sanctity” and “purity” lectures for marriage and Christmas decorations, not two guys beating the crap out of each other in a cage, okay?
9.) The Way That You, The Reader, Look At TRT.
Which is obviously the correct way, and anyone who thinks that numbers one through eight are even remotely relevant is a complete idiot. Of course, the correct way to look at testosterone replacement therapy is….
UFC President Dana White loves Twitter. Is it any wonder then that his fighters love it too? Especially when the company hands out cash money for the athletes who do it best.White’s Twitter passion has led to an incredibly robust and vibrant MMA Twitte…
UFC President Dana White loves Twitter. Is it any wonder then that his fighters love it too? Especially when the company hands out cash money for the athletes who do it best.
White’s Twitter passion has led to an incredibly robust and vibrant MMA Twitter scene, one I hope to carefully observe and navigate for you, the reader, selecting only the best of the best tweets for your enjoyment. Shall we begin?
I’m no Johnnie Cochran, but it’s never a good idea to announce your violent intentions in a public forum. That said, Bubz Barracka is a New Jersey-based rapper with a song called “Tatted N Gatted.” Perhaps fisticuffs with such a gentleman and his friends may not be the best idea?
You know what’s faster than a fighter’s hands? A bullet.
Mark Hunt has been one of Twitter’s biggest revelations. He’s just a weird guy. That’s not a judgment. At this point, it’s almost fact. He has a website dropping, but he’s not putting it out in the world right now. Because Mark Hunt is a romantic. A lover and a fighter, his site is dropping on Valentine’s Day so you and that special someone can surf it together. Enjoy!
Forrest Griffin has a Valentine’s gift idea of his own. Guys, this one will either work out beyond your wildest dreams or get you slapped in the face. You know how freaky your significant other is or is not. Judge accordingly.
I don’t know where Duane Ludwig was when he snapped that picture, but I hope his next move was to run like his life depended on it. Because his life likely depended on it.
Spend enough time with MMA fighters and you will learn all about their love/hate relationship with food. For many, it’s something that constantly nags at them, a presence in the back of their mind every minute of every day.
Between ingesting the right fuel for high-powered workouts and the need to cut dozens of pounds by fight night, a fighter is rarely eating what he wants, when he wants. Some get used to it. Some, apparently, write poetry. Lovely.
You may love him. You’ll probably hate him. But if you want the latest rumors and a nice slice of “real talk” you need to follow Front Row Brian. If you don’t, you’re not doing it right.
Tito Ortiz is back in the headlines, this time for defending client Cris “Cyborg” Santos.Ortiz, now a manager, no longer does his fighting in the Octagon but from behind a desk. The manager of Cyborg tweeted that “cheating” in the UFC is now accepted.O…
Tito Ortiz is back in the headlines, this time for defending client Cris “Cyborg” Santos.
Ortiz, now a manager, no longer does his fighting in the Octagon but from behind a desk. The manager of Cyborg tweeted that “cheating” in the UFC is now accepted.
Obviously, we can infer that he is referring to the testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) usage in the UFC as the target of his point.
He then went on to further defend his client by slamming rival Forrest Griffin, a man he has fought three times in his career.
Yes Cali too. Olympic testing. Can’t get away how Forrest did. “@lefthighkick: @titoortiz Was she tested in her other fights too?”
By that, Ortiz was implying that Griffin himself is a user of TRT, as he was exempted at UFC 148 when he last fought Ortiz.
TRT has long been a hot topic in MMA, but Ortiz slamming Griffin does not help the situation. Sure, TRT usage is questionable in sports, but he got exempt from it while Cyborg got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
This defense comes on the heels of Ortiz claiming that Cyborg cannot make the cut to 135 safely, among other things involving his client. Ortiz may be gone from fighting, but he sure isn’t done creating havoc with his mouth.
Brock Lesnar burst onto the scene. He was the most feared man in the UFC, he was the future of pay-per-view and everyone in the world was waiting to see what would happen next. Then, he lost, got injured and faded away.There comes a time every year whe…
Brock Lesnar burst onto the scene. He was the most feared man in the UFC, he was the future of pay-per-view and everyone in the world was waiting to see what would happen next. Then, he lost, got injured and faded away.
There comes a time every year where we find ourselves wondering, “What the heck happened to so-and-so?”
Were they outmatched in their fights? Did they get banged up? Or like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, was it just their time to go?
It seems like all fighters fall victim to at least one of three things at the end of their career: time, injuries or a string of bad luck. Regardless of which one of the three it is, it’s inevitable that every year we unofficially have to say goodbye to fighters who run the risk of no longer being relevant in a division. Sure, we’ll catch them on an undercard again and maybe even the first fight of a UFC PPV, but their days of headlining are over.
Here are the top seven fighters that could fade away in 2013.
If you were to ask someone like Tim Kennedy why so many fighters have been pulling out of their scheduled fights due to injury this year, he would likely tell you that more often than not, they were faking it. And while he would have at least one case to cite as an example, we’d still like to believe that 90% of the fighters who have gone down with injuries recently were being honest with us. Still, even BG was suspicious when Forrest Griffin withdrew from his UFC 155 contest with Phil Davis, because let’s be honest, it was a terrible matchup for him to begin with. FoGriff has repeatedly stated over the past year or so that his retirement from the sport was looming on the horizon, so one would imagine that he’d like to go out on a win, or at least a fight he saw as winnable heading into it.
Well, you’ll be happy (and disgusted) to know that Griffin wasn’t faking anything, unless by faking, you mean “intentionally taking a sledgehammer to his knee until he passed out from the pain.” Because if the above photo that Forrest tweeted on Christmas is indeed legitimate (and we’re not sure how it couldn’t be), then there is no way in hell he could have possibly faked the gruesome MCL and ACL injury he suffered in training.
If you were to ask someone like Tim Kennedy why so many fighters have been pulling out of their scheduled fights due to injury this year, he would likely tell you that more often than not, they were faking it. And while he would have at least one case to cite as an example, we’d still like to believe that 90% of the fighters who have gone down with injuries recently were being honest with us. Still, even BG was suspicious when Forrest Griffin withdrew from his UFC 155 contest with Phil Davis, because let’s be honest, it was a terrible matchup for him to begin with. FoGriff has repeatedly stated over the past year or so that his retirement from the sport was looming on the horizon, so one would imagine that he’d like to go out on a win, or at least a fight he saw as winnable heading into it.
Well, you’ll be happy (and disgusted) to know that Griffin wasn’t faking anything, unless by faking, you mean “intentionally taking a sledgehammer to his knee until he passed out from the pain.” Because if the above photo that Forrest tweeted on Christmas is indeed legitimate (and we’re not sure how it couldn’t be), then there is no way in hell he could have possibly faked the gruesome MCL and ACL injury he suffered in training.
I mean, just look at that thing. It looks like one of the way-past-expired melons you find at a Korean market. It looks like someone hollowed out a bowling pin and stuffed it with rancid cottage cheese. It looks like Griffin’s soul after the Anderson Silva fight. It looks like…well, you get the point. No word yet on how long Griffin will be out of action, but if Dominick Cruz is any indication, expect to see Griffin back in the octagon in mid 2026.
News came Monday that Forrest Griffin, one of the most popular champions in UFC history, is planning an Octagon return some time in late 2013 following an operation to repair his injured knee.
