After coming up short in a tedious affair against Rashad Evans in the headlining match of UFC on FOX 2, Davis was looking to rebound against Wagner Prado at UFC on FOX 4, but an unfortunate eye poke resulted in an unsatisfying no-contest being declared. Davis and Prado met again at UFC 153, where Davis was able to secure a brilliant second round submission via anaconda choke victory. It was the same submission Davis used to defeat top light heavyweight prospect Alexander Gustafsson back at UFC 112 in April of 2010. If you’re keeping track, the current record for fighters who were the victims of a fight-ending eye poke in immediate rematches is now 1-3 (Scott Smith, Waachiim Spiritwolf, and Prado all came up short, with only Anthony Johnson managing to earn some revenge).
(It’s good to see that someone finally gave Starvin Marvin something to eat.)
After coming up short in a tedious affair against Rashad Evans in the headlining match of UFC on FOX 2, Davis was looking to rebound against Wagner Prado at UFC on FOX 4, but an unfortunate eye poke resulted in an unsatisfying no-contest being declared. Davis and Prado met again at UFC 153, where Davis was able to secure a brilliant second round submission via anaconda choke victory. It was the same submission Davis used to defeat top light heavyweight prospect Alexander Gustafsson back at UFC 112 in April of 2010. If you’re keeping track, the current record for fighters who were the victims of a fight-ending eye poke in immediate rematches is now 1-3 (Scott Smith, Waachiim Spiritwolf, and Prado all came up short, with only Anthony Johnson managing to earn some revenge).
Griffin has never been submitted in his MMA career, and should enjoy a healthy advantage in the standup against the wrestling-based Davis. That being said, Griffin’s cardio has looked less than stellar lately — mainly his garbage ass third round against Ortiz at UFC 148 — so expect to see Davis drag this fight into the latter rounds and attempt to secure a late ground and pound stoppage or a grappling heavy decision.
Fans and critics alike have been questioning Griffin’s heart for some time now, but a win over a legitimate prospect like Davis would undoubtedly shut up at least a few of his haters should he pull it off. With retirement looming on the horizon for one of the most charismatic (at least at one time) guys in the division, we’d really like to see FoGriff go out on a solid win or two. Above all else, we just hope he doesn’t decide to go for a post-fight jog before the decision is read this time.
This week the UFC announced that Chael Sonnen would be withdrawing from his UFC 155 bout against Forrest Griffin to take part in the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.This left Forrest Griffin without an opponent at the UFC’s end-of-year card. S…
This week the UFC announced that ChaelSonnen would be withdrawing from his UFC 155 bout against Forrest Griffin to take part in the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
This left Forrest Griffin without an opponent at the UFC’s end-of-year card.
Some believed that Stephan Bonnar would be stepping up and the two would try and recreate the magic they had in 2005. Today, the UFC confirmed that it would not be Bonnar who drew Griffin.
No, they announced on twitter that Phil Davis would be stepping up to face the former UFC champion.
Forrest Griffin vs. Phil Mr. Wonderful Davis. December 29th. MGM Garden Arena. Write it down. on.ufc.com/TyaakT
As far as matchups go, Joe Silva hit a home run with this one.
Griffin is on the tail end of his career and likely won’t be making another run at the top of the division. However, he still has that name value and drawing power that he can help Phil Davis’ career.
The matchup will test Davis to see if he’s ready to truly compete with some of the best in the division. He faltered on his first opportunity when he faced Rashad Evans earlier this year.
It was hopefully a learning experience for Davis.
Griffin will push Davis in all the right ways and force the young fighter to work through an active guard and never-ending gas tank. It’s the kind of fight that Davis needs at this point in his career.
Definitely another case of great matchmaking from Joe Silva.
Believe it or not, Potato Nation, but there was a brief moment in time when Chael Sonnen was supposed to rematch Forrest Griffin in his return to the light heavyweight division at UFC 155. You might not remember it due to the fact that upon announcing his change in weight class, Sonnen almost immediately skipped over Griffin to set his sights on Jon Jones, a decision that proved ultimately fruitful. Surprisingly, FoGriff seemed at least partially relieved not to be fighting that “boring” Sonnen fellow, but when he is made aware that he’s now been called out by Antonio “Lil’ Nog” Nogueira because of it, we imagine he’s going to wish he could still fight the middleweight wrestler with no KO power and poor submission defense who he has already beaten.
One thing you might recall is that Griffin and Nog were set to meet way back at UFC 114 before a shoulder injury forced the TUF 1 winner out of the contest. Griffin was replaced by Jason Brilz, who turned in one of the most respectable losses in UFC, nay, MMA history that night, coming up just short by way of split decision. Since then, Lil’ Nog has gone 1-2, dropping a pair of UD’s to wrestlers Ryan Bader and Phil Davis before beating the poop out of Tito Ortiz at UFC 140. Griffin is also coming off a win over “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” (I refuse to acknowledge this “People’s Champ” nonsense), albeit by another close decision in their trilogy-completing/Ortiz-retiring match at UFC 148.
Believe it or not, Potato Nation, but there was a brief moment in time when Chael Sonnen was supposed to rematch Forrest Griffin in his return to the light heavyweight division at UFC 155. You might not remember it due to the fact that upon announcing his change in weight class, Sonnen almost immediately skipped over Griffin to set his sights on Jon Jones, a decision that proved ultimately fruitful. Surprisingly, FoGriff seemed at least partially relieved not to be fighting that “boring” Sonnen fellow, but when he is made aware that he’s now been called out by Antonio “Lil’ Nog” Nogueira because of it, we imagine he’s going to wish he could still fight the middleweight wrestler with no KO power and poor submission defense who he has already beaten.
One thing you might recall is that Griffin and Nog were set to meet way back at UFC 114 before a shoulder injury forced the TUF 1 winner out of the contest. Griffin was replaced by Jason Brilz, who turned in one of the most respectable losses in UFC, nay, MMA history that night, coming up just short by way of split decision. Since then, Lil’ Nog has gone 1-2, dropping a pair of UD’s to wrestlers Ryan Bader and Phil Davis before beating the poop out of Tito Ortiz at UFC 140. Griffin is also coming off a win over “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” (I refuse to acknowledge this “People’s Champ” nonsense), albeit by another close decision in their trilogy-completing/Ortiz-retiring match at UFC 148.
(This fan-made hype video was first posted to YouTube on September 30th. Wow. CletusDamVan must have read The Secret.)
Ugh, you guys, I had the worst dream last night. I was at home, but it was actually the house I grew up in, you know? I was watching TV, and suddenly all the lights went out. Dana White walked in through the back door. He told me — and here’s the freaky part — that Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen would be coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, and they’d actually be fighting for the light-heavyweight belt in April. I was like, “Why? Why are you doing this?” And he said, “Because I fucking hate you.” And when he said that, I realized it wasn’t Dana White, it was my own father. Then, my teeth started cracking and falling out one by one, and-OH MY GOD NO! AHHHHHHHH! THIS CAN’T HAPPEN! THIS CAN’T HAPPEN! [scene]
Look, we’re not alone in our utter distaste for this booking. Elsewhere on the Internet, pundits have called Jones vs. Sonnen (vs. TUF) a thinly-veiled money grab that reeks of desperation and sets a horrible precedent. But this matchup is now our reality, and we have to deal with reality on reality’s terms. Here’s a sample of the fallout and news updates that yesterday’s bombshell kicked up:
– Tweet of the Day, from Dan Henderson: “I guess I should just quit training to win fights and to be exciting for the fans and just go to shit talking school. @danawhite”. Dan and Chael might be bros from way back, but that clearly doesn’t make this news any easier for Hendo to swallow. It’s insulting, really. Henderson is still the most rightful challenger to Jones’s belt, but an ill-timed injury has apparently put him on the UFC’s “pay no mind” list. Don’t make us say it.
– More sour grapes: Of course, Sonnen’s new opportunity now leaves Forrest Griffin without an opponent; FoGriff was originally supposed to meet Sonnen at UFC 155 in December. As you can imagine, Griffin doesn’t seem too thrilled about this latest development either, telling Ariel Helwani, “I’m not mad at him. Why fight your way to the top when you can talk your way to the top? I’m actually happy I’m not fighting him anymore, because watching his fights was boring and tedious.” The hot new rumor is that Griffin could possibly face the recently-wreckedStephan Bonnar instead. Fine, whatever.
– And now, the Chael Sonnen reaction video you’ve all been waiting for/dreading…
(This fan-made hype video was first posted to YouTube on September 30th. Wow. CletusDamVan must have read The Secret.)
Ugh, you guys, I had the worst dream last night. I was at home, but it was actually the house I grew up in, you know? I was watching TV, and suddenly all the lights went out. Dana White walked in through the back door. He told me — and here’s the freaky part — that Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen would be coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, and they’d actually be fighting for the light-heavyweight belt in April. I was like, “Why? Why are you doing this?” And he said, “Because I fucking hate you.” And when he said that, I realized it wasn’t Dana White, it was my own father. Then, my teeth started cracking and falling out one by one, and-OH MY GOD NO! AHHHHHHHH! THIS CAN’T HAPPEN! THIS CAN’T HAPPEN! [scene]
Look, we’re not alone in our utter distaste for this booking. Elsewhere on the Internet, pundits have called Jones vs. Sonnen (vs. TUF) a thinly-veiled money grab that reeks of desperation and sets a horrible precedent. But this matchup is now our reality, and we have to deal with reality on reality’s terms. Here’s a sample of the fallout and news updates that yesterday’s bombshell kicked up:
– Tweet of the Day, from Dan Henderson: “I guess I should just quit training to win fights and to be exciting for the fans and just go to shit talking school. @danawhite”. Dan and Chael might be bros from way back, but that clearly doesn’t make this news any easier for Hendo to swallow. It’s insulting, really. Henderson is still the most rightful challenger to Jones’s belt, but an ill-timed injury has apparently put him on the UFC’s “pay no mind” list. Don’t make us say it.
– More sour grapes: Of course, Sonnen’s new opportunity now leaves Forrest Griffin without an opponent; FoGriff was originally supposed to meet Sonnen at UFC 155 in December. As you can imagine, Griffin doesn’t seem too thrilled about this latest development either, telling Ariel Helwani, “I’m not mad at him. Why fight your way to the top when you can talk your way to the top? I’m actually happy I’m not fighting him anymore, because watching his fights was boring and tedious.” The hot new rumor is that Griffin could possibly face the recently-wreckedStephan Bonnar instead. Fine, whatever.
– And now, the Chael Sonnen reaction video you’ve all been waiting for/dreading…
“This show has some tremendous young talent on it. I will be taking 50 percent of that talent and teaching them how to fight. The other half is going to be taught how to be selfish, entitled brats by Jones. The good news is that when it is all over, I’m sure Coach Jones will throw a hell of an afterparty…I did everything I could to warn this guy. [I told him] ‘Hey Jon, I’m coming to the division which puts you on notice to pack your bags and get put of there.’ He was talking about going to heavyweight and he should have done it. The bottom line is, he waited too long and now the man has arrived…I got the biggest arm, I got the greatest charm, and I do the most harm. I’m better than Jon Jones, I’m better than Sean Combs, and I’m even better than John Holmes.”
– The injury angle: So why is Jon Jones — a guy who was previously known for his fight frequency — now content to be sidelined until April 27th in order to play the straight man on a flailing reality show? Blame Vitor Belfort’s “nearacle” armbar, which caused a strained elbow ligament in Jones’s right arm that will require him to undergo physical therapy to rehab it. In other words, Jones wasn’t going to jump directly back in the cage anyway. When you consider that fact, the decision begins to make a lot more sense from the champ’s perspective: Keep yourself in the public’s eye through TUF, then take a squash match against a natural middleweight as your post-injury tune-up fight.
– Discussion topic #1: Will Jones and Sonnen both make it to their April 27th fight date intact, or will one be struck down by the TUF Coaches Curse?
– Discussion topic #2: “Lesnar couldn’t move the needle for TUF on Spike and some of you think Sonnen will do it on FX. Some of you don’t get reality.”
Tuesday was a hot day for breaking UFC news as we learned that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will face Chael Sonnen in April following their coaching stints on The Ultimate Fighter, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.While t…
Tuesday was a hot day for breaking UFC news as we learned that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will face ChaelSonnen in April following their coaching stints on The Ultimate Fighter, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
While that news is great, it left a hole at the top of the UFC 155 card when it was announced that the Jones-Sonnen booking would leave Forrest Griffin without an opponent at UFC 155. Well, the ultimate “company man” is here to save the day once again.
As reported on Twitter early Wednesday morning, Stephan Bonnar will step up and replace ChaelSonnen at UFC 155 against rival and buddy Forrest Griffin:
*Breaking* According to industry insider “Mac”, Stephan Bonnar will step in for ChaelSonnen at UFC 155 to face Forrest Griffin on 12.29
Now, you may ask if this is too much, too soon for Stephan Bonnar.
He is coming off a recent TKO loss to middleweight champion Anderson Silva, but Bonnar has been pleading with Dana White for one final shot at Griffin. It seems White has decided to reward Bonnar for saving UFC 153 with this final bout with Griffin.
The two men met for the first time at the first TUF finale in a fight that many consider the most important fight in MMA history (Griffin defeated Bonnar by unanimous decision to win the first season of The Ultimate Fighter).
The two would have a rematch at UFC 62, and Griffin picked up the decision victory.
With Griffin leading the series 2-0, it’s odd to see a third fight get booked. Still, it’s hard not to be excited when you consider the high-caliber fights the first two were.
It was also reported on Twitter that this will be a retirement fight for both men, which could be another reason White gave in to the fight.
Although it is a little sad to imagine two legends of the sport fighting for the final time, we can rest easy knowing we are just a couple months away from seeing two of the most exciting fighters in UFC history lay it all out on the line one final time.
With the recent news that Chael Sonnen would be coaching the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite of Jon Jones, there was some speculation about what that meant for the proposed bout between Chael Sonnen and Forrest Griffin at UFC 155.The r…
What would the UFC possibly do if Sonnen lost to Griffin at the UFC’s end-of-year event? Or worse, what would happen if the fight ended up being a total snoozer? Would they still go forward with their plans for The Ultimate Fighter?
Apparently Zuffa saw the risk and opted to remove Sonnen from UFC 155 entirely. In fact, he won’t be fighting until April at a yet-to-be-numbered UFC event.
Dana White told me he does not plan to have ChaelSonnen fight between now and April 27. #UFC
Having Sonnen on the shelf is a risky move for the UFC. While a win over Griffin likely wouldn’t have appeased many detractors, it would have at least mildly justified Sonnen getting a shot at Jones.
Instead, he’s getting fast-tracked to a title shot and jumping over the more deserving contenders such as Alexander Gustafsson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
That’s not to say that I don’t get it.
As far as marketability and promotion go, there are few better at building a fight than Sonnen, and since the UFC is a pay-per-view business, they need to maximize profits. I just don’t see how sacrificing the legitimacy of a title is a smart business decision.
The likely reason is that the UFC felt they needed a proverbial “game changer” due to the declining TUF ratings, and ChaelSonnen was the obvious choice. He’ll provide weeks of entertainment and will hopefully draw eyeballs to a struggling television show.
But him getting a title shot is a sham.
If the UFC wants to be accepted as a “major league” sport, they need to present themselves that way. Sonnen is getting the coaching gig and subsequent title shot because of his gift of gab.
Ultimately though, the cancellation of Sonnen/Griffin is good for business. While I may disagree with the decision, they need something to save a dying TUF franchise. If Sonnen and Jones aren’t the answer, I’m not sure who on the roster could possibly compel fans to tune back in week after week.
Lost in all of this is what happens with Griffin. White was extremely critical of the former light heavyweight champion following UFC 148 and openly stated that it may be time for Griffin to consider hanging it up.
Hopefully Joe Silva can find a new opponent for Griffin. It would be a shame for him to lose out on such a big fight this way.
Tuesday was a hot day for breaking UFC news as we learned that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will face 
