This weekend at UFC 134 in Rio De Janeiro, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua defeated Forrest Griffin in the co-main event of the evening.It was a huge win for Shogun since he avenged a loss, won in convincing fashion, got b…
This weekend at UFC 134 in Rio De Janeiro, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua defeated Forrest Griffin in the co-main event of the evening.
It was a huge win for Shogun since he avenged a loss, won in convincing fashion, got back on track after his loss to Jon Jones, and all of this while fighting in his homeland.
According to MMAjunkie.com, UFC President Dana White was impressed with Shogun’s performance and, as far as he’s concerned, Shogun is right back in the mix for a title shot.
“[That] was a big win for him,” White said. “The guy just lost the title to Jon Jones, who many people believe–I’ve got Jon Jones ranked No. 3 pound-for-pound in the world. (He) beats Forrest Griffin, who’s one of the top light heavyweights in the world. It put ‘Shogun’ right back in the title hunt.”
This is news that likely came as music to Shogun’s ears, as it’s clear the former champ wants to avenge his loss to Jones.
“I’ve only had five losses,” Rua said in his native Portuguese. “I’ve managed to avenge all of them except Jon Jones and [Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral]. ‘Babalu’ is my friend, and he’s on my team, so I wouldn’t think of doing that. The only guy left then is Jon Jones.”
After stating that he wants to fight Jones again, Shogun made it clear that he harbors no ill-will towards to new UFC light heavyweight champ.
“Jones is a very [skilled] guy, at the top of the division,” Rua said. “He’s a guy who deserves a lot of respect, because he fights well.”
The UFC might have a tough time marketing a rematch between Shogun and Jones, given how decisively Shogun lost the first time, but with another performance like this weekend’s in Rio, fans might warm to the idea of it.
In Rio, Shogun put one of his best performances since moving to the UFC from Pride four years ago. He stated that the motivation of fighting at home helped him to put on a better performance.
“For sure they were screaming, but I found it all very motivating,” Rua said. “It gives you more energy, more motivation. So we were happy that the crowd was supporting me.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report, for more news as this story develops, and MMA news, in general.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacherreport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AndrewBarr8
It was a devastating loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in UFC 134, all right, but Forrest Griffin is still 1-1 against Rua. Same versus Tito Ortiz.He was also on a two-fight winning streak prior to losing his rematch to Shogun.Some fans may ask…
It was a devastating loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in UFC 134, all right, but Forrest Griffin is still 1-1 against Rua. Same versus Tito Ortiz.
He was also on a two-fight winning streak prior to losing his rematch to Shogun.
Some fans may ask for a third and deciding fight against either (or both) before Griffin calls it quits.
Still, his pained and portentous pre-UFC 134 confession that he “wasn’t getting better” must now be taken more seriously.
Let’s read it again:
It quit being fun when I realized I wasn’t getting better. I’m plateauing or almost getting worse sometimes. One of the essential elements to have in this is your perceived expectation of the future, and I’m a painful realist, so I realized that I’m not going to get better; this is it. It’s only gonna get worse from here on and you fight as much as you can, you fight until you don’t have it anymore, and then you fight a couple more times after that.
Sounds like the beginning of the end of an illustrious MMA career.
In any sport, when a veteran athlete claims that his game no longer improves, more often than not it’s a sign of an imminent surrender.
Here’s a recap of the proud moments of Griffin’s fighting career:
He was a former UFC light-heavyweight champion, taking the belt from Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Just before that, he won his first match against Shogun, who was at the time ranked the No.1 light heavyweight fighter in the world by many MMA publications.
He recorded victories over Stephen Bonnar (2x), Chael Sonnen, Rich Franklin, Jeff Monson and as mentioned, versus Rua and Ortiz (before losing to the former and after losing to the latter).
He made history by becoming the first winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
Most significantly, the MMA world owes him for bringing UFC into the mainstream, with his exciting TUF finals fight versus Bonnar.
Consequently, their fight is declared as the No.1 UFC fight of all time in the UFC Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights program.
Forrest Griffin circa 2005 had the heart of a lion (and the face of a gremlin).
Forrest Griffin became a household MMA name after his run through the original Ultimate Fighter show. Goofily charming, Griffin had already amassed a record fitting a UFC fighter before appearing the show, with names like Dan Severn, Travis Fulton, Jeff Monson, Jermey Horn, and Chael Sonnen on his record. But it was Griffin’s gritty determination to fight and win that so impressed audiences back in 2005 that made him a fan favorite. His three round finale win over Stephan Bonnar, hailed as one of the most important fights in MMA history, was an instant classic not because Griffin thoroughly outclassed Bonnar, but because both fighters showed so much tenacity and desire in the fight. If you don’t mind me throwing the term around, Forrest Griffin won over fans because he showed a great deal of heart. It was clear just by watching him that Griffin wanted to fight, more than anything.
Six years later, Griffin is still with us and still somewhere in the top tier of light heavyweights, with a rematch against Shogun Rua to prove that Griffin belongs in that tier. Griffin said in interviews prior to the fight that a second win over Shogun would “validate” him as an elite light heavyweight.
And then he lost.
Leading up to the fight, Griffin had been a bit less sanguine about his fight than usual. Oh, Griffin still had jokes — he’s always a guy that will crack off a one-liner at any given time — but reading between the lines, some wondered whether Griffin still had the competitive fire that once burned so brightly in him. And after a loss to Shogun in which he looked slow and disinterested, some have begun to seriously ask: has Griffin lost the heart to fight?
Forrest Griffin circa 2005 had the heart of a lion (and the face of a gremlin).
Forrest Griffin became a household MMA name after his run through the original Ultimate Fighter show. Goofily charming, Griffin had already amassed a record fitting a UFC fighter before appearing the show, with names like Dan Severn, Travis Fulton, Jeff Monson, Jermey Horn, and Chael Sonnen on his record. But it was Griffin’s gritty determination to fight and win that so impressed audiences back in 2005 that made him a fan favorite. His three round finale win over Stephan Bonnar, hailed as one of the most important fights in MMA history, was an instant classic not because Griffin thoroughly outclassed Bonnar, but because both fighters showed so much tenacity and desire in the fight. If you don’t mind me throwing the term around, Forrest Griffin won over fans because he showed a great deal of heart. It was clear just by watching him that Griffin wanted to fight, more than anything.
Six years later, Griffin is still with us and still somewhere in the top tier of light heavyweights, with a rematch against Shogun Rua to prove that Griffin belongs in that tier. Griffin said in interviews prior to the fight that a second win over Shogun would “validate” him as an elite light heavyweight.
And then he lost.
Leading up to the fight, Griffin had been a bit less sanguine about his fight than usual. Oh, Griffin still had jokes — he’s always a guy that will crack off a one-liner at any given time — but reading between the lines, some wondered whether Griffin still had the competitive fire that once burned so brightly in him. And after a loss to Shogun in which he looked slow and disinterested, some have begun to seriously ask: has Griffin lost the heart to fight?
Before appearing as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, Griffin competed at Heat FC 2 against Edson “Paredao” Silva. During the fight, he blocked a Paredao kick that broke his left arm. Griffin won the fight, via knockout. He would go on to have surgery on that arm after his TUF win two years later.
Griffin and Bonnar gained tons of fans (including Dana White) through a combined force of will — a double-team assault of heart so palpable that audiences could feel it watching at home. Even Forrest’s first win over Shogun was a show that win times got tough and the water got deep, Griffin dug down and pulled through.
Griffin seemed different after losing his fight with Anderson Silva, which is the closest thing anyone in contemporary times has ever seen to hand to hand combat with a Jedi. His confidence took a big hit, and his self-deprecating humor took on a tone that was uncomfortably close to a disclaimer. Griffin laughed as he talked about how ineffective he felt in that Silva fight, and we all laughed along, but really? Yeah, he really did look like a slow, slow white boy getting beat up by his dad.
Now, Griffin’s comparing his acceptance of the Shogun rematch with the stages of grieving. He doesn’t talk about wanting to be the number one fighter in the world, he talks about not wanting to be poor. He’s not talking about how he’s going to smash Shogun, he’s talking about wanting to smash some sweet potatoes, but he can’t find any in the far-off mythical land of Brazil.
Those aren’t the visualization habits and lofty motivations of a world beater. If all that matters is not being poor, one could argue that Griffin had made it. His five years with the UFC before the Shogun fight were probably lucrative enough to prevent worry about going back to a campus beat and Top Ramen, not to mention White’s oft-repeated loyalty to one of the fighters that helped save the UFC.
Couple all that with another shattering loss in the Octagon, this time against the guy who catapulted Forrest to the top of the division and a title shot in 2008, and you have to wonder where Griffin’s head is at. If he’s lost the desire to compete that made him such a fan favorite, can he regain it? Is Forrest Griffin, sans heart, a fighter that can stay at the top of the UFC’s dangerous 205 division?
As a fan of Griffin’s, I really hope so. I hope that this poor performance was just a result of traveling far from home, dealing with an unfamiliar culture, and having a really tough fight with a guy on his home turf. God knows, Griffin had plenty on his mind. But part of me does wonder if Griffin’s heart is still in it.
It was a big night for Brazilian fighters as the Ultimate Fighting Championship went to Rio as Yushin Okami challenged Anderson Silva for the Middleweight title in the main event of UFC 134, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on …
It was a big night for Brazilian fighters as the Ultimate Fighting Championship went to Rio as Yushin Okami challenged Anderson Silva for the Middleweight title in the main event of UFC 134, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN here in Britain.
The broadcast began in the light heavyweight division as Luiz Cane faced Stanislav Nedkov.
A lot of feeling out at the beginning of this one as Nedkov threw a lot of overhand rights, with Cane responding with some sound combinations.
Although we saw some good shots it was only as the first round neared it’s final minute that the fight sprang to life. An overhand right followed by a left hook rocked the Brazilian, and as he staggered around like a baby learning to walk Nedkov went in for the kill, with the referee stopping the fight as Nedkov unloaded with the ground and pound.
It was up to heavyweight for the next fight as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira went up against Brendan Schaub.
We saw some more great striking in this one. Schaub connected with a couple of sweet looking uppercuts that rocked big Nog, but it wasn’t long before a left/right combination rocked the former Ultimate Fighter finalist. Nog followed up with several piston-like lefts and rights as Schaub slumped to the ground, the referee stepping in to give the hometown boy the knockout win.
Filler material followed as Erick Silva faced Luis Ramos in the welterweight division.
This all Brazilian battle was the blink and you’ll miss it affair. After a brief feeling out period Silva connected with a big right that sent Ramos down like the proverbial sack of spuds. Silva followed him down for a brief moment of ground and pound before the referee stopped the action, giving Silva the impressive TKO win.
The regular action resumed in the lightweight division as my fellow Brit Ross Pearson took on Edson Barboza.
The first fight of the broadcast to go the distance was an intriguing striking battle. Pearson had some success early on, but after Barboza connected with a spinning back kick to the body the fight got a whole lot more interesting.
The Brazilian seemed to get better as the fight went on, scoring with a succession of combinations and kicks. It wasn’t all one way traffic though as Pearson got in some good shots, although as the fight ended the Brit’s face was swelling badly.
So with the fight going the distance it was down to the judges, with Barboza taking the split decision.
The battle of former Light Heavyweight Champions followed as Mauricio Rua faced Forrest Griffin for the second time.
Very little happened in the first 60 seconds, but when we got past the one minute mark Shogun went to work, unleashing with the combinations as Griffin went down after a big right. The Brazilian followed him for some ground and pound, with the referee stepping in as Griffin went limp, giving Rua the knockout win.
The main event saw Yushin Okami challenge Anderson Silva for the Middleweight title.
Once again Silva proved he is the best there is at what he does. Beginning the fight in his usual way it wasn’t long before he got the better of a clinch against the cage, ending the first round by connecting with a left kick to the back of Okami’s head and neck.
The arrogance and cockiness was on display at the beginning of the second when a simple jab knocked Okami down. The champion didn’t follow him down though, and invited Okami back to his feet. It was another jab that sent Okami down again, and this time Silva went in for the kill with the ground and pound, with the referee stepping in to give the Spider the title retaining TKO win.
So with nearly an hour left to kill it was on to more filler material as Paulo Thiago faced David Mitchell (no, not that one) in the welterweight division.
This fight featured something we hadn’t seen all evening, some ground work. Thiago put on a great display whenever the fight went down to the ground, while Mitchell always seemed to look like a fish out of water.
Thiago also controlled the striking game, mainly because Mitchell seemed content to throw out his one punch combinations.
The Brazilian went back to the ground towards the end of the third, taking Mitchell’s back and going for a rear naked choke and then the ground and pound as the fight came to an end.
So once again the judges came into play as all three gave everything to Thiago.
Then it was down to the bantamweight division as Yves Jabouin took on Ian Loveland.
The first fight of the broadcast that didn’t feature a Brazilian was a great back and forth encounter. Loveland began the fight by coming forward quickly before taking the fight to the ground and going for a kimura.
Jabouin, for his part, put in some good striking, especially with the kicks, mixing it up with some nice spin kicks.
That was basically how the rest of the played out, with Loveland looking good on the ground and holding his own against Jabouin in the striking department, particularly in the third round.
So with neither man able to finish it was down to the judges, with Jabouin taking the split decision.
In conclusion – with only Luiz Cane failing to get the win it certainly proved to be a great night for the home country fighters in the UFC’s first Brazilian show for over a decade.
All the fights shown certainly delivered here, with the performances of big Nog and the Spider particularly impressing as once again I’m left to wonder if there is anyone left in the middleweight division anywhere in the world who could actually defeat Anderson Silva.
So taking all of that into account UFC 134 gets the big thumbs up from this particular writer as another example of why, like their Middleweight Champion, Dana White and his crew are the best they are at what they do.
After a spectacular night of fights at UFC 134 in Rio, we’re going to try to make sense of it with a little game called ‘Buy, Sell, or Hold’. I’ll take a fighter and either buy, sell, or hold him like a stockbroker would. (It’s kind of like the real stock market, except you won’t want to throw yourself off a building afterwards.) Take my advice and you’ll end up with a nice MMA portfolio. Without further ado…
Anderson Silva: Buy! Buy! Buy!
‘The Spider‘ has everything you’d want from a blue chip stock: an x-factor that makes people want to see him fight, major corporate sponsors, and hilariouscommercials. Oh yeah, and his fighting isn’t that bad either. Silva’s complete and utter domination of Yushin Okami at UFC 134 just reinforces what we already knew — we are witnessing the greatest fighter of all time every time he steps inside the Octagon™.
Yushin Okami: Dump it like your autographed picture of Carrot Top.
He is currently ranked as the #3 best Middleweight and yet it seems all for naught. Okami showed up to a gunfight with a pair of flip-flops and a bag of Skittles against Silva. Despite working with the only man to dominate the champion, he never once came close to showing a spark in Brazil. I have a feeling he’ll face the same fate as Jon Fitch while his stock becomes more cursed than Monster.
After a spectacular night of fights at UFC 134 in Rio, we’re going to try to make sense of it with a little game called ‘Buy, Sell, or Hold’. I’ll take a fighter and either buy, sell, or hold him like a stockbroker would. (It’s kind of like the real stock market, except you won’t want to throw yourself off a building afterwards.) Take my advice and you’ll end up with a nice MMA portfolio. Without further ado…
Anderson Silva: Buy! Buy! Buy!
‘The Spider‘ has everything you’d want from a blue chip stock: an x-factor that makes people want to see him fight, major corporate sponsors, and hilariouscommercials. Oh yeah, and his fighting isn’t that bad either. Silva’s complete and utter domination of Yushin Okami at UFC 134 just reinforces what we already knew — we are witnessing the greatest fighter of all time every time he steps inside the Octagon™.
Yushin Okami: Dump it like your autographed picture of Carrot Top.
He is currently ranked as the #3 best Middleweight and yet it seems all for naught. Okami showed up to a gunfight with a pair of flip-flops and a bag of Skittles against Silva. Despite working with the only man to dominate the champion, he never once came close to showing a spark in Brazil. I have a feeling he’ll face the same fate as Jon Fitch while his stock becomes more cursed than Monster.
Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua: Buy it like they’re giving it away for free.
The ‘Shogun’ Rua that showed up Saturday night is not the same man who fought and lost to Jon Jones earlier this year. He proved that he has completely recovered from his past knee surgeries, and destroyed a Top 10 light-heavyweight fighter without breaking a sweat. Rua will once again rise to the top — you can bank on that.
Forrest Griffin: Sell
The two-time New York Times bestselling author and former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion is an open book when it comes to his feelings about fighting overseas, training, and why he continues to fight. Likewise, I too shall be an open book about where to put your money in the MMA stock market, and it’s not here. In his last five fights, Griffin has won only twice against guys who peaked five to seven years prior. Liquidate whatever stock you have in the TUF 1 winner.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Sell*
At the ripe old age of 35, Big Nog did the unthinkable in knocking out a rising star in 28-year-old Brendan Schuab. Modern medicine, or maybe witchcraft, has given Nogueira an unforgettable night in front of his compatriots and you’ve gotta know he deserves it. Nevertheless, that in no way means you should buy Big Nog stock considering the likelihood that he’ll retire in the next few years and won’t be getting a crack at the title anytime soon.
*Note: If the UFC returns to Brazil in 2012, you’d be best served to make a Bed and Breakfast deal on this stock. Just be sure to dump once you think you’ve hit the tipping point.
Brendan Schaub: Hold
People have been a little high on the Hybrid. Sure, he’s promising, but his seemingly glass chin gives me pause. You won’t get rich on him, but you could definitely go broke on him. Let’s slow down on Schaub and watch it play out.
Edson Barboza: Buy
Buy this stock now and sell it early next year, right before the bubble pops. Like we mentioned here yesterday, Barboza barely got by a hand-picked opponent. Not convinced? Consider his fight against Anthony Njokuani at UFC 128 where he struggled to take home a decision win. Listen, you’re only as good as your last night and there will be a sucker that only remembers he beat a guy who won The Ultimate Fighter and will line your pockets with hundies.
Ross Pearson: Hold
There are too many talented fighters in the Lightweight division to buy more stock of the TUF 9 winner. Although he lost, he did look much better than he has in the past, so there’s no reason to sell what stock you already have. If the Brits didn’t have such a bad reputation for having a non-existent wrestling game, I may have bought some of this stock myself.
Luiz Cane: Sell
Winning just one of his last four fights — and that was against a guy who is no longer employed by Zuffa — Luiz Cane is a sinking ship. He is the only Brazilian to lose at UFC Rio, which will stick with him for years to come. He is now the answer to a trivia question. Get out while you still can and cut your losses.
Spencer Fisher: Sell, Sell, Sell
Jordan Breen said it best on Twitter last night: As much action as he’s given us over the years, Spencer Fisher is a spent force as an enterprising UFC lightweight.
On April 9th, 2005, Forrest Griffin became a world-wide hit as he defeated Stephan Bonnar to win “The Ultimate Fighter.” It was arguably one of, if not the greatest fight, in UFC history. In fact, as the fight advanced in rounds, the number of viewers …
On April 9th, 2005, Forrest Griffin became a world-wide hit as he defeated Stephan Bonnar to win “The Ultimate Fighter.” It was arguably one of, if not the greatest fight, in UFC history. In fact, as the fight advanced in rounds, the number of viewers nearly doubled.
Griffin went on to win his next two fights, defeating Bill Mahood and Elvis Sinosic and establishing himself as a legitimate contender in the Light Heavyweight division. Then Griffin hit a road block in his career, losing two of his next three fights to Tito Ortiz and Keith Jardine.
On September 22nd, 2007, Griffin has a career-defining moment when he upset Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 76 by submission in the third round. In his very next fight, Griffin was the new Light Heavyweight champion as he defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 86 by Unanimous Decision.
It appeared Griffin was on top of the world with no signs of slowing down, until he lost his first title defense to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 by TKO in the third round of action. His next fight was the most disappointing fight of his career, when Anderson Silva toyed around with him and knocked him out in the very first round.
Griffin went on to win his next two bouts, but those were against Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin, fighters who are on the decline of their careers. When Griffin defeated Ortiz, it was Ortiz’s third loss in four fights (with the fourth being a draw), while Franklin has been inconsistent of late, losing three of his last five fights.
Approaching UFC 134, Griffin made some shocking statements questioning his love for the sport.
Griffin said, “It ain’t been exciting, fresh or fun since 2008. It’s a job, it’s money, and I have a great job, I realize that. Just because it works doesn’t mean I’m not gonna do it. You man up and you do your job and I make a lot of money doing this, and I love money and I love the freedom and ability money gives you. It quit being fun when I realized I wasn’t getting better. I’m plateauing or almost getting worse sometimes.”
Griffin admitted his job isn’t fun anymore and that he isn’t getting better. He went on to state that he loved the money and the freedom that comes with it.
Griffin displayed his second-worst performance at UFC 134, where he was knocked out in the first round by Rua in their rematch. Rua outstruck Griffin 16 to three, and redeemed himself after losing to Griffin at UFC 76.
While Griffin is still a good fighter, his love for the sport appears to be fading fast, if it’s not already gone. In order to be above your competition, an individual must possess a love for the sport. It appears as if Griffin’s love for money has far surpassed his love for fighting in the UFC.
It will be interesting to see what’s next for Griffin, but one thing’s for sure: if he doesn’t regain his love for the sport, he may never be the same.
This weekend at UFC 134 in Rio De Janeiro, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua defeated Forrest Griffin in the co-main event of the evening.
