Forrest Griffin was on MMA Fight Corner Radio this weekend and when asked whether or not he would entertain a third fight with Tito Ortiz, the former UFC light heavyweight champ didn’t hesitate in answering.
“If people would pay to see that fight, I’ll get paid to fight that fight,” Griffin said. “I care more about where the fight is; I don’t travel well. If that fight [with Tito] happens in the continental United States, I’m down.”
(Video courtesy of UStream/MMAFightCornerRadio)
Forrest Griffin was on MMA Fight Corner Radio this weekend and when asked whether or not he would entertain a third fight with Tito Ortiz, the former UFC light heavyweight champ didn’t hesitate in answering.
“If people would pay to see that fight, I’ll get paid to fight that fight,” Griffin said. “I care more about where the fight is; I don’t travel well. If that fight [with Tito] happens in the continental United States, I’m down.”
“If anything, for me now, I’m realizing that I don’t have much left. This is the end of the road for me. I want a couple of more fight fights, you know, good ones. Fights were I don’t get knocked out in the first round,” he said with a chuckle. “Fights were I get hurt and bleed a little but I kinda rally back. Something of that nature. As far as a fight with Tito, yeah it would be good but do people want to see it.”
Fans have speculated for years over when former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz would retire. With only one victory in his last seven fights, “the Huntington Beach Bad Boy” knows that the end is near. Now, he has a date set …
Fans have speculated for years over when former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz would retire. With only one victory in his last seven fights, “the Huntington Beach Bad Boy” knows that the end is near. Now, he has a date set in stone. “May 30, 2012″, Ortiz told reporters at Wednesday’s open workout for this […]
Back in July, before UFC 132, the “People’s Champ,” Tito Ortiz, was going into what could have been the final fight of his career against heavy-handed Ryan Bader. Ortiz had gone 0-4-1 in his last five fights and had not won …
Back in July, before UFC 132, the “People’s Champ,” Tito Ortiz, was going into what could have been the final fight of his career against heavy-handed Ryan Bader. Ortiz had gone 0-4-1 in his last five fights and had not won a fight since he defeated Ken Shamrock back in 2006. It was clear that Ortiz was […]
We caught up with Carlos Newton briefly over the weekend in Toronto at the MMA Expo and the former UFC welterweight champion surprised us with the news that he has retired.
“I’m retired,” Newton explained. “The sport just isn’t as competitive as it used to be.”
Instead of focusing on preparing to fight inside the cage, “The Ronin” says he has turned his focus on fighting for proper regulation by the people who officiate both inside and outside of it.
“I’m just concentrating on helping to improve the regulation of the sport and I’m looking into becoming a judge. I think that as fighters we have a lot more knowledge and insight into the intricacies of what’s going on in a fight than someone who has never competed. MMA judging needs fixing and I’m hoping I can help do it.”
By Mike Russell
We caught up with Carlos Newton briefly over the weekend in Toronto at the MMA Expo and the former UFC welterweight champion surprised us with the news that he has retired.
“I’m retired,” Newton explained. “The sport just isn’t as competitive as it used to be.”
Instead of focusing on preparing to fight inside the cage, “The Ronin” says he has turned his focus on fighting for proper regulation by the people who officiate both inside and outside of it.
“I’m just concentrating on helping to improve the regulation of the sport and I’m looking into becoming a judge. I think that as fighters we have a lot more knowledge and insight into the intricacies of what’s going on in a fight than someone who has never competed. MMA judging needs fixing and I’m hoping I can help do it.”
Having competed sporadically over the past few years, the 35-year-old Canadian racked up a 3-4 record in his past seven fights since 2006, but two of those losses were decisions to UFC vets Brian Ebersole (unanimous) and Renzo Gracie (split).
He will perhaps be best remembered, however, for his controversial knockout loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 134 back in 2001.
With a triangle choke locked in, Hughes picked Newton up carried him over to the cage in front of his corner and slammed him on the canvas, knocking the champion out and winning the strap. On further inspection of the replay of the bout, it appears that Hughes was actually choked unconscious by the triangle and simply fell down, dropping Carlos in the process. The impact actually woke him up and when referee “Big” John McCarthy tapped him to inform him he had won, he asked him what had happened.
(Video courtesy of Videolog/esportesdagalera)
Although he denied being out, Hughes can be heard on the original video telling his cornerman, Pat Miletich, “I was out. I was out.”
(Video courtesy of YouTube/PGudmunson)
He says that retirement won’t mean taking time off to relax on a sunny beach.
“I’m still training and teaching and I’ve got my [construction project management] business and a few other ventures I’m working on,” he explained. “I’m also [still going] to architecture school.”
Newton, who retires with a 16-14 record, (which is deceiving considering the level of competitionsays that martial arts and MMA is a part of him, and as such, no matter if he’s competing or not, fighting will be in his life in some way or another.
“I’ll always be involved with the sport,” he said. “Definitely.”
After seeing a devastated Kenny Florian lose to Jose Aldo at UFC 136, in what was his third unsuccessful bid for UFC gold, most fans completely wrote off Florian’s chances at ever winning a title in the world’s top MMA organization. While t…
After seeing a devastated Kenny Florian lose to Jose Aldo at UFC 136, in what was his third unsuccessful bid for UFC gold, most fans completely wrote off Florian’s chances at ever winning a title in the world’s top MMA organization. While this is clearly the most obvious scenario, it seems most of the world […]
When Dana White first attempted to end Chuck Liddell’s MMA career in 2009, the move was met with mixed feelings by the MMA community. Though it was admirable to see a fight promoter put his friend’s health before profits, it seemed unfair that Liddell had no say in his own retirement. After all he gave to the sport, didn’t he deserve to go out on his own terms?
At the time, Liddell was riding back-to-back knockout losses against Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua. He had reached the end of the line as a top competitor, and didn’t need any more concussions in his life. And yet, he convinced White to give him one last dance against Tito Ortiz. Then, Ortiz pulled out of their fight, and Rich Franklin stepped in and knocked Chuck out again.
In a way, it was the saddest knockout of Chuck’s career because of how well he was doing up until he lost consciousness. He was clearly motivated and in great shape — but after 12 years of standing and banging, it only took a single off-balance hook to shut his brain off.
I’m sure Dana White regretted the way the situation turned out, and the role he played in allowing Liddell to suffer another head-trauma. And I hope he learned a lesson that he can now use in dealing with Matt Hughes.
When Dana White first attempted to end Chuck Liddell’s MMA career in 2009, the move was met with mixed feelings by the MMA community. Though it was admirable to see a fight promoter put his friend’s health before profits, it seemed unfair that Liddell had no say in his own retirement. After all he gave to the sport, didn’t he deserve to go out on his own terms?
At the time, Liddell was riding back-to-back knockout losses against Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua. He had reached the end of the line as a top competitor, and didn’t need any more concussions in his life. And yet, he convinced White to give him one last dance against Tito Ortiz. Then, Ortiz pulled out of their fight, and Rich Franklin stepped in and knocked Chuck out again.
In a way, it was the saddest knockout of Chuck’s career because of how well he was doing up until he lost consciousness. He was clearly motivated and in great shape — but after 12 years of standing and banging, it only took a single off-balance hook to shut his brain off.
I’m sure Dana White regretted the way the situation turned out, and the role he played in allowing Liddell to suffer another head-trauma. And I hope he learned a lesson that he can now use in dealing with Matt Hughes.
Hughes, of course, now finds himself in the same situation that Liddell was in following the Rua fight in 2009. His last two contests against BJ Penn and Josh Koscheck (at UFC 135 last weekend) ended in lights-out KO’s — yet he couldn’t bring himself to say the words “I retire” in the post-fight interview. Admittedly, it’s not the best moment to ask a fighter about his future when he’s just waking up from a loss. But now that a few days have passed, I hope Hughes realizes that campaigning for another fight does him no favors. It only gives him another opportunity to put his longterm health in danger by getting knocked out again. And as all followers of combat sports know, getting knocked out only becomes easier the more times it happens to you.
MMA is still such a young sport that we haven’t gotten to see generations of old veterans descend into dementia, like we have in boxing. (How young is MMA, exactly? Of the 39 fighters who have held belts in the UFC since the promotion began awarding official championships in 1997, 38 are still alive.) I think we’re suffering from the invincibility of youth — the naive idea that nothing bad will ever happen to us because nothing bad has happened to us so far.
And it’s bullshit. This sport will have its Muhammad Alis, you can believe that. Chuck Liddell’s speech cadence is noticeably different now than it was when he was a UFC rookie. It’s great that he’s finally stopped fighting, but I worry if the end came one knockout too late.
Ultimately, MMA promoters have to take some responsibility to tell fighters “no mas” when they start to become knockout magnets, because the fighters sure as hell aren’t going to do it themselves. Matt Hughes has reached that point where cage-fighting really isn’t in his best interest anymore, yet he can’t bring himself to retire because of the “competition sickness” that infects almost every athlete.
Bottom line, Dana White needs to do it for him, right now, and permanently. Going out on two losses is a bad end for a former champion, but becoming a cautionary tale is even worse.
