Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin. Two men who helped build the UFC into what it is today. Both former light heavyweight champions. Locked in a sure-to-be intense battle that will end with Ortiz walking off into the sunset after an illustrious career. At least, that is what the fight is being billed as. As with any high-profile fight, this one has UFC President Dana White “rounding up” when it comes to the actual impact of this bout.
For a variety of reasons, this fight is simply not a big deal. Both Griffin and Ortiz are in a position in their careers where this was not a fight that they should have made, and the inevitable efforts to portray this fight as something other than a gimmick fight should not be taken seriously.
Whether or not the fight proves to be a successful main or co-main event financially (the UFC 148 card is not completely arranged yet), it remains a sideshow.