In a closely contested rubber match between two war-tested veterans, Forrest Griffin defeated Tito Ortiz via unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 148 six days ago. All three fights in the trilogy were close and it could be argued that ei…
In a closely contested rubber match between two war-tested veterans, Forrest Griffin defeated Tito Ortiz via unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 148 six days ago.
MMA Mania credits Pro MMA Radio host Larry Pope for being the first one to break the news today.
The 34-year-old had already received criticism for leaving the Octagon unannounced after the conclusion of the third round, prior to the results being read, an action he later apologized for.
Griffin’s bizarre antics continued when he grabbed the microphone from Joe Rogan after the fight to promote an impromptu interview with Ortiz.
Many considered the move inappropriate, given that Ortiz announced his retirement weeks before the event took place. Ortiz was also inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame the afternoon of July 7.
While Griffin significantly out-struck Ortiz on the feet, he looked every bit as slow and fatigued as the self-proclaimed “People’s Champion” as the fight wore on. He also gave up several takedowns and ate plenty of heavy shots on the ground.
Was TRT the difference-maker in this match-up or was Forrest simply the better man Saturday evening?
Of course, the argument can also be made that Griffin, the original winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” was simply gifted a 29-28 decision by the judges.
(On the count of three, I want everyone who is not pulling a fast one to raise their hand.)
If there are two things that we would be willing to bet the house on in light of recent events, it’s that half of the scheduled fights for the next few months will be cancelled due to injury, and the few participants who remain standing after the smoke clears will only be doing so as a result of testosterone replacement therapy. So goes the story for TUF 1 winner and former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, the most recent UFC behemoth fighter who both filed for and was successful in receiving a therapeutic use exemption for TRT over the past couple months.
(On the count of three, I want everyone who is not pulling a fast one to raise their hand.)
If there are two things that we would be willing to bet the house on in light of recent events, it’s that half of the scheduled fights for the next few months will be cancelled due to injury, and the few participants who remain standing after the smoke clears will only be doing so as a result of testosterone replacement therapy. So goes the story for TUF 1 winner and former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, the most recent UFC behemoth fighter who both filed for and was successful in receiving a therapeutic use exemption for TRT over the past couple months.
The news that Griffin received a TUE from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his UFC 148 fight with the now-retired Tito Ortiz was reported by Pro MMA Radio Host Larry Pepe via his Twitter earlier today. Kind of makes you imagine how gassed Griffin would have really been in that third round had he not recently hopped on this bandwagon, but we digress.
We could get into the whole moral debate over this issue, but it would truly be retreading old ground at this point. The truth is, there ain’t much that FoGriff could do to justify his sudden need for testosterone, other than the fact that he’s not 22 anymore. Everyone from Randy Couture to Dana White have stated that TRT is basically a crock of shit excuse for aging athletes to feel younger again, but it’s legal, so whaddayagonnado?! Start juicing up filling out that paperwork now, Stephan, because you’re going to need it if you ever get that rematch.
Express your outrage or support for FoGriff’s plight in the comments section. And happy Friday the 13th, Potato Nation. I leave you with this:
(Fair warning: You DEFINITELY won’t see the compiler’s choice of music coming.)
Tito Ortiz has spent the last couple of days on Twitter venting his frustration over what he considers to be a horrible decision by the judges following his fight with Forrest Griffin at UFC 148.It first started with Ortiz announcing he was going to wa…
Tito Ortiz has spent the last couple of days on Twitter venting his frustration over what he considers to be a horrible decision by the judges following his fight with Forrest Griffin at UFC 148.
It first started with Ortiz announcing he was going to watch the fight for the first time. His first reaction was:
Never knew a fight can be won by strikes thrown. I feel sorry for my fans. (Posted at 9:32 PM, July 11)
The next person Ortiz ripped was Joe Rogan:
Funny hearing the commentating @joerogan’s hand must of been sore from stroking Forrest during fight. Joe may need 2get glasses instead of hair plugs. Crazy how my quads aren’t sore from kicks. But my shins are from checking. (Posted at 9:55 PM, July 11)
Today, news broke that Forrest Griffin was granted a TRT exemption shortly before his fight with Ortiz. The former “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” had this to say about the news:
@ForrestGriffin sorry to hear you had to use #steroids to beat me! Wait or try to beat me. @ForrestGriffin = #cheater lol. Have a good day! (Posted at 2:08 PM, July 13)
Granted, most MMA fans would agree that Ortiz deserved a better send-off than what he received. His last fight will be most remembered for the post-fight antics of Griffin.
Griffin running out of the Octagon, being chased by Dana White, then coming back to accept the win, followed by him grabbing Joe Rogan’s microphone and conducting a pathetic interview with Ortiz. That’s what we’ll remember from the fight.
Well, that and the image of two tired fighters lethargically trading jabs with one-another.
I think it’s safe to say most MMA fans have grown tired of Griffin’s immature banter.
Let’s just hope we aren’t forced to witness another Ortiz vs. Griffin fight at any point in our lifetimes.
Joe Chacon is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a Staff Writer for Operation Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.
In the wake of Anderson Silva defeating Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, the big question that has emerged is who is next for Silva, and who deserves or has earned his shot? For the past couple years, Silva and Sonnen have cultured a feud and rivalry tha…
In the wake of Anderson Silva defeating Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, the big question that has emerged is who is next for Silva, and who deserves or has earned his shot?
For the past couple years, Silva and Sonnen have cultured a feud and rivalry that was very unique and drew a lot of attention. The greatest rematch to date came and went, and “The Spider” still remains king of the hill. But now that he has vanquished his biggest challenge of his career, it resurfaces the question that has followed every Silva fight; who is next for him?
Normally, it is a question out of bewilderment of the moment, but now with Sonnen defeated twice, the contenders are looking slim for the champ. Yes, there are always up-and-comers, but there are few that have the statistical numbers and promise that make fans feel like they would be viable challengers.
Essentially, Michael Bisping is the only man still at Middleweight who is yet to fight Anderson Silva. The other contenders jumped over to the UFC ship later on, but since Silva’s intro into the Octagon, Bisping is the only one who has always been there, but has never gotten a title shot. Had Bisping beaten Chael Sonnen when they met, it would have put Bisping on a five-fight winning streak, and most likely a title shot.
Bisping has had many “fight of the night” awards, but has filled the role of gatekeeper for the past few years. He has had his good runs, but gets stopped short. He has verbally made his case many times, but he is still coming off a loss.
Had Mark Muñoz won against Weidman, Muñoz would have been very deserving of a title shot. Weidman had other plans, and now he is in a position that could give HIM the opportunity to face Silva. Some feel he needs one more win before facing the Brazilian superstar, but that is all up to opinion.
The only other part of figuring out who might be next is the outcome of UFC 149’s matchup of Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch. If Boetsch wins, you could make an argument for his shot, but like Weidman, he might need one more. If Lombard wins though, a title shot for him will be all but certain. Yes, Lombard will be making his UFC debut with this fight, but it’s hard to ignore 24 victories in a row, and a champion at that.
You can argue that Lombard still doesn’t deserve it if he wins, but like how Alistair Overeem got his shot, the UFC is not opposed to giving big names from other organizations a title shot after one win in the Octagon. Lombard is the only one who seems like an actual threat, and with a decisive win over Boetsch, he should be next up to try to dethrone Silva.
LHW fighter Rashad Evans has put his name in the hat, but only the name draws attention and any sort of worthiness toward an immediate title shot. Because more people know Evans than Weidman, it may be better looking on paper, but that fight would come up short when it comes to be deserving or fair. At the end of the day though, the UFC is a business as well.
Looking at the division under a magnifying glass is fine, but that will yield very little indication of what might be slated for Silva. Everyone has different criteria for what makes someone deserving of a title shot, and with these different contenders making their case from different angles, it will be interesting to see which direction the UFC goes. After UFC 149, we will have a little better understanding of the situation. Until then, Anderson Silva remains supreme.
Make no mistake about it; Dong Hyun Kim is an extraordinary athlete whose judo has carried him a long way. Prior to his battle with Maia, Kim had lost only one of eight fights inside the Octagon, which includes matchups with Nate Diaz and Matt Brown.De…
Make no mistake about it; Dong Hyun Kim is an extraordinary athlete whose judo has carried him a long way. Prior to his battle with Maia, Kim had lost only one of eight fights inside the Octagon, which includes matchups with Nate Diaz and Matt Brown.
Despite Maia’s incredible jiu-jitsu prowess, Kim was favored by oddsmakers 2:1. Perhaps it had something to do with Maia’s recent tendency to engage in slugfests instead of harnessing the tools that got him his world title shot in the first place.
Last weekend, the Brazilian elected to forego the standup entirely, as he clinched with the judo player and immediately secured his back. The struggle was brief, and Maia slammed his opponent to the canvas where an injury caused a quick finish.
It appears that the dangerous Brazilian has realized that by trying to prove to the world that he is not a one-dimensional fighter, he is no longer posing the imminent threat that he once did. Now that he has returned to his bread and butter, he is a dangerous foe for anyone. But how does he stack up in the UFC’s welterweight division?
With a wrestling-centric division that includes a handful of one dimensional grinders like Jon Fitch, Mike Pierce and Aaron Simpson, Maia’s brilliant jiu-jitsu might just be the kryptonite to their Superman.
By taking down a renowned judo player like Kim, Maia showed us how much his takedown skills have improved. If Maia is now able to work fights to the ground by simply securing a clinch, he is a big threat to the strikers of the division like Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves so long as he can enter without getting knocked out.
The heavy-handed wrestlers like Johny Hendricks, Josh Koscheck and Jake Ellenberger have the best chance of beating Maia. Their wrestling defense can keep the bout standing, and they are likely to do big damage in the standup battle.
If Maia continues to develop his footwork, head movement and combinations, he will be a threat to everyone in the division. As of right now, he is a fighter who we should keep our eyes on. Until he can get his hands on a Fitch, Alves or Koscheck, we won’t fully understand what he is capable of.
Dominick Cruz was expected to face his longtime rival Urijah Faber at UFC 148 in a rubber match for his bantamweight title. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury and was unable to compete on the card. While Cruz is on the sidelines, his teammate Mik…
Dominick Cruz was expected to face his longtime rival Urijah Faber at UFC 148 in a rubber match for his bantamweight title. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury and was unable to compete on the card. While Cruz is on the sidelines, his teammate Mike Easton continues to make waves in the division.
After his win over Ivan Menjivar, Easton spoke with Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter. He spoke about how Ivan Menjivar was apparently up for a title shot—had he won—and believes that he’s now earned that shot at the belt.
Teammates fighting teammates has been one of the most discussed topics in MMA. Camps such as Greg Jackson’s apparently have fighters agree to not fight their teammates, no matter what is at stake. Cruz doesn’t understand what the big fuss is about.
“To me, and me and Mike have talked about this, I really don’t understand the mentality of ‘I don’t want to fight my teammates,’ especially if it’s for a belt. For a belt, definitely, no question. That’s what we do this for,” Cruz told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview.
“But really, if I’m chasing the belt in any part of this division and if I really want to be a world champion, you’ve gotta understand that the people you’re training with are probably trying to be as good as you are. You might run into them,” he said.
He makes a fantastic point—fighters aren’t getting into this sport to not be the best. They want that belt as much as everyone else they train with, and there will likely be a time when both are fighting for the top spot in the division.
We’ve seen it happen with Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, as well as currently with Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit. Both train with Greg Jackson.
“There’s only a top-five in the division that you end up getting to that you have to fight to get your chance at the belt,” Cruz said. “Well, after awhile your friends might work into the top five. Once you work into the top five, you have to understand that I want that belt more than anything.”
“We beat the crap out of each other in practice anyways. We beat the hell out of each other. The only difference is now there’s a stage for it to be on. In any situation, I feel that friends set that aside to fight for business.
“If you want to be that world champion, you have to be willing to beat anybody on this planet—no strings attached,” Cruz said.
That last line strikes me to the core. If you want to be the best in the world, you have to be willing to prove it by fighting the best in the world.
Friendships will last beyond that 25 minutes in a cage. Leave the ego at the door and see what happens.
Tito Ortiz has spent the last couple of days on