Nobody said it would be easy. From the initial season of The Ultimate Fighter emerged a tall and goofy fighter who looked barely older than the childhood pictures of his youthful self. Dan Severn taught him that recognized MMA fighters were big time. Keith Jardine showed that he could be brought down. But better yet, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua proved that Forrest Griffin learned how to hang with the best in the world. And with that win over Shogun came a shot at the title against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 86.
Griffin has the heart and the training to make many other fighters look weak. He doesn’t quit. He doesn’t let a little blood stop the fight. He doesn’t stop after a rounds of trading heavy punches. Forget about tapping too. Forrest Griffin wants to win. And on Saturday night, he did. Forrest Griffin executed a gameplan at UFC 86 to become the next light-heavyweight champion even after taking similar shots from Jackson that probably would have dropped many other fighters for good. While Quinton Jackson rightfully took the belt from Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 last year, and regardless of what people might say, Griffin did the same to Jackson this year.
Losers can’t make excuses forever. Although Jackson admitted that Griffin “whooped his ass”, I don’t expect his outspoken trainer, Juanito Ibarra, to say silent for long. But many make excuses for Shogun after his loss to Griffin via rear naked choke last November as well. His leg was injured. He wasn’t in shape. He shouldn’t have fought. But excuses are useless in a sport where you only get one chance. You better be ready or you better choose another profession. Griffin certainly didn’t let anything get in the way of his quest for the light heavyweight belt on Saturday Night. With leg kicks that proved that Jackson wasn’t an invincible standup fighter to ground control that did enough to keep the ex-champion from doing anything offensively in the second round of their five round brawl, Griffin knew what had to be done and he did it with his goofy, yet respectful, style.
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