Forrest Griffin Fighter Profile

Forrest Griffin is one of the newest fighters to grace the world of Mixed Martial Arts. The 27 year-old Ohio-born brawler was the funny man and eventual winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV. His victory on the show earned him an official contract with the UFC, as well as a reputation as someone who never goes into a fight without a trademark grin on his face and a powerful sense of humor. Leave it to a man who would go several years fighting in the MMA without health insurance to never take anything too seriously. He was indeed the perfect addition to a reality show based around the sport. 
Griffin grew up never having much of an interest in professional sports let alone professional fighting for that matter. His career of choice would be police officer, finishing his degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Georgia. Taking root in Athens, Georgia, he would first be exposed to martial arts during police academy where the Gracie Grapple System was being used to teach self-defense and defensive tactics to officers. One of his instructors would also show him a video of a UFC bout, which eventually sparked Griffin’s interest. "I’d seen it on ‘95 when I was in middle school or high school," Griffin would comment during an interview. "and it was the most boring thing I’ve ever seen. I was like ‘why is that guy wearing pajamasï¿½why is that guy wearing tights?’ Then I saw Belfort knock out somebody and I was like ‘oh my God, that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Man, I gotta do this’".
Griffin would soon join the HardCore Gym and be coached by the gym’s owner’s Adam and Rory Singer. Together they would get him ready for his first official MMA bout. In October 2001 he would face one of the most seasoned fighters in MMA history, future UFC hall of fame inductee Dan Severn. "I was prepared for the Dan Severn that I had seen on film," Griffin said. "The Dan Severn that I fought that night wasn’t too overly aggressive, he wasn’t really what I expected at all. I made the mistake of being afraid to take chances and I ended up just laying down for him."Griffin would lose his first fight by unanimous decision with Dan Severn, but seeing how it was Dan "The Beast Severn" he didn’t take the loss too hard.
Griffin continued to train and would go on to win each of his next three fights. When it came time to face UFC veteran Jeff "The Snowman" Monson. For three rounds the two would trade blows and grapples. As the final bell rang, both fighters were exhausted and the judges could not come to a decision. The fight was declared a draw. But as the crowd screamed for more, the judges felt that a fourth round would be necessary to bring a conclusion to the epic battle. In round 4, Griffin would shine, giving Jeff Monson a run for his money. At the end of the fourth round both the judges and fans could see that Griffin’s victory was well deserved. 
"The fight with Monson was a resume builder," Griffin would reveal later. "Anytime that you beat a great fighter with a big name it puts you up a notch. Now it’s cool because I’m the guy that people want to beat to get their name up". 
His rise in notches continued, beating fighters such as Travis Fulton, Ebenezer Fontes Braga, and Eson Paredao. It wouldn’t be long before the UFC would take notice, and as luck for have it they were working on a new reality series that they needed to cast. 
The Ultimate Fighter would be the UFC’s official reality based contest/show and would aired on the "network for men" Spike TV. The contest would bring in upcoming fighters, classifying them into two weight classes (Middle weight and Light heavyweight), train them, and let them battle in the ring to claim an official contract with the UFC. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell would hand pick Forrest Griffin from the list of hopefuls to participate as a light heavyweight contestant for Team Liddell. Griffin would leave his job and girlfriend to invest his time in the show in a display of his usual "all or nothing" attitude. While the cameras filmed he would demonstrate his trademark wackiness that earned him the role as the show’s comic relief. 
Dodging past all opportunities to be eliminated from TUF, Forrest Griffin would eventually make it to the final round. A Spike TV televised event featuring Forrest Griffin and his opponent Stephan Bonnar (member of Team Couture). Due to the new-found fame the UFC had receive from the show, the Griffin vs Bonnar match would be considered one of the most exciting and memorable in the history of the UFC. 
The first round began quickly, as both fighters neglected to bother touching gloves but preferred to exit their corners swinging. Griffin was believed to have a slight advantage during the first round, but Bonnar seemed capable of keeping up just the same. In the second round, Bonnar would become more aggressive, and one of his jabs would open a large cut onto Griffin’s nose. Believing the cut would not bleed into Griffin’s eyes the fight was not stopped by the referee and continued for a third round. It was here that both fighters began to tire and change their tactics. Griffin opted to use low kicks and punches, while Bonnar would stand back and attempt to counterattack from a distance. Griffin would actively try to close the distance between the two fighters, to which Bonnar would respond with aggressive punches. Near the end of the round, Bonnar had resorted to blocking most attacks and only counterattacking when given a wide opportunity. 
When the bell rang both fighters were still standing. There was no clear winner and the decision was left to the judges. In a scoring of 29-28 Forrest Griffin was announced the winner of the fight to a crowd of equally unsure spectators. With his victory would come the UFC contract (as well as a brand new car, dirt-bike, and watch). In effect the fight turned out in Bonnar’s favor as well, as he was also offered a UFC contract based on his match with Griffin. 
Now a member of the UFC, Forrest Griffin has done well so far, defeating his first two matches against Bill Mahood and Elvis Sinsosic. On April 15th, 2006 he faced UFC veteran Tito Ortiz in the Octagon, managing to do fairly well in the end. Despite MMA commentator Eddie Bravo giving Griffin the victory on the UFC official scorecard it was indeed Tito Ortiz who won by split decision. 
While Griffin certainly has no problem with the money involved (to pay for his multiple injuries he seems susceptible to), he enjoys the sport for what it is. Usually the funny man, Griffin can turn serious when he steps into the ring. His agile frame and youth may be the key to his success as he begins his UFC career, ready to face the other famous faces that are sent his way. 
Fight Record - 13-4-0
<ul>
<li>06-16-2007 - Defeats Hector Ramirez, UFC 72, Unanimous Decision </li>
<li>12-30-2006 - Lost to Keith Jardine, UFC 66, TKO Round 1, 4:41 </li>
<li>08-26-2006 - Defeats Stephan Bonnar, UFC 62, Unanimous Decision </li>
<li>04-15-2006 - Lost to Tito Ortiz, UFC 59, Split Decision </li>
<li>10-07-2005 - Defeats Elvis Sinosic, UFC 55, TKO Round 1, 3:30 </li>
<li>06-04-2005 - Defeats Bill Mahood, UFC 53, Submission Round 1, 2:18 </li>
<li>04-09-2005 - Defeats Stephan Bonnar, TUF Finale, Unanimous Decision </li>
<li>12-18-2003 - Defeats Edson Paredao, Heat FC 2, KO Round 1 </li>
<li>09-06-2003 - Lost to Jeremy Horn, IFC Global Domination, KO Round 2, 3:40 </li>
<li>09-06-2003 - Defeats Chael Sonnen, IFC GD,Submission Round 1, 2:25 </li>
<li>07-31-2003 - Defeats Ebenezer Fontes Braga, Heat FC 1, Submission Round 1 </li>
<li>12-15-2002 - Defeats Steve Sayegh, KOTC 20, Submission Round 1, 1:45 </li>
<li>10-26-2002 - Defeats Travis Fulton, CC 1, TKO(Cut) Round 1 </li>
<li>06-29-2002 - Defeats Jeff Monson, WEFC 1, Decision </li>
<li>04-12-2002 - Defeats Kent Hansley, ISCF BATB, Submission Round 1, 2:26 </li>
<li>01-26-2002 - Defeats Jason Braswell, RSF 7, Split Decision </li>
<li>11-24-2001 - Defeats Weihan Lesh, Pride and Honor, Submission </li>
<li>10-27-2001 - Lost to Dan Severn, RSF 5, Decision </li></ul>

Weight Class Eligible for Top 10 ( tick if yes )

( Seperate each weight class with a space. Tags for weight classes are: lw = light weight, mw = middle weight, lhw = light hw, he = heavy weight )

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Randy Couture and Forrest Griffin Training 02/08/07	Forrest Griffin Highlight
Forrest Griffin	forrest griffin vs Edson Paredao
Forrest Griffin Staph	Forrest Griffin Staph 2

Forrest Griffin is one of the newest fighters to grace the world of Mixed Martial Arts. The 27 year-old Ohio-born brawler was the funny man and eventual winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV. His victory on the show earned him an official contract with the UFC, as well as a reputation as someone who never goes into a fight without a trademark grin on his face and a powerful sense of humor. Leave it to a man who would go several years fighting in the MMA without health insurance to never take anything too seriously. He was indeed the perfect addition to a reality show based around the sport.

Griffin grew up never having much of an interest in professional sports let alone professional fighting for that matter. His career of choice would be police officer, finishing his degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Georgia. Taking root in Athens, Georgia, he would first be exposed to martial arts during police academy where the Gracie Grapple System was being used to teach self-defense and defensive tactics to officers. One of his instructors would also show him a video of a UFC bout, which eventually sparked Griffin’s interest. "I’d seen it on ‘95 when I was in middle school or high school," Griffin would comment during an interview. "and it was the most boring thing I’ve ever seen. I was like ‘why is that guy wearing pajamasï¿½why is that guy wearing tights?’ Then I saw Belfort knock out somebody and I was like ‘oh my God, that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Man, I gotta do this’".

Griffin would soon join the HardCore Gym and be coached by the gym’s owner’s Adam and Rory Singer. Together they would get him ready for his first official MMA bout. In October 2001 he would face one of the most seasoned fighters in MMA history, future UFC hall of fame inductee Dan Severn. "I was prepared for the Dan Severn that I had seen on film," Griffin said. "The Dan Severn that I fought that night wasn’t too overly aggressive, he wasn’t really what I expected at all. I made the mistake of being afraid to take chances and I ended up just laying down for him."Griffin would lose his first fight by unanimous decision with Dan Severn, but seeing how it was Dan "The Beast Severn" he didn’t take the loss too hard.

Griffin continued to train and would go on to win each of his next three fights. When it came time to face UFC veteran Jeff "The Snowman" Monson. For three rounds the two would trade blows and grapples. As the final bell rang, both fighters were exhausted and the judges could not come to a decision. The fight was declared a draw. But as the crowd screamed for more, the judges felt that a fourth round would be necessary to bring a conclusion to the epic battle. In round 4, Griffin would shine, giving Jeff Monson a run for his money. At the end of the fourth round both the judges and fans could see that Griffin’s victory was well deserved.

"The fight with Monson was a resume builder," Griffin would reveal later. "Anytime that you beat a great fighter with a big name it puts you up a notch. Now it’s cool because I’m the guy that people want to beat to get their name up".

His rise in notches continued, beating fighters such as Travis Fulton, Ebenezer Fontes Braga, and Eson Paredao. It wouldn’t be long before the UFC would take notice, and as luck for have it they were working on a new reality series that they needed to cast.

The Ultimate Fighter would be the UFC’s official reality based contest/show and would aired on the "network for men" Spike TV. The contest would bring in upcoming fighters, classifying them into two weight classes (Middle weight and Light heavyweight), train them, and let them battle in the ring to claim an official contract with the UFC. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell would hand pick Forrest Griffin from the list of hopefuls to participate as a light heavyweight contestant for Team Liddell. Griffin would leave his job and girlfriend to invest his time in the show in a display of his usual "all or nothing" attitude. While the cameras filmed he would demonstrate his trademark wackiness that earned him the role as the show’s comic relief.

Dodging past all opportunities to be eliminated from TUF, Forrest Griffin would eventually make it to the final round. A Spike TV televised event featuring Forrest Griffin and his opponent Stephan Bonnar (member of Team Couture). Due to the new-found fame the UFC had receive from the show, the Griffin vs Bonnar match would be considered one of the most exciting and memorable in the history of the UFC.

The first round began quickly, as both fighters neglected to bother touching gloves but preferred to exit their corners swinging. Griffin was believed to have a slight advantage during the first round, but Bonnar seemed capable of keeping up just the same. In the second round, Bonnar would become more aggressive, and one of his jabs would open a large cut onto Griffin’s nose. Believing the cut would not bleed into Griffin’s eyes the fight was not stopped by the referee and continued for a third round. It was here that both fighters began to tire and change their tactics. Griffin opted to use low kicks and punches, while Bonnar would stand back and attempt to counterattack from a distance. Griffin would actively try to close the distance between the two fighters, to which Bonnar would respond with aggressive punches. Near the end of the round, Bonnar had resorted to blocking most attacks and only counterattacking when given a wide opportunity.

When the bell rang both fighters were still standing. There was no clear winner and the decision was left to the judges. In a scoring of 29-28 Forrest Griffin was announced the winner of the fight to a crowd of equally unsure spectators. With his victory would come the UFC contract (as well as a brand new car, dirt-bike, and watch). In effect the fight turned out in Bonnar’s favor as well, as he was also offered a UFC contract based on his match with Griffin.

Now a member of the UFC, Forrest Griffin has done well so far, defeating his first two matches against Bill Mahood and Elvis Sinsosic. On April 15th, 2006 he faced UFC veteran Tito Ortiz in the Octagon, managing to do fairly well in the end. Despite MMA commentator Eddie Bravo giving Griffin the victory on the UFC official scorecard it was indeed Tito Ortiz who won by split decision.

While Griffin certainly has no problem with the money involved (to pay for his multiple injuries he seems susceptible to), he enjoys the sport for what it is. Usually the funny man, Griffin can turn serious when he steps into the ring. His agile frame and youth may be the key to his success as he begins his UFC career, ready to face the other famous faces that are sent his way.

Fight Record - 13-4-0

06-16-2007 - Defeats Hector Ramirez, UFC 72, Unanimous Decision
12-30-2006 - Lost to Keith Jardine, UFC 66, TKO Round 1, 4:41
08-26-2006 - Defeats Stephan Bonnar, UFC 62, Unanimous Decision
04-15-2006 - Lost to Tito Ortiz, UFC 59, Split Decision
10-07-2005 - Defeats Elvis Sinosic, UFC 55, TKO Round 1, 3:30
06-04-2005 - Defeats Bill Mahood, UFC 53, Submission Round 1, 2:18
04-09-2005 - Defeats Stephan Bonnar, TUF Finale, Unanimous Decision
12-18-2003 - Defeats Edson Paredao, Heat FC 2, KO Round 1
09-06-2003 - Lost to Jeremy Horn, IFC Global Domination, KO Round 2, 3:40
09-06-2003 - Defeats Chael Sonnen, IFC GD,Submission Round 1, 2:25
07-31-2003 - Defeats Ebenezer Fontes Braga, Heat FC 1, Submission Round 1
12-15-2002 - Defeats Steve Sayegh, KOTC 20, Submission Round 1, 1:45
10-26-2002 - Defeats Travis Fulton, CC 1, TKO(Cut) Round 1
06-29-2002 - Defeats Jeff Monson, WEFC 1, Decision
04-12-2002 - Defeats Kent Hansley, ISCF BATB, Submission Round 1, 2:26
01-26-2002 - Defeats Jason Braswell, RSF 7, Split Decision
11-24-2001 - Defeats Weihan Lesh, Pride and Honor, Submission
10-27-2001 - Lost to Dan Severn, RSF 5, Decision

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