The four fighters who sit at the top of the UFC 148 card set to go down next week in Las Vegas all have one thing in common: they are facing the twilights of their careers. At 32 years of age, Forrest Griffin is the “youngster” of the bunch. Standing ahead is an opportunity to be able to say he effectively retired Tito Ortiz, but even if he does so, what’s left for the former light heavyweight champion?
Forrest Griffin is credited with being one of the two men who saved mixed martial arts, and helped push it to the level that the sport has reached today. He successfully capitalized on the opportunity that the sport afforded him when he snatched the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship away from Quinton “Rampage” Jackson back in 2008. Since then, he hasn’t been able to return to form, and has found himself in a state of flux within the weight class. We already know the fate of his opponent next Saturday — win, lose, or draw — but Griffin also has a lot to lose in this bout, without too much to really win.
Looking at the light heavyweight rankings provided by MMA Ratings, Griffin sits in the sixth position, while many other outlets do not have him ranked within the top ten. He hasn’t been able to defeat a highly-ranked competitor since his victory over Jackson four years ago. Injuries have kept him on a sporadic fight schedule, as this upcoming bout will be his first time in the Octagon in nearly a year. He’s the favorite going into this fight with Ortiz, but once the night is over, it will be really difficult to see Griffin’s next move… if there is one to be had.
The idea that Griffin is on a mission to return to form as champion would be tough to fathom for the Athens, Georgia native. The top of the weight class features names such as Dan Henderson, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, and Mauricio Rua, not to mention champion Jon Jones. At this point in his career, Griffin would be hard pressed to defeat any of these opponents, which would be needed before he can return to title contention.
If you travel further down the list, you see a younger contingent of fighters like Phil Davis, Alexander Gustafsson, and Ryan Bader making a push towards the top of the group. Each of those competitors pose tough challenges for Griffin, and could easily add his name to the list of established names that they have defeated. Even James Te Huna, whose power has rocked opponents in the past, would be a dangerous opponent to face at this point in time.
It’s been assumed in the past that Griffin and Stephan Bonnar have jobs waiting for them once they walk away from the Octagon. If so, he could serve in a position as brand ambassador, helping to promote the brand that the UFC is pushing to every corner of the Earth. He has the type of alluring personality that can be used to draw people into the sport in a political fashion if needed, or even as an on-air personality down the line. In one fashion or another, he has proven himself to be valuable to the organization over the years, but that value inside the Octagon has decreased. The time has come for Forrest Griffin to make his way out of the cage, and bring an important MMA career to an end.
