Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
It appears that Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin will have their rubber match sometime in the near future. The two men met first at UFC 59 with Ortiz taking a split decision win and met again at UFC 106 with Griffin taking the split decision victory to even things up. Ortiz has recently said that he wants one last fight before retiring and suggested that Forrest was the fight he wanted, something Griffin seemed all too happy to accept.
Now, Lorenzo Fertitta has said that the two will meet one last time. Via Fighters Only:
Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz will have a third fight, according to Lorenzo Fertitta.
The UFC CEO took to Twitter for an extended Q&A with fight fans today as he battled insomnia in Brazil, where is overseeing the initial stages of ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Brasil', which began shooting this week.
Asked by a fan what would be next for Griffin he replied, "Tito."
While no date has been set, it would make sense to put this in the co-main event slot of the May 5 UFC on Fox 3 card. That card currently has Nate Diaz and Jim Miller meeting in the main event in a bout that doesn't exactly scream out for casual fans to tune in. A bout between big names Ortiz and Griffin right before that main event could boost the card considerably in terms of casual interest.
0 recs | 54 comments
In before "Groan"
This is a good retirement fight for Tito, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it were Forrest’s last one either.
MicahtheCynic - February 10, 2012
Indeed it is.
I think both are getting worse and worse so it might be the time for such a rematch. Tito is obviously worse than Forrest, especially when you look how his body reacts to punishment these days. Well I’m looking forward to the fight.
killphil - February 10, 2012
Jeez, now my "groan" feels so hollow
I guess its a fine fight for both. I’m not all that excited for it, but I guess on free TV, rock on.
Dave Strummer - February 10, 2012
Forrest definitely seems like he's ready to hang up the gloves.
Most of his interviews allude to him peaking athetically years ago or how difficult it is for him to face younger opponents.
Here’s hoping that his last fight with Tito nets millions and millions of viewers, no early knockouts.
McKinley B. Noble - February 10, 2012 via mobile
Both fights were very entertaining
I don’t see why this will be any different.
menckenstein - February 10, 2012
Maybe if Tito wouldn’t have smoked all that weed, then maybe this wouldn’t ……wait what??
Hutchy - February 10, 2012 via mobile
Tito can barely last a round now before hes gassed
I think Forrest might get the finish this time.
Tats16 - February 10, 2012
I hope one of these men punishes the other terribly for this whole 3 match affair. I think trilogies are wasted when they aren’t spent on men at the top of the division vying for gold.
These vets should be riding out their careers earning solid money because of their tenure but fighting young dogs to keep the division moving.
castleeb - February 10, 2012
i guess Gatti and Ward was bullshit to u huh?
Loot - February 10, 2012
I’m sure Gatti v Ward is a solid argument for “just for fun” trilogies, but I have never seen them so I can’t attest to that either way.
What I can say is that while entertaining, neither of the Griffin Ortiz fights delivered in a unique and special way that makes this worthwhile. Seasoned vet v hungry young lion is more appealing to me for two reasons.
1. That style of match ups builds name value for young fighters who need it.
2. In many cases that name value is far more than marketing pageantry. Forrest and Tito are dangerous opponents even this late in their careers. Fighters who beat them prove they have the potential to develop into top light heavyweights in addition to the name value to be included on more prominent cards.
castleeb - February 10, 2012
forrest just needs to follow shad and lil nog's strategy
and target those tender ribs of tito for an easy tko
maybe crack his skull a bit too
Gouken - February 10, 2012
Tito comes preinjured
Like one of those action figures with BATTLE DAMAGE
menckenstein - February 10, 2012
better than the mayhem miller action figure
comes with no movement or cardio
Gouken - February 10, 2012
but a head made of solid granite
benten20 - February 10, 2012
Clinch and knees to the body should do the trick.
NickRingp4pGOAT - February 10, 2012
I have no problem with this fight...
especially if, as mentioned in the article, it’s used on the Fox 3 card to draw casual fans to an excellent Diaz/Miller match-up.
I’ll be interested to see where they put it though. They might think it can sell some PPVs and use it as a main on one.
ChicagoMMAFan - February 10, 2012
Makes sense
Two mid-tier LHWs with name value, both not really ascending in the division (if anything on the decline). The fact that they are former champions with previous history makes it an easy selling point.
Even if us “hardcore” fans recognise that this fight has no relevence to any title implications, their name value alone will draw in more viewers.
LYHL - February 10, 2012
The fact that this fight will be a main event is sad sad sad.
Redconsensus - February 10, 2012
How dare the UFC use name fighters to make money!
They should sign Ben Askren and Rick Hawn and have them main event a card!
MicahtheCynic - February 10, 2012
why is this sad ? two former champs who have large fanbases and are on the downside of their career.
makes perfect sense to put this on the main card to draw in the casuals
benten20 - February 10, 2012
Miller/Diaz is the main
Chris Hall - February 10, 2012 via Android app
um…why?
phantom5691 - February 10, 2012
TUF Coaches
Would have been better if they could have coached a season of TUF against each other, then fought. They are both good name guys that could help carry a season, without tying up a belt or title contender for an extended period.
FragglesHateKos - February 10, 2012
the faber, cruz season and now that they are live they cant prerecord it
benten20 - February 10, 2012
Griffin via 2nd round TKO due to having slightly less fight mileage at this point, especially in the rib area.. I don’t think Forrest retires here; he builds some faux-momentum with a win and parlays that into 2 or 3 more fights before calling it a career.
mburtoni - February 10, 2012
I've thought about it for five minutes now
Since this is obviously a money fight for both guys and there isn’t really anything on the line, could we possibly get a Mir vs. Cro Cop kind of performance, where both guys go in there and do the bare minimum and try to avoid injury just to collect a paycheck?
mburtoni - February 10, 2012
Geez, that's a terrifying prospect I hadn't thought of.
Hopefully, this will be a moderately entertaining fight that will serve to put eyes on Nate Vs Jim Miller (which I think is going to be an incredible fight)
Ziggy325 - February 10, 2012
Why is everybody saying forrest is on a down slope to. His recent loses are to silva and shogun. Umm no shame n that at all. I agree that he hasent looked that good lately but he’s always been sloppy so nothing new there.
youfailme91 - February 10, 2012 via mobile
I don't think he's done, necessarily...
I just don’t think his head is in the right place anymore. You can tell if you listen to his interviews. Didn’t he just have a child? Forrest was never an athletic dude, just a big guy with a lot of cardio, so I don’t think he can have quite as bad of a physical decline as other fighters, but he may be at the point where he doesn’t need to fight anymore, but rather get on with the rest of his life.
Zachary Kater - February 10, 2012
Somewhat agreed
Forrest seems like he isn’t really interested in fighting anymore. Additonally, in some of his early to mid career interviews, he mentioned that things just kind of lined up for him — he’s not super talented, he’s not athletic, he’s not the most technical, but he had a willingness to grind and “tough” things out.
He also stated that eventually, he’d start running into people with the same or better attributes (e.g., just as good if not better, AND more athletic) and that he knew his time would be up.
… and he has taken a LOT of punishment over his career.
AngryTwinkie - February 10, 2012
I hope he’s not done yet I love forrest but just by watching his past fights except the Franklin fight. It just seems like he dosent want to fight anymore. I’m not saying he dosent try I’m just saying he dosent care anymore it seems like. The second shogun fight is a good example of that.
youfailme91 - February 10, 2012 via mobile
Agreed.
While not necessarily done physically, he doesn’t seem to have that fire, that willingness to fight a dog fight. I just think he’s at a point where he’s not sure if he really wants to fight anymore. Maybe it will come back, maybe not.
Sweet Scientist - February 10, 2012
Anyway I think Tito is a good fight for him to figure that out without taking too much risk for his health.
And it’s also a good fight for Tito to go out.
Sweet Scientist - February 10, 2012
Didn't he have issues with getting motivated to train for Shogun?
He used to be the guy you had to kick out of the gym
Cunny - February 10, 2012
I can’t wait to see who can climb the ladder in the center of the octagon first to retrieve the rubb…. Oh wait, I guess rubber match means something totally different.
Baba Booey - February 10, 2012
I hope the cornermen substitute the stools for rocking chairs.
Just seems more appropriate.
NickRingp4pGOAT - February 10, 2012
Tito vs Griffin III
Ikuhisa Quinoa - February 10, 2012
Rec'd for IT Crowd gif.
pud333 - February 10, 2012
Tito Ortiz is probably going to get beat up again
He couldn’t hold Forrest down in the first two rounds of their last fight, and got busted up in that last round on some 10-8 shit. I expect Forrest to finish him this time around.
discoandherpes - February 10, 2012
I'm pretty sure I had it 29-27
discoandherpes - February 10, 2012
The judges had it
28-29, 29-28 x2
aaronb - February 10, 2012
Yeah, that's nuts
I don’t see how you give Ortiz two rounds in that fight.
I think Brookhouse and a couple others had it 30-26 Griffin.
discoandherpes - February 11, 2012
30-26 was patently ridiculous in that fight
The first 2 rounds were razor thin. You can easily make the case that Tito won both of them.
Forrest blatantly won the 3rd. However he didn’t score anything overly damaging. 29-28 for either guy was a fair score. Forrest did feel like the overall fight.
aaronb - February 11, 2012
If you thought that the first two were razor thin, you can say Forrest won both of them
And Griffin busted up Tito and Tito basically didn’t do anything. Sounds like a ten eight to me.
discoandherpes - February 12, 2012
Old lions
Often fight the hardest.
Drunken cutman - February 10, 2012
NastyGuido - February 10, 2012
anderson silva like was that kick joe
benten20 - February 10, 2012 via mobile
Both of the TIto/ Forrest fights went basically the same way-
Tito is still fresh enough to get the takedown in the 1’st round and land strikes through Forrest’s porous guard. In the 2’nd round, Tito gasses, Forrest starts to take over and picks him apart standing.
ElliotMatheny - February 10, 2012
Exactly
Tito really needs to work on his cardio if he wants to win this fight.
aaronb - February 11, 2012
I just don't think he has it any more.
Your VO2 max decreases with age, and not all fighters are freaks of nature like Randy. Tito has good explosion for the first round, but that’s about it.
ElliotMatheny - February 13, 2012
Rather have seen Tito vs Jackson
Bruz - February 10, 2012 via mobile
Griffin was always one of those guys who fought above his skill level
gritting his way to a win through hardwork and tenacity. His fight with Rampage made me an MMA fan. I haven’t seen him fight with any kind of passion or urgency since Spider stole his soul (I actually think his loss to Shogun was more pathetic). He barely fights anymore and, as I said, if he isn’t fighting with that ‘you have to kill me to win’ mentality, I think his lower skill level has finally caught up with him.
Erasedhead - February 10, 2012
any truth to the Cain vs mir
rumour on fox. been hearing that was the main event
Elstriko - February 10, 2012 via Android app
i'd rather see Tito win this
Forrest hasn’t looked to good lately..
JayT86 - February 11, 2012
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