Forrest Griffin Fighting the Odds Yet Again

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In the fight game all participants follow varying paths.  Everyone from the fan, to the promoter, to the fighter will engage the sport individually. 

Their paths within that journey will twist and turn based on experience, emotion, dedication, and most importantly results.

For fighters in particular their path is uncharted.  Where fans and promoters choose how their participation in the sport play out, a fighters very life depends upon the unknown.

That unknown can include everything from their own performance against opponents to the results of prospective opponents prior engagements.  Point being, it is a wild ride for the fighter.

Former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin has learned this as well as anyone.  This man entered the UFC in a baptism by fire, and has been raging his war across the division ever since.

Griffin has before him, at UFC 101, one of the top three pound for pound fighters in the world.  This is what he accepted as a challenge after losing his championship to “Sugar” Rashad Evans  at Ultimate 2008. 

No rebound fight, no tune up, no Dana and Joe Silva, I will fight the best you can find.  It just so happens Dana and Silva were scratching their heads trying to figure out a plan for “The Spider” Anderson Silva.

The paths of two fighters have now crossed.  Funny thing is, some fighters will fight their entire careers for a shot at greatness.  Some capitalize on those opportunities, some are unable to do so. 

In many cases, the opportunity at a fighter of Silvas’ caliber is once in a lifetime.  Yet Forrest has fought a few top 10 P4P fighters, and even been considered one his self at times. 

Griffin has somehow found a way to create a strength of schedule that is rare within itself.  Not many fighters carry the honor of battle scars earned in war facing the best this generation has seen. 

B.J. carries that honor, GSP, Nog, they have it too.  Forrest also bares it.

Consider for a moment his journey in the Octagon that led him from unknown, to icon of the sport, to champion, all the way back to underdog.

While he may be an underdog against Silva, it is not the first time that title has followed his name.  He has battled in the UFC 10 times.  His record may not  be the most impressive.  His list of challengers is.

When you fight names like Tito Ortiz, Maricio Rua, Quentin Jackson, and Rashad Evans along the way, you cant possibly win them all.  Yet a strong showing against them all will catapult you even further within the sport.

Forrest’s reputation as a gamer is what made this fight and many before it.  The UFC was struggling with a fighter whom they were finding trouble challenging. 

What do you do with a fighter who no one can challenge, and few want to engage?  What do you offer a fighter who is so dominant they seem lackluster with boredom?

You make that fighter face Forrest Griffin, that’s what you do.  As a fight promoter you know, no matter what the stakes or odds, Griffin is coming to do one thing; Fight!

The odds may be against the man, but he won’t allow a loss of pace or action, he won’t allow himself to be forced into inactivity.  On top of his willingness and ability to fight, he might just shock the world and be that guy that stops Silva.

The possibilities are endless, that is in Forrest’s favor.  See, the run Silva has put together is historic.  He earned it and all the glory that comes with that.  Sadly for history and his legacy, these types of things rarely last.

The odds are with him dropping at least one fight before he retires.  That is not a prediction, only an observation of the rhythms of life.  Win streaks are amazing due to their rarity. 

This means the odds may be with Forrest in a round about sense.  That is a rarity for this fighter.  He is used to going into a fight with no expectations of him winning, only expectations of his performance and style.

Well so far his style has proven difficult for more than one of the top pound for pound fighters to deal with.  He beat Rampage, and had Sugar down on points before he was TKO’d out by Rashad. 

Silva will find out this Saturday just how complex Griffin really is as a fighter.  He comes off as wild and reckless.  The man is actually very bright, and calculated if you look deeper.

Fighters would do well to realize that sooner than later, or they might have to figure it out watching tapes of how they lost.

Todd enjoys the MMA fight game tremendously. Not only the physical and entertainment side of things, but also the philisophical, historical, and business side of MMA. Todd will be covering any wide variety of these topics here on Inside Fights, and loves a great discussion. Share your thoughts, whether you agree or not. Your input is not only appreciated but requested. Let us know what you think!