Forrest Griffin has been one of the biggest questions at the top of the Light Heavyweight division for a long time now. Since his devastating defeat to Anderson Silva, Griffin has looked uninspired. In his most recent performance Griffin was able to pull off a very close decision over retiree Tito Ortiz at UFC 148. Griffin won, but it didn’t inspire faith in the fans or UFC president Dana White (via Mayor’s Manor):
I would like Forrest to retire. There’s nothing left or Forrest to prove. He won The Ultimate Fighter [TUF] and he’s had an amazing career. He won the title when people thought he couldn’t. He became a huge star. He made shitloads of money. He’s got a beautiful wife, he’s got a baby. You know, if you don’t want to be a world champion and you’re still not in that ‘mix’ – like I call it – why, what’s the point? I get it. I get that it’s hard to walk away from walking into the arena with big crowds, etc. But, there’s a point in time when it’s like, ‘You’ve done your thing man. You’ve had an amazing career. You’ve done great things. There’s nothing left to prove
White makes it very clear here that Forrest Griffin has had an incredible career. Even coming out of his victory at The Ultimate Fighter 1, no one would have forecasted him as a future champion.However, griffin maximized his potential and inclination for a dogfight into a UFC World Championship. Forrest has achieved more than any expected regardless of his stylistic limitations. Yet, it has become clear in his recent performances that he’s no longer the fighter he once was. Granted, it’s not Dana’s place to decide when a fighter should call it quits, but this is not out of the blue. Griffin has looked “uninspired” at best in his last several Octagon appearances.
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