Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and former

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

. He was inducted into the

UFC Hall of Fame The UFC Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In addition to the Ultimate Fighting ...

in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the

UFC Performance Institute The UFC Performance Institute is the official mixed martial arts (MMA) facility for American promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The building is located in Enterprise, Nevada opposite the UFC Apex, and serves as the company headquart ...

. Griffin, a former Georgia police officer, first rose to prominence after winning the first season of ''

The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...

''. In the tournament finals, he

defeated Defeated may refer to: * "Defeated" (Breaking Benjamin song) * "Defeated" (Anastacia song) *"Defeated", a song by Snoop Dogg from the album ''Bible of Love'' *Defeated, Tennessee, an unincorporated community *''The Defeated ''The Defeated'', al ...

Stephan Bonnar, which is widely credited as sparking the success of the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Early life

Griffin, who is of Irish descent, graduated from Evans High School in Evans, GA, a suburb of Augusta where he played football. He then graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

from the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

. Thereafter, Griffin served as a

law enforcement officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialists, local police officers, ...

for the

Richmond County Richmond County may refer to places: Australia *Richmond County, New South Wales, a cadastral division Canada *Richmond County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Richmondshire, the original Richmond County in Yorkshire, England United States ...

Sheriff's Office in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georgi ...

. He also served as a

patrol officer A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology From French ''patrouiller'', from Old Fren ...

with the

police. He trained at The HardCore Gym (no
SBG Athens
in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

for seven years under Adam and

Rory Singer Rory Michael Singer (born May 28, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. Although Rory had made a name for himself as a 185-pound prospect; his big break came after meeting the producers of TUF. They were fil ...

.Forrest Griffin - The Ultimate Fighter
He later left law enforcement to pursue a career in professional

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

. Griffin is also an MMA instructor at Throwdown Training Center and

Robert Drysdale Robert Lewis Drysdale (born October 5, 1981) is a Brazilian-American Brazilian jiu-jitsu 4th degree black belt under Léo Vieira, a retired mixed martial artist and an instructor at his own BJJ academy, "Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu". Havi ...

Brazilian jiu-jitsu in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

Early mixed martial arts career

Before ''The Ultimate Fighter'', he fought the likes of

Jeff Monson Oregon State Beavers Jeffrey William Monson (born January 18, 1971) is an American-Russian mixed martial artist, boxer, and submission grappler who competes primarily in the Heavyweight division. A professional competito ...

Jeremy Horn Jeremy Graham Horn (born August 25, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist. Horn is best known for fighting in smaller American promotions, he has also competed in some of the premiere mixed martial arts organizations around the world, inclu ...

Chael Sonnen Chael Patrick Sonnen (; born April 3, 1977) is an American submission grappling promoter, mixed martial arts (MMA) analyst, and retired mixed martial artist. Beginning his MMA career in 1997, Sonnen competed for the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...

and early

veteran

Dan Severn Daniel DeWayne Severn (born June 8, 1958), nicknamed "The Beast", is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. A UFC Hall of Fame member, Severn is considered one of the leading pioneers of mixed mart ...

in his first pro fight. Forrest Griffin is also known for a fight with Edson Paradeo, in which Edson broke Griffin's left arm with what appeared to be a badly blocked

roundhouse kick A roundhouse kick (also known as round kick or turning kick) is a kick in which the practitioner lifts the knee while turning the supporting foot and body in a semicircular motion, extending the leg striking with the lower part of the shin and/ ...

aimed at the body. Forrest continued on to win the fight by knockout. As a result of the badly blocked body kick, he has a huge permanent lump on his left forearm.

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Griffin first became well known by taking part in the first-season of Spike TV's ''

'', a mixed martial arts reality show. At the time, he had given up

and taken a job with the Augusta/

Sheriff's Department in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, but he was persuaded by

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

to take part in the show.

Griffin vs. Bonnar

On the show, he reached the finals where he defeated Stephan Bonnar by unanimous decision. The fight was credited by Dana White as the "most important fight in UFC history" and the fight that brought the UFC into the mainstream. For winning the competition he was given a six-figure professional contract to fight with the UFC. The Stephan Bonnar fight was declared the #1 UFC fight of all time in the UFC Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights program.

Rise to fame

Griffin vs. Ortiz

On April 15, 2006, Griffin fought former light heavyweight champion

Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz (; born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist and politician. He is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

at ''

UFC 59 ''UFC 59: Reality Check'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 15, 2006 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California, and broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada. This was th ...

'', in which he lost a controversial split decision.

Griffin vs. Bonnar II

At ''

UFC 62 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

'', Griffin then fought Stephan Bonnar in a rematch from their earlier fight. Griffin won by unanimous decision, sweeping all three rounds.

Griffin vs. Jardine

Griffin was defeated by '' Ultimate Fighter 2'' semifinalist

Keith Jardine Keith Jardine (born October 31, 1975) is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the UFC and Strikeforce. Jardine was known for upset victories in bouts he took at short notice against highly rated fight ...

at ''

UFC 66 ''UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background ''UFC 66s main event was a championshi ...

'' by TKO at 4:41 of the first round. After the fight, Griffin sat in his corner crying. Moments later, he walked away from Joe Rogan's attempt to interview him, saying "I don't ev...Keith came in and he did exactly what I wanted to do and he knocked me the fuck out. Let's go home."

Staph infection

Griffin was scheduled to fight at ''

UFC 70 ''UFC 70: Nations Collide'' was the second UFC event held in the United Kingdom, and the first in Manchester on Saturday, 21 April 2007. ''UFC 70'' was also only the seventh UFC event held outside the United States, and the first since ''UFC 38 ...

'' against

Lyoto Machida (born 30 May 1978), is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka, who currently competes in the Light heavyweight division. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a former UFC Light ...

on April 21, 2007 but he was unable to fight due to a

staph infection A staphylococcal infection or staph infection is an infection caused by members of the ''Staphylococcus'' genus of bacteria. These bacteria commonly inhabit the skin and nose where they are innocuous, but may enter the body through cuts or abrasio ...

Griffin vs. Ramirez

On June 16, 2007 Griffin defeated Hector Ramirez at ''

UFC 72 ''UFC 72: Victory'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place Saturday, 16 June 2007 at The Odyssey in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Background ''UFC 72'' continued the UFC's expansion into Eu ...

'' in Belfast, Northern Ireland via unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight 30–27 to Griffin. During the fight, Forrest was able to land 38

leg kick A low kick (also known as a leg kick) is a kick in which the attacker uses their leg to strike the opponent's lower body (thigh or calf) with the shinbone or foot. This type of kick, under different names, is utilized in numerous full-contact ma ...

s breaking the UFC record for most leg kicks landed in three five-minute rounds. This record has since been broken by

Amir Sadollah Amir Ali Sadollah ( fa, امیرعلی ﺳﻌدالله, born August 27, 1980) is a retired American mixed martial artist, formerly with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the winner of Spike TV's '' The Ultimate Fighter 7''. He has fough ...

, who landed 46 against

Peter Sobotta Peter Sobotta (born January 11, 1987) is a retired Polish-born German professional mixed martial artist, who fought in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2004, Sobotta has also f ...

UFC 122 ''UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the ...

Griffin vs. Shogun

At ''

UFC 76 '' UFC 76: Knockout'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on September 22, 2007, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Although the event was advertised with the ...

'', Griffin fought against PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion

Maurício Rua Maurício Milani Rua (; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former model. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a forme ...

. At the time, Shogun was ranked the number one light heavyweight fighter in the world by several MMA publications. Griffin won by

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keiko ...

at 4:45 of round three. Griffin required surgery after the fight due to a shoulder injury that was sustained before the bout. Griffin's shoulder has been a recurring problem since.

Coaching ''The Ultimate Fighter 7''

On ''

The Ultimate Fighter 6 ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra'' was the sixth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter'', and premiered on September 19, 2007 on Spike TV, after ''UFC Fight N ...

'' finale, Dana White announced that Griffin was not only the number one contender for the Light Heavyweight title, but also one of the coaches for ''

The Ultimate Fighter 7 ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest'' was the seventh season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter'', and premiered on April 2, 2008 on Spike, after ''UFC Fight Nig ...

'' and would fight the other coach at the end of the series. The other coach,

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middl ...

was announced by Dana White on December 9 at Spike TV's Video Game Awards show. On June 20, 2008, Griffin co-hosted the ''25 Tuffest Moments in The Ultimate Fighter'' with Stephan Bonnar and

Winning and losing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and rematches

Griffin vs. Jackson

On July 5, 2008, Griffin fought the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion,

. Viewed as a heavy underdog by many going into the fight, Griffin faced Jackson in a hard-fought battle that was named "Fight of the Night" by UFC president Dana White. Griffin won a unanimous decision victory and became the new undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Griffin appeared to be in trouble in the first round after being dropped by an uppercut, but he rallied in the second round and landed a damaging leg kick early that severely wobbled Jackson. Griffin followed up with ground strikes and cemented his control, preventing Jackson from mounting any significant offense for the entire round. After three more back and forth rounds, Griffin would go on to win the fight by unanimous decision to capture the light heavyweight title. The decision was described as controversial by some commentators. After the fight, Jackson's trainer Juanito Ibarra, unhappy with the judges scoring, expressed plans to protest the unanimous decision with the Nevada State Athletic Commission but never filed as it would not have changed the decision. Griffin's documented pay for the fight was $310,000. $100,000 to fight, win bonus of $150,000 and $60,000 for the Fight of the Night award.

Griffin vs. Evans

Griffin's first title defense came at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008, against undefeated challenger

Rashad Evans Rashad Anton Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist. Evans started his professional career in 2003, he was the Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2 and is also a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and a 2 ...

. After Griffin controlled most of the first two rounds with effective striking, Evans caught one of Griffin's kicks and took him down, defeating Griffin by TKO in the third round with ground and pound from inside the champion's guard. The loss was Griffin's third loss since entering the UFC. During the fight Griffin broke his hand, sidelining him for several months.

Griffin vs. Silva

After recovery, Griffin signed on to fight pound-for-pound stalwart

Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 an ...

UFC 101 ''UFC 101: Declaration'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on August 8, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first UFC event held in Philadelphia. The event featured the second ...

. Griffin was slated to take on Brazilian

Thiago Silva Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional Association Football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and captains the Brazil national football team, Brazil national team. Con ...

, but on April 28, 2009, UFC President

confirmed that he would instead accommodate Anderson's return to the light heavyweight division following his middleweight title defense against

Thales Leites Thales Leites Lourenço (; born 6 September 1981) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist best known for competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Leites made his ...

UFC 97 ''UFC 97: Redemption'' (not to be confused with ''UFC 17: Redemption'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 18, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background This event broke the UFC attendanc ...

. During the bout, Griffin was knocked down three times in the first round by Silva. Before the third knockdown, Griffin charged Silva with a flurry of punches, all of which were avoided by sways from Silva, who then countered with a compact right hand whilst retreating, knocking Griffin out. After the fight, Griffin got up from the canvas, left the cage, and jogged out of the arena. It was initially suggested that Griffin was rushed to a hospital due to a dislocated jaw and trouble hearing in one ear. However, it turned out there was no injury to Griffin's jaw. Both fighters were awarded $60,000 as Fight of the Night bonuses and Silva received an additional $60,000 in bonus money for Knockout of the Night.

Griffin vs. Ortiz II

When

Mark Coleman Mark Daniel Coleman (born December 20, 1964) is an American retired mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and amateur wrestler. Coleman was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first UFC Heavyweight Champion, and the Pride ...

got injured and had to drop out of his matchup against Tito Ortiz, Griffin accepted a rematch against Ortiz at UFC 106. Griffin also wore white and black fight shorts instead of his trademark tan shorts for the fight. Griffin went on to win the gory battle by split decision, showing superior striking skills and a stronger ground game than in their previous fight. After the fight Griffin said, “Tito was a great fight for me to come back, we’ll have to do a third that’s 1-1 man.” With a split decision in both of their fights, Griffin seemed more than willing to get a rubber match put together with Ortiz to settle the score once and for all. “You could tell he was a guy getting ready for Mark Coleman, no offense, and he’s a guy coming off back surgery. We’ll do it again, I won’t break my foot, he’ll be in better shape,” commented Griffin.

Shoulder injury

Griffin was expected to face

Antônio Rogério Nogueira Antônio Rogério Nogueira (; born 2 June 1976), also known as Minotouro or Lil Nog, is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the UFC. He is the twin brother of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, the "Minotauro ...

on May 29, 2010 at

UFC 114 ''UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Backg ...

, but Griffin pulled out of the fight due to a shoulder injury. He was replaced by

Jason Brilz Jason Brilz (born July 7, 1975) is a retired American mixed martial artist who most recently fought in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2000, he has competed for the UFC, Titan FC, and King of the Cage. Wrestling career ...

Griffin vs. Franklin

Griffin faced former UFC Middleweight Champion

Rich Franklin Richard Jay Franklin II (born October 5, 1974) is an American businessman and retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and a former UFC Midd ...

on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126. Griffin controlled the majority of the fight: in the first round he took Franklin down and controlled him on the ground and in the second he used superior kicks and combinations to knock Franklin down. Griffin went on to win by unanimous decision.

Griffin vs. Shogun II

A rematch with

took place on August 27, 2011 at

UFC 134 ''UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami'' (also known as ''UFC Rio'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was the second that t ...

. Griffin lost the bout via KO (punches) in the first round and would be out up to 6 months with possible right-foot and jaw injuries. Before the fight, Griffin was updated that his wife had gone into labor. Dana White also voiced his support for Griffin, stating that he was very proud of him regardless of the loss.

Griffin vs. Ortiz III

Griffin faced

for a third time on July 7, 2012 at

UFC 148 ''UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 7, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the seventeenth UFC event of the year. The card consisted of e ...

. He won the fight via a 29-28 unanimous decision out-striking Ortiz 2:1 despite being knocked down by Ortiz as well as being taken down twice. The fight also won Fight of the Night earning both Griffin and Ortiz a fight bonus. This fight marked the third time in his career that he left the Octagon on unusual terms, simply walking out before the fight results were read. He later went back to the ring and gave Tito Ortiz an unexpected interview.

MCL & ACL injury

Griffin was expected to fight

in a rematch on December 29, 2012 at

UFC 155 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Instead Sonnen was pulled out of the fight to coach TUF season 17. Griffin was then expected to face Phil Davis at the event. However, on December 5 it was announced that Forrest was forced out of the bout due to an MCL tear and ACL strain. Griffin hoped to return from injury by the end of 2013.

Retirement and UFC Hall of Fame

On May 26, 2013, it was announced at the post-event news conference for

UFC 160 ''UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 25, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and Ant ...

that Griffin had retired from MMA fighting, citing chronic injuries as the reason for his decision. After the announcement of Griffin's retirement,

announced that Griffin and Stephan Bonnar would be inducted into the

on July 6. Griffin has remained in the sport, and is currently working as the vice president of athlete development at the UFC Performance Institute.

Personal life

Griffin and his longtime girlfriend Jaime Logiudice were married on September 18, 2009. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in September 2011. Forrest's wife was going into labor (nine days early) as he competed against Maurício "Shogun" Rua at UFC 134 on August 27, 2011.

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(Modern-Era Wing) and (Fight Wing) vs. Stephan Bonnar at

The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter (later designated ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'') premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters (eight light heavyweights weighing from 186 to 205 lb and eight middleweights weighing from ...

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

(One time) ** The Ultimate Fighter: Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner ** Fight of the Night (Five times) vs.

(x2),

Quinton Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middlew ...

, and

** Submission of the Night (One time) vs.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...

**2005 Fight of the Year vs. Stephan Bonnar on April 9 **2008 Fight of the Year vs.

on July 5 *

Fighting Spirit Magazine ''Fighting Spirit Magazine'' (''FSM'') was a monthly professional wrestling and mixed martial arts magazine published in the United Kingdom by Uncooked Media. The publication launched in 2006, becoming the UK's largest professional wrestling magazi ...

**2006 Fight of the Year vs.

on April 15 *Triumph United **2007 Upset of the Year vs.

on September 22

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 19–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:53 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

UFC 126 ''UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background Former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor B ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6 ,

, Decision (split) ,

UFC 106 ''UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 21, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Background As with UFC 103 and UFC 104, a portion of the preliminary card ai ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–6 ,

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:23 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–5 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

UFC 92 ''UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event featured UFC Ligh ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:46 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

UFC 86 ''UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on July 5, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was between Qui ...

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:45 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 , Hector Ramirez , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–4 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:41 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Stephan Bonnar , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC 59: Reality Check , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 ,

Elvis Sinosic Elvis Sinosic (born 13 February 1971) is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist and unsuccessful Political Candidate for United Australia in Blaxland. Sinosic is perhaps best known for his seven-fight stint in the Ultimate F ...

, TKO (punches) ,

UFC 55 ''UFC 55: Fury'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 7, 2005 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later releas ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:22 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ea ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Bill Mahood , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

UFC 53 ''UFC 53: Heavy Hitters'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 4, 2005, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:18 , Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Stephan Bonnar , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Edson Paredao , KO (punch) , Heat FC 2: Evolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:04 , Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2 ,

, KO (head kick) , IFC: Global Domination , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:40 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , IFC: Global Domination , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Ebenezer Fontes Braga , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Heat FC 1: Genesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Steve Sayegh , TKO (submission to punches) , KOTC 20: Crossroads , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:45 ,

Bernalillo, New Mexico Bernalillo () is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 8,320. It is the county seat of Sandoval County. Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hist ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 ,

Travis Fulton Travis Jon Fulton (May 29, 1977 – July 10, 2021) was an American mixed martial artist and a professional boxer in the heavyweight division of both sports. Known as a longtime veteran in mixed martial arts, he competed in over 300 sanctioned ...

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , CC 1: Halloween Heat, ISCF Sanctioned , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , WEFC 1: Bring It On, ISCF Sanctioned , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 4:00 ,

Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth larges ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Kent Hensley , Submission (triangle choke) , Battle at the Brewery, ISCF Sanctioned , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:26 ,

United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Jason Braswell , Decision (split) , RSF 7: Animal Instinct , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:00 ,

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal ci ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Wiehan Lesh , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Pride and Honor , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , South Africa , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , RSF 5: New Blood Conflict, ISCF Sanctioned , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:00 ,

, United States ,

Pay-per-view bouts

Books

Griffin is the author of two books, 2009's ''Got Fight?: 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat'' and 2010's ''Be Ready When The Shit Goes Down: A Survival Guide to the Apocalypse'', which both received positive reviews.

Filmography

Films

Television

Video games

References

External links

* * *
UFC ProfileGriffin's Second Book
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Forrest The Ultimate Fighter winners 1977 births American male mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists from Ohio Mixed martial artists from Georgia (U.S. state) American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people Sportspeople from Augusta, Georgia Sportspeople from Columbus, Ohio Ultimate Fighting Championship champions University of Georgia alumni People from Evans, Georgia People from Columbia County, Georgia Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters

Early life

Early mixed martial arts career

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Griffin vs. Bonnar

Rise to fame

Griffin vs. Ortiz

Griffin vs. Bonnar II

Griffin vs. Jardine

Staph infection

Griffin vs. Ramirez

Griffin vs. Shogun

Coaching ''The Ultimate Fighter 7''

Winning and losing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and rematches

Griffin vs. Jackson

Griffin vs. Evans

Griffin vs. Silva

Griffin vs. Ortiz II

Shoulder injury

Griffin vs. Franklin

Griffin vs. Shogun II

Griffin vs. Ortiz III

MCL & ACL injury

Retirement and UFC Hall of Fame

Personal life

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Pay-per-view bouts

Books

Filmography

Films

Television

Video games

See also

References

External links