Bio
Born July 1, 1979 in Columbus, Ohio, Forrest Griffin relocated to Athens, Georgia, eventually receiving a degree in Political Science at the University of Georgia. To pay the bills, he worked in local law enforcement. On his days off, he trained at the HardCore Gym for five years under Adam and Rory Singer. Here he developed his trademark “Sprawl and Brawl” style of fighting, a raw combination of martial arts fused with a bare knuckle barroom technique. While he may not have displayed the finesse of other fighters, he was fueled by power and heart.
In 2005, despite his 9-2 amateur record, he considered retiring from the sport. On a whim, he responded for an audition notice for “The Ultimate Fighter,” soon to become SPIKE TV’s first mega hit. Although considered a long shot by the other contestants and a frequent target for pranks, Forrest prevailed. In the season finale, he defeated Stephan Bonnar by a unanimous decision. UFC owner Dana White called it the "most important fight in UFC history" since it brought the fledgling sport into the mainstream. The grand prize was a professional contract to fight in the UFC. Electrified by his success, he retired from police service to pursue professional mixed martial arts full time.
After winning three out of four matchups, Griffin was handed a major defeat by Keith Jardine at UFC 66 by way of TKO at 4:41 of the first round. After the fight, a visibly distraught Griffin walked away from announcer Joe Rogan's attempt to interview him, saying, "Keith came in and he did exactly what he wanted to do, he knocked me the fuck out. Let's go home." Griffin then walked off camera, stranding Rogan. Moments later Griffin reappeared heading the opposite direction saying, "I'll be back," and then immediately ran full speed out of the Octagon and disappeared into the locker room. Griffin was far from done.
He went on a tear with back-to-back victories against Hector Ramirez and Mauricio Rua. This set the stage for a showdown for the light heavyweight belt vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86. Viewed as a heavy underdog, Griffin appeared to be finished after being dropped by a first round uppercut. He battled back, going toe to toe with the champ and landing a damaging leg kick in the second. In the third round, Griffin pummeled Jackson with ground strikes. The grueling bout went the distance. After a long pause by the announcer he won by a unanimous decision and was awarded the Light Heavyweight Championship Belt.
On December 27, 2008 he defends his title for the first time against the undefeated Rashad "Sugar" Evans. Evans recently toppled UFC legend (and former champ) Chuck Liddell to earn his shot at the championship.
Outside of the octagon, Forrest is an ardent supporter of the USO and the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit providing aid and empowerment for critically injured veterans.
