Former light-heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz will lock horns in the Octagon for a third and final time in the co-main event of UFC 148 on July 7th, and the way Griffin see’s it, losing is simply not an option.
“People ask me, they say, ‘Forrest, it’s Tito’s retirement fight. If you lose to Tito are you going to retire? If I lose to Tito I’m going to retire from life…seriously,” Griffin quips in his pre-fight interview with UFC.com.
While he makes light of it, you have to wonder what Griffin would do if he doesn’t get his hand raised on that night in July. Realistically It’s not as if it’s that far-fetched a notion given the two extremely close fights they’ve had in the past.
It also worth remembering that despite being just 32 years old, at the end of last year Griffin implied that the thought of hanging up his gloves was praying on his mind.
“I’m realizing I don’t have much left,” Griffin told FOX Sports Radio in December. “This is the end of the road for me. I want a couple more you know fight fights, like good ones, you know. That’s all I really want. … Fights where I don’t get knocked out in the first round. Fights where like I get hurt, bleed a little, but I kind of like rally, you know, something of that nature.”
I can’t help but think that before he ends his career he’ll at least complete another fight trilogy with Stephan Bonnar, but if he can’t get past an ageing and increasingly unmotivated Ortiz at UFC 148 then you’d have to imagine his retirement plans will switch to sooner rather than later.
In his latest interview Griffin seems confident that he will emerge victorious however as you can see for yourself by watching it in full below.
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