Forrest Griffin is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and the winner of the first "The Ultimate Fighter". He was featured on the cover of UFC 2009 Undisputed, which was the first UFC game produced by THQ
In what many call the most important fight in MMA history Forrest Griffin defeated fellow finalist Stephen Bonnar to win the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Shown live on Spike TV on April 9, 2005, Forrest won via unanimous decision in what was a thrilling back and forth 3 round war. UFC President Dana White has credited this fight in triggering the resurgence of the company that continues to this day. Forrest won a relatively lacklustre rematch on August 26, 2006 at UFC 63.
After 5 wins and 2 losses Forrest faced former Pride 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix winner Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 76 on September 22, 2007. Forrest won via rear-naked choke in the 3rd round. Already a popular fighter following his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter, this win over the highly ranked Brazilian led to Forrest gaining a title shot at the then Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on UFC 86 on July 5, 2008.
In what was regarded by many as the fight of the year, Forrest won via unanimous decision, using leg kicks and positional control to avoid Rampage's superior inside boxing.
Forrest lost the title to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 on December 27, 2008, getting knocked out via ground and pound while holding Rashad in his guard. 7 months later at UFC 101, Forrest was again knocked by Anderson "The Spider" Silva in one of the most spectacular displays of counter-striking the sport has ever seen. Forrest proceeded to sprint from the cage to the backstage area, possibly due to injuries sustained in the fight or perhaps due to embarrassment at his method of defeat.
As a late replacement for UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman, Forrest faced Tito Ortiz at UFC 106 in a rematch of his 2006 loss to Tito Ortiz. Forrest looked far crisper and more energetic than the ageing Tito, dealing significantly more damage throughout the fight. Forrest won via split-decision. After being scheduled to fight former Pride fighter Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 114, Forrest had to withdraw after suffering a shoulder injury.
The cover atlhete for UFC 2009 Undisputed, Forrest is also a New York Times best-selling author. His book "Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat" is a comedic semi-autobiographical tale advising readers on how to live life as a "manly man".
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