Forrest Griffin has been preparing for this Saturday’s UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin, one of the biggest bouts of his entire MMA/UFC career. The season 1 Ultimate Fighter winner has worked his way up for the past 3 years, winning 6 of his last 8 UFC fights. Griffin has notable wins over Stephan Bonnar, Jeff Monson, Elvis Sinosic, Hector Ramirez and his most recent win over the former PrideFC fighter Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
Griffin has always been known as the "cardio machine" of all fighters (aside from Clay Guida). The nickname was created due to his ability to either stand up or grapple with his opponent on every second of each round. Griffin’s style of fighting is loved by many because of his fast-paced and action-packed bouts. The two bouts against Stephan Bonnar helped him become the popular UFC star that he is today.
Many believe Griffin’s fighting style along with his unstoppable cardio is a perfect match-up against the current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. When asked what his strategy would be against Rampage, he stated "I don’t care where it goes as long as I win."
Griffin has been training with one of the most experienced fighters at the Xtreme Couture gym. The sparring partner he feels that has given him the best tips is Wanderlei "The Axemurderer" Silva. Silva is by far the most experienced against Rampage Jackson, defeating him twice in the former PrideFC ring. In a recent interview with mmaweekly.com, Forrest Griffin talked about about his training sessions with the Axemurderer:
"Wanderlei is just an animal… He’s not normal. You work out with him, see him in here; he’s on his own world man. You really got to be a specific guy with a specific skill set and specific cardio to fight like Wanderlei. I can’t emulate his style… I love him as a training partner. It’s that unchecked aggression… The one thing he (Wanderlei Silva) said was immediately grab the head and throw the knee instead of trying to set it up and make the perfect… bam! Grab and go, start throwing, don’t sit there and let him think about it."
This upcoming Saturday night, Griffin will be tested against the very tough Rampage in one of the most anticipated fights of the year. UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin is scheduled to take place on July 5th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more information regarding UFC 86 including the complete fight card, click here.
