“Why did Forrest Griffin run out of the ring at UFC 148?” That is the biggest question coming out of UFC 148 and continued into the post conference. Forrest apologized to Tito at the press conference but some are wondering whether an “I’m sorry” was truly enough.
It was an odd yet familiar scene for UFC fans immediately following the three-round war between Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz at UFC 148. After an obvious win, the former The Ultimate Fighter winner and light heavyweight champion took off. Griffin ran right out of the cage making for an odd scene that saw UFC president Dana White run after Forrest and order him back in the cage.
[adinserter block=”2″]Fans booed Forrest as he got back in the cage, but Forrest was only getting started with his attempt to hijack a historic moment and turn it into a mockery. Griffin proceeded to grab the microphone and do a post fight interview with Ortiz, something Joe Rogan would normally do. Griffin was arrogant and Ortiz was extremely uncomfortable, seeing his final moment turned upside down. Griffin even made a remark about Ortiz getting tired in which Ortiz took a shot and reminded Griffin that if it weren’t for him he probably wouldn’t be there. It was an odd and uncomfortable moment and a little sad to watch knowing that this was Ortiz’s last chance to say goodbye before retiring.
Griffin continued the shenanigans in his own post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, who also didn’t look happy. Griffin proceeded to tell Rogan about how he really wasn’t that hurt in certain situations, again making Ortiz look bad. Griffin finally capped off the charade by walking over to Tito and trying to hand him his sweaty t-shirt. Ortiz blew Griffin off and the fans were quick to let Forrest know that his unfunny and disrespectful attempt at comedy was neither fun nor funny.
UFC president Dana White was extremely upset about the situation. White was asked about it in the press conference. White expressed his frustrations and also clued in the media and fans as to why Forrest did what he did…or at least why he told his boss he did it.
First Dana was asked about what he said to Forrest Griffin when he ran after him. “Everyone in this room knows exactly what I said to him.” Dana also said that he asked Forrest if he was “mental.”
The UFC president then proceeded to give Forrest’s side of the story. “He said I was really depressed. Well the next time you are depressed about winning a fight, go back in the back and be depressed. Stand up there. It’s Tito’s last night, Tito just won his fight (he didn’t), get your hand raised or Tito’s hand raised, do your interview, and go, if you’re bummed out do it in the back. Alright? And if you’re bucking for Joe Rogan’s f*cking job it’s not going to happen, it’s Joe’s job, leave the microphone alone, until Joe comes over and talks to you. It drives me crazy. I love Forrest Griffin, always have, he’s a great guy, but he gets a little cooky sometimes you know?”
It was obvious that Tito wasn’t happy when it happened and he was asked about it as well in the post fight presser. Tito said, “It was bullsh*t. Come on dude. You haven’t been in the sport a lot longer. You have to understand that fifteen years ago, May 30, 1997, Joe Rogan was the first person to interview me and I told him that I was going to make a mark in the sport. I helped build a sport that helped build the person I am today and for Forrest to step in and do what he did, after running? As I said I can’t complain about anything, I wish Joe Rogan were there to interview me, but that’s what we have a press conference for.”
Ironically Forrest Griffin walked into the press conference as Tito was giving this answer. Yes, Forrest was late. Forrest took a seat and offered up an apology that appeared to be sincere.
“I sincerely apologize, I honestly wasn’t thinking, I could see you guys have a ton of history, I apologize, I wish I could take that back. I’m sorry.” He also mentioned later that he felt really bad about it and was in a bad mindset at the time. He also said he was disappointed in his performance for not finishing the fight and was frustrated.
The thing I never understood about Forrest is why he is so popular yet he continues to act like a spoiled jerk with very little respect for the sport, fans, or media. Read some accounts online from reporters about their experiences with Forrest and most will tell you that he was arrogant and combative in all interviews. A quick read of his tweets will tell you everything you need to know about the guy. His tweets are a sad cry for attention with Forrest’s lame attempts at humor, which include by the way joking about rape (“rape is the new missionary“). Top this off with his actions at UFC 148 and you have a guy that either has some serious mental issues or really just doesn’t give a crap about anything.
Quite frankly I don’t think the guy has ever been the same since he was destroyed a couple of years back by Anderson Silva. He has just seemed a bit off ever since the night he ran out of the octagon to a chorus of boos. That is fine and I can understand that, but fighting in the UFC is a business and a show. Part of the show is the post fight interview and running away or stealing microphones because your “depressed” is inexcusable.
As polarizing as Tito has been over the last fifteen years he deserved much better than what he got on Saturday night. He deserved his final moment of history with Joe Rogan, he deserved his final chance to say goodbye to the fans, and even more importantly the fans deserved their chance to say farewell to one of the greatest showmen in the history of MMA. None of that happened thanks to Forrest and his “depression.”
[adinserter block=”1”]It is time for the UFC to take a serious look at continuing to promote Forrest in these high level spots. It is also time for Forrest to take a cold hard look in the mirror and question whether he wants to be a professional fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. From all accounts the kid barely even likes to fight anymore. Hey no problem, stay home, have fun with your jokes on Twitter, and do the UFC a favor and let them proceed with one less baby on the roster.
Run Forrest run…just keep running and don’t come back.
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The only thing that Forrest did that was disrespectful was leave the ring. Your articleclearly shows you are a Griffin hater and Ortiz lover. I love both these athletes but the only thing that ever taught Ortiz respect was losing for SIX years straight and only got one lucky uppercut to get the only other win he would get. He disrespected TRUE LEGEND, who started it all before him and paved the way to Ortiz (Shamrock) and wore disrespectful shirts and talked mockingly to him and YES also gave arrogant post match remarks… Ortiz is lucky to have fans cheer for him because he ducked fighting Liddell and got destroyed by Griffen in this last fight. I admire him as a fighter and what Griffen did with the mic was certainly wrong, but Ortiz certainly deserved this after what he did to Shamrock. At the end of the day he is a Hall of Famer, respected and got his last fight. Thank you Ortiz for your UFC contributions – Forrest was wrong ot do what he did but you're legacy will last forever!
I am hardly an Ortiz lover nor a Griffin hater but I am a Tito fan and I am not a fan of Forrest so take that for what its worth. And Ortiz did not get destroyed by Griffin in his last fight. He was gassed in the third and got picked apart but he was hardly destroyed. It went to a decision. How is anyone destroyed in a decision?
This article is bullsh*t.
Talk about biased and without any sense of Tito's antics.
I'm not a great Forest fan, but he wasn't trying to be insulting, just trying to be funny. He was off, it happens.
Moreover! Did you even see Tito ruin Mark Coleman's final octagon interview? Tito walks around the octagon and says "what goes around comes around" to Mark Coleman as he's getting his final interview in the Octagon and after getting beaten up, and Coleman said "F*** you Tito" in the middle of it on live TV. Now that's ruining somebody's final interview.
Well guess what, what goes around comes around.
Tito's an a#$hole, so's the guy who wrote this.
This comment is bullsh*t! First of all Coleman was fired after the fight and then he retired. It was a completely different situation. I would even argue that Coleman knew he lost the fight and quickly picked a fight with Tito hoping to save his job for a grudge match. Tito was at ringside and I don't know what he said, but it wasn't as if he hopped the fence and came into the cage. Your analogy is terrible. Try again.
Second of all if there was nothing wrong with what Forrest did why did HE apologize, HE say he was wrong, and Dana White say the same thing? You are defending a guy that himself said what he did was wrong.
As for Tito, I dont ever recall him coming into the cage and ruining someone's moment. The "disrespectful" things he may have done or said about Ken Shamrock also resulted in the UFC doing mega business, both fighters doing big business, and probably helped save the UFC in those dark times.
You are free to hate Tito all you want, but you're argument holds no water.
And as far as the apologizing goes… He was probably told to apologize rather than doing it on his own. Dana White probably tore into him which would invoke a forced apology considering the reactions Griffin caused. But I still think what happened to Tito was deserved. Screw Tito, the UFC would have made it without him. How cocky to say "if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be here." Pfft!! TUF would have aired, Griffin would have won, and yes! He would be where he is now. Only not having to apologize to a talent-less, washed up, pretty boy.
Screw Tito Ortiz. You talk about a baby in the UFC? Tito Ortiz was one of the biggest babies. He could run that mouth but that was probably the only dangerous thing about him. 2 thumbs up for Forrest Griffin. Like Collins said, he deserved it. I will not miss him for a single second and the greatest part of that entire fight was knowing it was his last in the UFC. YAY!!!
Tito showed zero respect to ken shamrock. He got what he deserved. At least griffin didnt don a tshirt that said "punish him into retirement" like Tito did.
hey a$#hhat tito's corner handed forrest one of tito's shirts before leaving the cage. gets your facts straight before tearing into a guy. and there was nothing disrespectful about anything afterward. as a matter of fact there was a great deal of respect. tito looked slow and old and that fight should not taken place. i would have rather seen griffin bonnar 3 instead of that crap. .
First of all it was a matter of disrespect. Did you watch the press conference video? Forrest apologized. What was he apologizing for if it wasn't disrespectful? As for Tito looking slow, yeah he did but it did take place so I don't know what your point. As for the shirt you are wrong. When they cut away from the segment Forrest went to put his shirt on and then stopped, took it off, and ran over and tried to hand it to Tito as he walked out of the octagon.
Get your facts straight before you come over here and start calling me names.
bullsh*t, he has a sense of humour, something most fighters are missing.he can take the piss out of himself.Im glad tito wasnt the centre of attention for the first time in his career.
Sense of humor? It wasn't funny at all. It was Tito's last fight and if not for him, the UFC may not even exist today. So yeah, give him that last center of attention on his final night.
who cares tito has always acted like that. nice that what goes around comes around
Great article and spot on. I used to like Forrest a lot. I thought "here is a guy humble about his skills who isn't afraid to be self-deprecating for a joke". But no comedian in the world is funny all the time nor should be trying to be in certain situations and that goes even for the best ones, which Griffin isn't even close to. His act has gotten very old. He is rarely funny and I have found his attempts to manipulate crowd approval for self-promotion to be almost condescending and insulting now. He is not very talented as a fighter either. He gets his wins by mainly leg-kicks and pressure which is fine for a while because it shows heart but when a guy that is driving you crazy can never seriously challenge for the title it makes the down-side not worth it. I agree, if he doesn't like to fight any more, then leave the sport. I don't think he'll be missed that much. And btw, I have never liked Tito but he gave it his all for his last fight and got cheated out of his last moment.
Thanks Steve
F*ck Forrest! That was a classless act man. I never gave 2 shits about Ortiz but it was his last night (hopefully) and Forrest took that away. Maybe they should toss Forrest to Machida and kick his a$% out of the octagon.