Fighters Only

Issue 196

December 2022

As one of the inaugural winners of The Ultimate Fighter, Forrest Griffin was one of the men who helped catapult the UFC into the mainstream. Now as the UFCs VP of Athlete Development at the UFC Performance Institute, he’s continuing his career in a sport he never wants to leave, as he told Simon Head on the red carpet at the 14th Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards.

When you entered The Ultimate Fighter house, the sport was nowhere near as big as this. It was still in its infancy. Did you ever dream when you were going through the TUF house that sport would ever be remotely as big as this?

People always ask me if I'm surprised that the UFC and MMA are as big as they are. And my honest answer is I'm surprised they're not bigger. You know, I grew up. I love football, I love basketball, the NFL and NBA, college, all that. Then I found MMA and I was like, whoa! This is what it’s about. This is what I’ve been missing. And for me, it’s just been MMA ever since, right? So I still watch all the fights from almost all the organizations.

You’ve seen the evolution of the sport, from the early days of the UFC to the huge global sport that mixed martial arts has become. Fighters Only has been a part of that growth as well, being in the sport for two decades. What does the brand of Fighters Only mean to you?

Well, you guys did some great shoots with me back from your physical magazine, so I appreciate that! No, I mean, I'm truly happy you guys are doing these awards. I think it's very cool for everybody to kind of get some acclaim, and just to see that affirmation for what they're doing, and their fans love them. You know, that's it, right? It's nice to be appreciated. And for me, it's nice to see other people get appreciated, right? It’s very cool.

And how much does it mean to you to be able to give back to the sport now in your current role?

Well, you know, it's more than that selfishly, it’s because I just don't want to leave this sport! This is what I really like to do. I don't want to do anything else. I don't know what else I would do. So, you know, any way I can stay in the sport is great! Any way I can make the sport better for the future is truly great. That sounds really cheesy, but it's true!