Forrest Griffin
Active 2005–2013 · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 84.0
Scouting report
Forrest Griffin worked in law enforcement for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Augusta, Georgia, and as a patrol officer with University of Georgia police. He trained for seven years at The HardCore Gym, now SBG Athens, under Adam and Rory Singer. He won The Ultimate Fighter 1 light heavyweight tournament by beating Stephan Bonnar on April 9, 2005, then won the UFC light heavyweight title from Quinton Jackson on a unanimous decision at UFC 86 on July 5, 2008. He retired on May 26, 2013.
Peak ratings
Forrest Griffin: a sheriff's deputy who won the TUF final and the title
Dana White called the Bonnar fight the most important in UFC history. Griffin lost the belt to Rashad Evans by TKO at UFC 92 on December 27, 2008 and broke his hand in the fight. He lost to Anderson Silva by first-round knockout at UFC 101, and he beat Tito Ortiz twice on split and unanimous decisions. He is in the UFC Hall of Fame, with the Modern Wing induction in 2013, and later became a vice president at the UFC Performance Institute.
Griffin, rating by rating
Boxing. 80. Keith Jardine stopped him with strikes at 4:41 of round one at UFC 66 in December 2006.
Kickboxing. 82. Elvis Sinosic was stopped in round one at UFC 55, and Silva knocked him out at 3:23 of round one at UFC 101.
Wrestling. 80. He beat Hector Ramirez on a unanimous decision at UFC 72 in Belfast in June 2007.
BJJ. 82. He choked Bill Mahood in round one at UFC 53, and Mauricio Rua at 4:45 of round three at UFC 76, which won Submission of the Night.
Strength. 82. Rua knocked him out in round one at UFC 134 in Rio, 1:53 into the fight.
Durability. 84. Evans stopped him with punches at 2:46 of round three at UFC 92.
Cardio. 90, his best. He beat Rich Franklin on a unanimous decision at UFC 126 in February 2011 and Jackson over five rounds at UFC 86.
Fight IQ. 84. He withdrew from UFC 70 with a staph infection and from UFC 114, and an MCL tear and ACL strain forced him out of UFC 155.
Cardio at 90 and a belt won on the scorecards
He won the UFC 86 title fight over five rounds, which earned a Fight of the Night and a $60,000 bonus. The Jackson decision was called controversial. He beat Bonnar in the TUF final, Ortiz in 2009 and 2012 and Franklin in 2011. His UFC 148 win over Ortiz was the final fight of his career.
Boxing and wrestling at 80 and a body that wore down
Shoulder surgery followed UFC 76, and the shoulder gave him trouble afterward. After UFC 134 he was reported to be out for up to six months. He fought once more, beating Ortiz in July 2012, and retired in May 2013 citing chronic injuries. Silva, Evans, Jardine and Rua each finished him inside three rounds. A finisher in another slot covers the gap.
Keep exploring
Closest light heavyweight profiles to Forrest Griffin, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Nikita Krylovbest cardio 86 · weakest wrestling 80
- Anthony Smithbest boxing 86 · weakest wrestling 76
- Ovince Saint Preuxbest strength 85 · weakest fight iq 80
- Thiago Silvabest boxing 84 · weakest wrestling 76
- Light Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Forrest Griffin's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Forrest Griffin into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Forrest Griffin is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Forrest Griffin's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.