| Forrest Griffin and Mauricio Shogun Rua face off | | | | fact it is one of the reasons that he can go all out |
| on September 22nd in Shogun's UFC debut. This is | | | | and not worry about what he's got left for later |
| certainly not an easy fight for either combatant, | | | | in the fight. |
| but does Forrest Griffin really have a chance to | | | | First of all, I don't believe that Forrest will win this |
| win? | | | | fight. When facing top competition, Shogun has a |
| Forrest Griffin won the first season of the | | | | much better record, not just winning, but winning |
| Ultimate Fighter reality season in an epic battle | | | | decisively. That said, Shogun's aggression can be |
| with Stephan Bonnar and mixed martial arts has | | | | his Achilles' heel. Sometimes he over extends |
| never been the same. This was really the first | | | | himself and commits to bad situations. Usually, this |
| time that a great fight was available, and | | | | works out for Shogun because he is so talented, |
| watched, by a large audience on free TV. The | | | | but I can see where a Chuck Liddell could take |
| people loved it and the UFC's popularity grew | | | | advantage of this and knock Shogun out. |
| enormously. | | | | Unfortunately for Forrest, he is not a knockout |
| Since that fight, Griffin has battled some big | | | | artist. He likes to stand and bang, but he hit Tito |
| names in the light heavyweight division, including | | | | and Bonnar for a total of 9 rounds and didn't |
| Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine, Elvis Sinosic and Stephan | | | | knock either out. |
| Bonnar again. Griffin defeated both Sinosic and | | | | On the ground, I don't think that the story gets |
| Bonnar, put on a good show against Ortiz (maybe | | | | any better for Forrest. Sure he has submitted |
| even a draw), but lost badly to Keith Jardine. The | | | | guys like Bill Mahood, but Shogun is a completely |
| Jardine fight was particularly interesting as Jardine | | | | different animal. He trains in Brazil, along with his |
| was able to TKO Griffin even though we've seen | | | | other Chute Box team mates. There is a reason |
| many times before that Forrest Griffin has a | | | | why the B in BJJ is for Brazil and I have my |
| good chin and doesn't mind getting hit. I'd even | | | | doubt that Forrest will catch Shogun in a |
| say he usually fights better when he's a bit | | | | submission. |
| bloodied up, just look at his fights with Ortiz and | | | | So the only way I can see Forrest Griffin winning |
| Bonnar as examples of this. | | | | this fight is by decision. Forrest showed us in his |
| Mauricio Shogun Rua has faced almost every light | | | | last fight, against Hector Ramirez, that he's able to |
| heavyweight worth fighting in the Pride | | | | stick with a game plan and win a fight from the |
| organization, with the sole exception of his Chute | | | | outside using good boxing. He will need to do this |
| Box team mate Wanderlei Silva. To say that | | | | against Shogun to be successful. He will need to |
| Shogun has had success is somewhat of an | | | | establish his jab early and keep Shogun at a |
| understatement. He has a dominant win over | | | | distance to have any chance of winning this fight. |
| current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton | | | | Sadly, Shogun just doesn't let his opponents do |
| Jackson and wins over big names like Kevin | | | | that. Ask Alistair Overeem, a good striker who |
| Randleman, Ricardo Arona, Alistair Overeem and | | | | gave Chuck Liddell a run in their fight early. |
| Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (little Nog). He lost a | | | | Shogun had some trouble with Alistair early, but |
| match to Mark Coleman in 2006, but only because | | | | eventually he was able to get the upper hand and |
| he suffered a broken arm after coming down on | | | | defeat him with punches on the ground. |
| a bad angle during a slam. | | | | I've waited a long time to see Mauricio Shogun |
| Mauricio Rua has an aggressive style. He quite | | | | Rua fight in the UFC. I want to see him take on |
| simply overwhelms his opponents with vicious | | | | the likes of Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and yes, |
| strikes and kicks. He has won 12 out of his last 13 | | | | Forrest Griffin. I'd love to see a rematch with |
| fights, 10 of them in the 1st round and 9 by KO | | | | Quinton Jackson, or how about avenging his |
| or TKO. If you're wondering if he has the cardio | | | | brother "Ninja"'s loss to Dan Henderson. One thing |
| to go into later rounds, consider that he won a | | | | is for sure, the UFC light heavyweight division is |
| three round fight over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | | | | stacked. It's a great time to be an MMA fan! |
| by decision. Cardio for Shogun is not an issue, in | | | | |