Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz UFC 106 Prediction

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz UFC 106 Prediction Introduction: The last time The Huntington Beach Bad Boy took on Forrest Griffin, he narrowly escaped with a split decision victory. Though Ortiz won that fight, Griffin left the Octagon with more respect and fans than he had previously. This time Ortiz says that his surgically repaired back is allowing him to train like he used to. Will that allow him to have the cardio he used to have? Or is it all just talk?

Let's find out.

What Forrest Griffin (16-6) brings to the table: Throughout his MMA career, Griffin has been known as a tough guy. Along with this, it's hard to match his heart. Beyond that, he has well-rounded skills- good wrestling, jiu jitsu, and technical striking- even if he doesn't have any one necessarily overwhelming capability. In other words, Griffin has always been about heart. So the question is, has losing two straight by (T)KO hurt him mentally? If it has then that toughness of his may not be there in this fight.

What Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) brings to the table: Tito Ortiz has solid, though perhaps unspectacular, striking skills. He has above average submissions and excellent submission defense, even if you rarely see the former in his fights. Why? Simply because Ortiz is a ground and pound specialist. Along with this, he's a very big, strong, and athletic wrestler that displays awesome takedowns, ground control, and ground and pound. In the past, he's demonstrated excellent cardio that has allowed him to wear out opponents on the canvas with this game plan. More recent fights have seen him gas, something that he attributes to an inability to train like he used to due to a back injury. So the clear question is, now that his back has been surgically repaired, will the cardio of old be there? Or is a surgically repaired back never really healed?

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz Prediction: If this fight stays standing, Griffin has a very good chance of winning. If it hits the ground with Ortiz on top, which is likely the only way it hits the ground, Ortiz has a very good shot. Guess is that Ortiz's wrestling will allow him to take Griffin down early in the fight and net some points. But can he do that for three rounds, or will Griffin's takedown defense eventually tire him out as it did in their first fight?

In the end, as has been repeatedly said in this article, you're left wondering if Ortiz's back has allowed him to maintain the cardio of old. The bottom line is that I'm thinking that it has.

Tito Ortiz wins via unanimous decision.