UFC 86: Rampaging Forrest Fire

Strikefest: Jackson-Griffin I

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s brute strength and Forrest Griffin’s not-to-be-scoffed-at physical gifts and aggression make today’s UFC 86 light-heavyweight championship bout very exciting. “Styles make fights” is a boxing dictum that applies to all sports, fighting or not. The Jackson-Griffin brawl (it is hoped) is no different.

Many are of the opinion that Jackson beat erstwhile lightheavy king
Chuck Liddell with a lucky punch. The right hook that fell Liddell was followed by more punches on the ground forcing John McCarthy to put a stop to the fight and award a TKO win to Jackson. It took Jackson only a minute and 53 seconds in the first round to dethrone Liddell, now claiming a 2-0 edge in their match-up extending back to the old Pride tournament in Japan. This will be Jackson’s second defense of his UFC belt, and technically and by extension, his first defense of the defunct Pride middleweight crown he wrested from Dan Henderson 10 months ago.

The inactivity may have put some rust into the well-oiled pumping machine that is Jackson. Griffin, on the other hand, has also been away from the Octagon for 10 months, two weeks shorter than Rampage’s absence. The difference is Jackson came off a less-than convincing win over Henderson, while Griffin choked out one of his weight division’s strongest and most talented fighters, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Although, it can be said that Rua was not at full strength when he lost to Griffin, having ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament but still decided to push through with the fight.

But Jackson-Griffin I will not be won on who they last beat. Both have their formidable strengths and subtle weaknesses. Jackson is freakishly strong but is a sucker for a fast and strong striker. He lost to brutal Wanderlei Silva, the former Pride middleweight champ, not once but twice. Griffin is a warrior through and through. His three-round unanimous-decision win over Stephan Bonnar in the Ultimate Fighter I Finale is one of the most definitive examples of an all-out striking contest between two great competitors who won’t take a draw for a result. Griffin won by UD, but barely. UFC top honcho Dana White was so elated with the slambang show the two put on that he decided to reward not just the winner, Griffin, a UFC contract, but also Bonnar.

In today’s UFC 86 main event, if Jackson risks striking with Griffin, he just might be at the wrong end of a lucky punch (or kick or knee or slam) like he did Liddell.

Let the carnage begin, Rampage…and Fire. (N.B. I Googled Griffin’s mixed-martial-arts nickname. He currently doesn’t have one. Someone in a www.ultimate-fighter.ca forum suggested in jest that since Griffin resembles the image of a gremlin or Firby, that he should have the moniker Gremlin or Firby. Surely that name-caller will change his mind if he gets a taste of Griffin’s punch. Just one weeny teeny punch. While Rampage is aptly nicknamed.)

Yes, just one well-placed punch on Rampage’s hard head and muscle-bound body can give Griffin the chance to pound the champion with more strikes. Still, Griffin is the underdog to the junkyard-dog Jackson. See him howl on the way to the Octagon, with that mean look of his, huge chains around his neck and all. Henderson offered a gentlemanly hand to Rampage before the bell rang for their fight, but Rampage was too busy with dagger looks at Henderson, incidentally, a very good friend of Rampage. Rebuffed, “Dan Hollywood” Henderson quickly lost his grin and tightened his girders.

Prediction time: Griffin by KO in Round 3. I wish! Being almost always for the underdog, I would like Griffin to win in three but the odds are stacked against him. Although, the good thing about the UFC and MMA in general is that surprises and shocks are never wanting.

Let’s get it on!