Tonight’s UFC 134 features a co-main event of one of the most important fights in the company’s history: Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. As much as the Ultimate Fighter Finale against Stephan Bonnar made Griffin a name to MMA fans, it was this fight with Rua that made him more than just a guy known for scrapping and propelled him to the top of the light heavyweight food chain.
Considered at the time to be the best 205 lb fighter in the world and possibly the best pound for pound, UFC 76 was supposed to be Shogun Rua’s coming out party in the United States. While in PRIDE, he had established a stunning 12-1 record, with the only loss coming from a freak injury against Mark Coleman. His tally of victories featured noteworthy names like Alistair Overeem, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, and the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion at the time of his US debut Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Shogun was particularly noted for his viciousness and finishing skills, with only one win coming by decision. The arrival of Shogun to the UFC was a big deal.
For his debut to the UFC audience, Zuffa needed someone credible for Shogun to face before they could push him into dream matches against Chuck Liddell and a rematch with Jackson (who himself had to fight Marvin Eastman before he fought Chuck Liddell for the title). The best name for this purpose: Forrest Griffin. Griffin, due to his time on the first season of the Ultimate Fighter, was a name instantly recognizable to American audiences. His tenacious style and willingness to engage in wild brawls made him a fan favorite. He would also stand little chance of beating a fighter as dominant as Rua. At this time, Griffin’s biggest fights were his two wins over Stephan Bonnar and a controversial split decision loss to Tito Ortiz in 2006. Not really known for having a ton of finishing skills, Forrest could be counted on to bring a fast paced fight that would showcase the heavily favored Rua’s vicious Muay Thai skills and set Shogun up for a title shot in early 2008. What happened over the course of their 14:45 battle would shock the world.
From the onset, Forrest set the tone and pace for this fight. Looking much fitter and quicker than the sluggish Rua, Griffin fought at a speed more akin to a lightweight. Utilizing leg kicks and constant movement, Forrest kept Rua from really getting on track in the early goings of the fight. By the end of a first round that could have been scored for Rua due to his busting Griffin open, two things were obvious: Forrest Griffin wasn’t going to just get mauled like people expected and Shogun was gassed.
In the second round, Griffin began to use the clinch and takedowns to smother Rua and wear him down some more. Rua was visibly slower throughout the round, while Griffin continued to move at the same speed as in the first. By the end of the second, Forrest still looked fresh while Shogun was on weary legs. This continued into the third round, where Griffin continued to wear Rua down. More takedowns, more ground and pound, more kickboxing and with less than a minute to go and since MMA judging is at best an inexact science, the fate of the match still up in the air Forrest went for the kill. Taking Rua’s back, Griffin locked in a rear naked choke and forced a submission with fifteen seconds left in the fight. Not only did Griffin beat the world’s top ranked light heavyweight, he did it by finishing an opponent for the first time in two years.
Forrest rode the momentum from this win and got a coaching slot on the Ultimate Fighter opposite Quinton Jackson that segued into a title shot at UFC 86. Again, Griffin shocked the world and won a decision that made him the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. In the span of ten months Griffin went from credible brawler and cannon fodder to legitimate top level light heavyweight. After that, things got a little rockier with back to back losses. The first was a third round TKO loss to Rashad Evans and the second was a humliiating three minute massacre at the hands of Anderson Silva. Since then, he has won two straight fights and is still solidly entrenched in the top ten fighters at his weight class.
For Mauricio Rua, the road since then has still been rocky. Blaming the loss to Griffin and his poor conditioning on bad knees, Shogun took the next fifteen months off for surgery and rest. He returned at UFC 93, where despite gassing badly again, he knocked Mark Coleman out in the third round. He followed this up by looking a bit better against Chuck Liddell, whom he knocked out in the first round at UFC 97. Still, this was looked at as more of an indictment on Liddell’s suspect ability to take a punch than on Shogun returning to form. The tide began to turn for him when he faced Lyoto Machida at UFC 104. Looked at as another victim for the undefeated Lyoto, Rua actually looked to have solved the Machida enigma before losing a controversial decision. He was given an instant rematch and at UFC 113 looked like the Shogun of old, knocking out Machida in three and a half minutes to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. After this came time off to nurse another knee injury. In his return at UFC 128, Shogun looked like the shell that fought Griffin and Coleman and he received a pummeling at the hands of Jon Jones for three rounds.
UFC 134 marks a crossroads of sorts for both men. For Rua, it is the chance to avenge his humiliating debut and show the world that he is healthy and able to compete at a high level, as well as claw back into the title hunt. For Griffin, it’s the opportunity to prove that the first win wasn’t a fluke or because Rua wasn’t healthy or prepared. It’s also the chance to topple the man currently ranked third in the world at his weight class and potentially fight for the title again next year. While a loss for Griffin would push him to the bottom of the top tier light heavyweights, a loss for Shogun could send him out of the title picture for good. No matter what happens for either man, the specter of UFC 76 and its stunning outcome will hang over both men for the rest of their careers.
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