"I've already cried in the Octagon once, so I'm not going to do that (bleep) again."

Perhaps that one humorous comment says more about the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion than anything else. Griffin is the most beloved TUF Champion ever as much for his quick with and ability to make fun of himself as for anything he has ever done in the ring.

Well, maybe that's not entirely true. After all, we are talking about one of the tougher people to ever grace the Octagon. So without further ado, let's find out how this former law enforcement officer managed to nab the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2008.

Forrest Griffin and the early years

Forrest Griffin was born on July 1, 1979 in Columbus, Ohio. That said, he grew up in Georgia, graduating from Evans High School. But as is the case with many mixed martial arts fighters, Griffin's education didn't stop there as he then enrolled at and graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in political science. While at the University of Georgia, he served as a law enforcement officer. In addition, Griffin also once served as a bouncer at a strip club.

When it comes to mixed martial arts, Griffin's career began at the HardCore Gym in Athens, training under Adam and Rory Singer for five years. Along with this, while working in law enforcement for the university he went to, Griffin managed to compile a 6-0 amateur record.

That's when the first big call of his mixed martial arts career came.

Forrest Griffin vs. Dan Severn

A local MMA show was looking for a fighter to take on then 47 year old Dan Severn, a former Ultimate Fighting Champion and current UFC Hall of Famer. Rather than go out and pay an upper level fighter a huge sum of money, the organization came up with a different idea.

"I was a hometown kid and they wanted to use the angle of the local kid fighting Dan Severn," said Griffin regarding his first professional bout. "The guy said he'd give me 250 bucks, and I said what the hell, I'd do it for free. At that time it was before I used to really give a s**t about it. I had a good job as a police officer, and it was a hobby - it was fun. It was a win-win situation. No matter what happened, it was Dan Severn. Who cares if you lost to him? So have some of the best in the world."

The fact is that Griffin did end up coming out on the losing end of what many perceived to be a rather boring fight. Still, that night at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia on October 27, 2001 meant a lot more than most of the fans at the stadium knew. It wasn't just about a local kid having fun; nor was it about Dan Severn, really.

It was the start of something very big in mixed martial arts. And that something big was Forrest Griffin.

Forrest Griffin before TUF 1

From there Griffin managed eight straight victories. Included in that was a victory over Wiehan Lesh in South Africa. Not that big a deal, right? Well, that depends on what you think of a man fighting through a separated shoulder injury sustained early in the first round. Even with the injury, Griffin managed to sink in a rear naked choke with the one useful arm he had left before the initial stanza ended. In fact, during those eight consecutive victories Griffin accumulated wins over excellent fighters like Jeff Monson (decision) and Chael Sonnen (triangle choke).

In other words, it's really not as if Griffin came from nowhere to win the TUF 1 Championship, as many have insinuated; he was always a good fighter. Along with this, after losing to Jeremy Horn via knockout in his next fight, Griffin once again won, this time taking down Edson Paredao by knockout. Interestingly, as has been documented, Griffin sustained a broken left arm in the Paredao fight.

So he knocked him out with his right. "You don't know what else to do," Griffin said regarding his ability and willingness to finish out the first round with a broken arm. "Had it gone through the round, I wouldn't have come out for the second."

But, once again showing the toughness that he would one day become famous for, Griffin persevered through. In fact, the battle scars-there is a bump on his left arm from the injury-are still obvious today.

Even with all of his toughness and the success that he had, Griffin was about to quit the game and go back to being a police officer full time. He'd had enough. And that's when another call came.

This time from the UFC.

Forrest Griffin becomes the TUF 1 Champion after defeating Stephan Bonnar

UFC President Dana White has said on numerous occasions that he had to talk Griffin into getting on the plane and participating on the first season of the The Ultimate Fighter Reality Television show, as he was all set to quit fighting and rejoin the Athens Police Department.

Good thing for both of them that White was successful in convincing him to sign up.

First, Griffin managed to fight his way through the single elimination tournament to the championship while living in the house and training under then TUF coach Chuck Liddell (Randy Couture was the other coach). Second, he and Stephan Bonnar put on a show in the finale on April 9, 2005 that won't soon be forgotten. In sum, it was a war of attrition, heart, and toughness that has rarely been seen.

In other words, it was a brawl that both fighters somehow got through without going to sleep. In the end, Griffin grabbed a unanimous decision victory. But boy, was it ever close.

However, the Forrest Griffin - Stephan Bonnar fight did more than just cement Griffin as a crowd favorite and overall tough guy. It also did more than just gain him a six- figure UFC contract, as was the deal for the TUF winners.

The bottom line is a record number of people tuned in to watch Bonnar and Griffin go to war. Thus, to this day that fight is given a lot of credit for bringing mixed martial arts closer to the mainstream of society.

Without it, MMA would likely not be where it is today.

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz

After defeating Bonnar, Griffin rallied off two consecutive wins by way of stoppage before getting the chance to take on a UFC legend in Tito Ortiz on April 15, 2006 at UFC 59: Reality Check. The bottom line on this fight was simple. Many believed that TUF fighters were getting preferential treatment from the UFC and that they were overrated. Thus, a good number of fans believed Griffin would be annihilated by Ortiz.

In the first round, it looked like they were right. Namely, Ortiz took Griffin down and delivered a ground and pound battering that was merciless. It was probably a two point round for the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, in fact. But somehow Griffin, as he had already done so many times throughout his career, survived.

From there, things got a little bit more complicated.

Griffin likely won the second round by avoiding Ortiz's takedown attempts and winning the stand up battle. In the third, things were very close, with Ortiz gaining a takedown at the tail end of the stanza.

Perhaps that's what won Ortiz the split decision victory. Regardless, Griffin had proven that he was hardly a flash in the pan. He was a fighter that belonged and was here to stay.

Keith Jardine proves that Forrest Griffin is human

By the time that Griffin took on Keith Jardine at UFC 66 - after defeating Stephan Bonnar in a rematch by way of a decisive unanimous decision - his toughness had become almost legendary. Sure, he had been knocked out by Jeremy Horn way back in 2003, but nobody even remembered that. To be frank, whether it was a broken arm, dislocated shoulder, or big punch, few believed that Griffin could actually be stopped in a fight.

Keith Jardine proved otherwise.

Though the initial round started out with Griffin using angles well and sticking and moving, his success was short-lived. Late in the first Jardine caught his opponent with a big punch and followed him to the canvas, pounding away.

And just like that, Griffin had lost via TKO. After the fight, he was seen crying in the corner of the Octagon, showing just how much a sport that he had almost walked away from meant to him right now.

Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

This was supposed to be the fight that proved Rua's worth to American audiences. Rua, a former PRIDE Grand Prix Champion, was widely considered the best 205 pound fighter in the world, known for his well- roundedness and furious shark-like killer instinct.

But once again Forrest Griffin defied the odds, dominating most of the action during the fight on his way to a rear naked choke victory in the third round. Afterwards, Rua needed surgery on his knee and indicated that he was injured during his fight with Griffin.

Regardless, it was clear victory.

Next up, was Griffin's championship shot.

Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship

After going at it on TUF 7 as coaches where Griffin's bunch dominated Jackson's fighters, these two fought on July 5th for Jackson's UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt. In sum, the fight lived up to its billing, with Jackson dropping Griffin in the first with an uppercut and Griffin jacking up Rampage's legs with a low kick in the second and dominating the action on the ground for the rest of the stanza. The third and fourth rounds were close, but Griffin certainly won the fifth with good movement and consistent striking.

Though it was a very close fight, in the end Forrest Griffin was named the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion by way of a unanimous decision. His record now stands at 16-4.

Forrest Griffin right now and what's next for him

Forrest Griffin now trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Nevada. In fact, he sometimes even trains with Stephan Bonnar there, which is a very interesting turn of events considering the epic struggle that put both of them on the map earlier in their careers.

Though it's too early to tell right now, there are plenty of potential candidates to fight Forrest Griffin next. He might end up taking on the winner of the Chuck Liddell - Rashad Evans bout. He could quite possibly end up fighting Lyoto Machida. Heck, Wanderlei Silva or a rematch with Jackson is even a possibility.

Regardless, it will be a fun fight. Griffin fights are always water cooler worthy.

Other Fighter Biographies from Submit To MMA

Lyoto Machida Biography and Fighting Information

Kimbo Slice MMA Biography and Fighting Information

References

Forrest Griffin's Website

Sherdog

Ultimate Fighter

Wikipedia