Almost Déjà Vu: Forrest Griffin defeats Tito Ortiz via Split Decision

The last time Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz fought the bout ended in a split decision. The same thing happened again tonight but this time Forrest Griffin was in the winner's circle.

When Griffin and Ortiz first met Forrest was still a brawler and not the refined striker that defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The "new" Forrest was on full display as he attacked Ortiz with superior striking and battered his opponent's legs with kicks. Ortiz was able to take Griffin down in the first round but wasn't able to mount a serious offense. That changed in the second round when Ortiz took Griffin down and opened a cut above Forrest's right eye.

Going into the the third round it appeared that the fight was even but Forrest pulled away from Ortiz by constantly pressuring the UFC legend to pull out a split decision victory (28-29, 30-27, 29-28).

Tito Ortiz was supposed to be a rejuvenated fighter after his back surgery and 18 month layoff. Ortiz promised fans that we would see vintage Tito at UFC 106. The Ortiz who was known for relentless takedowns, vicious ground and pound and a never ending motor was not on display in Las Vegas. Tito completely abdicated the final round mounting zero offense besides two sloppy takedown attempts.

For Ortiz a loss is understandable due to his long absence from fighting. But Ortiz will need to develop a more robust skill set if he is going to compete with the UFC's top light heavyweights. Coming into the bout Forrest Griffin was in desperate need of a win. He got it, albeit a close and potentially controversial decision.

SBN coverage of UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2