I don't even know what to think. Rampage is a monster, and I would never want to stand opposite to him in the ring, but Forrest is a savvy fighter, to say the least. If this fight turns out to be as good as I hope it will be, it definitely won't be an evening wasted.
Forest has a propensity to take a lot of punishment and keep on going. I think that may serve him well here. He has also radically improved his submission and position game so I would not totally rule him out. However, having said that I still think Rampage is a heavy favorite.
enjoy! Griffin vs Rampage http://www.mmaroot.com/quinton-rampage-jackson-vs-forrest-griffin-ufc-86-video/
Ha! Great thing about being up @ 4:30am EST is that I get to read about it online before things can be tossed!
Spoiler Forrest really fought a smart fight. I was particularly impressed with his ability to keep Rampage on the outside and also when he dominated the second round on the ground.
*sigh*... folks, it hasn't aired everywhere... Spoiler Overall, a decent card. Chris Lytle is now very Rocky-esque in my book, having taken a beating and kept coming back for more. Almost that "what will it take to beat this guy?" kinda thing. Joe Stevenson almost lost to a rare omaplata, and I thought was getting the worst of the grappling, but the man can end a fight with a guillotine the same way Liddell can end it with a punch. I'm starting to appreciate Tyson Griffin's boxing. Dude throws some sick body shots. The co-main event was very lackluster. I thought we'd see fireworks, either on the feet from Cote or on the ground from Almeida. The main event was something else. I was pulling for Forrest, but after he got dropped in the first I thought it was over. He held on, though, and worked a smart game with leg kicks and an underrated Jiujitsu game. Rampage didn't get in a single offensive move in the second round, and Forrest almost finished him with a triangle later in the fight. Rampage had no defense for the leg kicks, but his boxing defense and short, inside punches were sweet. I thought we'd be looking at a draw. There's some belly-aching on Sherdog about the fight. Rampage was "supposed" to win (just like Shogun in Forrest's last fight), and I don't think people were expecting him to loose. Some are complaining that you should decisively beat the champ in order to have the belt, but I'd say that the champ has to decisively prove they deserve their title. Nobody's disputing that it was a close fight, though. I never thought I'd see Griffin as a champ, but I'm looking forward to seeing how long he can keep that belt.
