The folks at MMA Fanhouse had a chance to catch up with Forrest Griffin regarding the possible return of Tito Ortiz to the Octagon. Griffin was defeated by Ortiz via split decision at UFC 59 back in April 2006. With Ortiz choosing not to resign with the UFC in 2008 when his contract was up, fighters like Griffin who have been beat by Ortiz have not had a chance to avenge their loss. A return to the Octagon by Ortiz could be the perfect way for guys like Griffin to get another crack at beating the former light heavyweight champ.
Here’s what Griffin had to say about Ortiz’s return:
Ariel Helwani: The big rumor right now is that Tito Ortiz may be headed back to the UFC. Is that a loss you would like to avenge at this point in your career?
Forrest Griffin: Yeah, I think me and Tito would be a good fight. I think it would be a good seller. I know I want to fight him; I’m pretty sure he wants to fight me. So I think there’d be two guys with pretty decent names that could maybe put some a**** in seats.
Ariel Helwani: Considering their history, would you be surprised if Dana White actually brought Ortiz back to the UFC?
Forrest Griffin: No. You’ve got to think, those guys, they have a history together, if you think about it. At one point, Dana managed Tito. They have a history. They were friends, and they had a falling out, but there was initially a friendship there, you know.
I for one would love to see this rematch and will be crossing my fingers that Dana White will let it happen. We know these two have made up due to their announcements on twitter. And while White and Ortiz have had their problems in the past, White is a business man and surely can appreciate what Griffin said about putting asses in seats. Tito Ortiz is still one of the most popular names in MMA. If he were to get in the Octagon with Griffin, it would be huge.