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Set for March 20 fight
Griffin will square off against Song Kenan at the UFC's March 20 event, Marcel Dorff of MMADNA.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Griffin managed to bust out of a rough patch with a victory over Ramiz Brahima last time out, landing nearly 30 more significant strikes than his opponent prior to finishing him off with a TKO via elbow. Next up for him is Kenan, who is coming off of two straight wins. Griffin holds a five-inch reach advantage despite yielding an inch of height to his opponent, so look for him to aim to keep his opponent at a distance.
Griffin managed to bust out of a rough patch with a victory over Ramiz Brahima last time out, landing nearly 30 more significant strikes than his opponent prior to finishing him off with a TKO via elbow. Next up for him is Kenan, who is coming off of two straight wins. Griffin holds a five-inch reach advantage despite yielding an inch of height to his opponent, so look for him to aim to keep his opponent at a distance.
Finishes Brahimaj in gruesome fashion
Griffin defeated Ramiz Brahimaj via TKO (elbow) at 2:03 of Round 3 at UFC on ESPN+ 40 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Griffin employed a strategy of constant movement early and was effective with the jab and leg kicks, likely taking Round 1. In the second round, Griffin came out to a more aggressive opponent, but landed flush with a groin strike that stopped the fight for about a minute. Griffin picked up where he left off after the restart, landing effectively and not putting himself in situations that would make Brahimaj comfortable enough to go for a takedown. He had effectively bloodied the face of his opponent by end end of Round 2, likely going up 20-18 on the scorecards. Griffin ate a couple jabs early in the third, then landed a front kick that connected with the groin of Brahimaj again (but was fortunate to not get a point taken away). After the restart, a Brahimaj strike opened up a cut on Griffin, but he continued to press forward. Griffin landed and elbow and initiated a clinch situation, but it was quickly known that the elbow nearly detached Brahimaj's ear from his head. Once the referee noticed, he immediately called off the fight. Griffin had lost four of his last five fights heading into this matchup, but his striking looked reinvented here. In his post-fight interview, Griffin mentioned both Carlos Condit and Vicente Luque as future opponents he's interested in.
Griffin employed a strategy of constant movement early and was effective with the jab and leg kicks, likely taking Round 1. In the second round, Griffin came out to a more aggressive opponent, but landed flush with a groin strike that stopped the fight for about a minute. Griffin picked up where he left off after the restart, landing effectively and not putting himself in situations that would make Brahimaj comfortable enough to go for a takedown. He had effectively bloodied the face of his opponent by end end of Round 2, likely going up 20-18 on the scorecards. Griffin ate a couple jabs early in the third, then landed a front kick that connected with the groin of Brahimaj again (but was fortunate to not get a point taken away). After the restart, a Brahimaj strike opened up a cut on Griffin, but he continued to press forward. Griffin landed and elbow and initiated a clinch situation, but it was quickly known that the elbow nearly detached Brahimaj's ear from his head. Once the referee noticed, he immediately called off the fight. Griffin had lost four of his last five fights heading into this matchup, but his striking looked reinvented here. In his post-fight interview, Griffin mentioned both Carlos Condit and Vicente Luque as future opponents he's interested in.
Back in cage in November
Griffin (shoulder) is expected to take on the debuting Ramiz Brahimaj in a welterweight matchup at the UFC event scheduled for Nov. 7, MMAJunkie.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Griffin has hit a rough patch of late, dropping four of his last five fights and getting a 180-day medical suspension as a result of a shoulder injury suffered in his last appearance against Alex Oliveira. A veteran of nine UFC bouts, Griffin will be expected to take care of business against a debuting fighter who he'll have height and reach advantages over. Brahimaj typically does his best work on the mat, so it's encouraging to see that Griffin has never been submitted in 23 professional fights -- even with a 66 percent takedown defense under the UFC banner.
Griffin has hit a rough patch of late, dropping four of his last five fights and getting a 180-day medical suspension as a result of a shoulder injury suffered in his last appearance against Alex Oliveira. A veteran of nine UFC bouts, Griffin will be expected to take care of business against a debuting fighter who he'll have height and reach advantages over. Brahimaj typically does his best work on the mat, so it's encouraging to see that Griffin has never been submitted in 23 professional fights -- even with a 66 percent takedown defense under the UFC banner.
Potential shoulder injury in UFC 248 loss
Griffin is facing a 180-day medical suspension pending clearance of a left shoulder injury, Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Griffin was bested by Alex Oliviera via split decision at UFC 248 on Saturday, and to make matters worse, potentially suffered an injury that will affect his immediate fighting future. He'll be sidelined until April 22 at a minimum, but must get possible shoulder injuries checked out and cleared by an orthopedic doctor if he wishes to compete again before Sept. 4.
Griffin was bested by Alex Oliviera via split decision at UFC 248 on Saturday, and to make matters worse, potentially suffered an injury that will affect his immediate fighting future. He'll be sidelined until April 22 at a minimum, but must get possible shoulder injuries checked out and cleared by an orthopedic doctor if he wishes to compete again before Sept. 4.
Drops to 1-4 in past five fights
Griffin lost to Alex Oliveira via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 28-29) at UFC 248 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Griffin's toughness was on full display but it still wasn't enough for him to avoid his fourth loss in his last five fights. Griffin actually started pretty well. He almost certainly took Round 1 on the strength of a pair of takedowns. Yet as the fight progressed, Griffin began to bleed profusely due to a significant cut and his effectiveness waned as a result. Griffin's entire game is built around grit and determination and he simply doesn't have the offensive arsenal to remain effective over the course of a prolonged bout. Griffin has been trending in the wrong direction for more than two years and it's possible this fight may have been the straw the broke the camels back. On the plus side, he should be in the conversation for a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus. Both he and Oliveira absorbed a ton of punishment in what was a highly entertaining fight.
Griffin's toughness was on full display but it still wasn't enough for him to avoid his fourth loss in his last five fights. Griffin actually started pretty well. He almost certainly took Round 1 on the strength of a pair of takedowns. Yet as the fight progressed, Griffin began to bleed profusely due to a significant cut and his effectiveness waned as a result. Griffin's entire game is built around grit and determination and he simply doesn't have the offensive arsenal to remain effective over the course of a prolonged bout. Griffin has been trending in the wrong direction for more than two years and it's possible this fight may have been the straw the broke the camels back. On the plus side, he should be in the conversation for a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus. Both he and Oliveira absorbed a ton of punishment in what was a highly entertaining fight.