Forrest Griffin opened up about an early fight in his MMA career against a UFC Hall of Famer. The experience was humbling but valuable, offering Griffin a deeper understanding of the sport.
Griffin made his MMA debut at RSF 5: New Blood Conflict on Oct. 27, 2001. Standing across the cage was former UFC Superfight champion Dan Severn. At the time, Severn held a 48-6-4 record and had already defeated the faced legends like Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman, and Royce Gracie.
Severn relied on his elite wrestling skills and controlled the fight. He took Griffin down repeatedly and earned a unanimous decision win.
Although it was a tough loss, Griffin didn’t leave the cage bitter. Instead, he saw the fight as a valuable lesson in what is required to achieve success in the sport.
During his conversation with MMA pioneer Gary Goodridge for AWEISSSPORTS, Griffin shared his memory of the fight.
“[Severn] whooped my [expletive],” Griffin said. “It was a three-round fight. The first minute [of the 3rd round], I woke up and I got him pretty decent.”
He managed to gain some confidence after landing a shot, but Severn quickly regained control.
“I threw an inside leg-kick because he’s a southpaw, and he just rode me down, and I never got back up. He’s really good. It was fun.”
Forrest Griffin Reconnected with Dan Severn Years After Their Fight
Years after their fight, Griffin crossed paths with Severn at an event. They exchanged stories and laughs about their bout.
Severn, surprisingly, had no memory of fighting Griffin, which led to a hilarious moment. ‘The Beast’ was known for frequently competing throughout his career. He retired in 2012 with a staggering 101-19-7 record, so forgetting one fight on the regional circuit wasn’t necessarily unusual.
Griffin said the UFC Hall of Famer viewed it as a great moment, knowing he defeated the first-ever ‘TUF’ winner.
“I met [Severn] at the Black Belt Convention, and he knew who I was. He knew I’d won ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, but he did not realize that we had fought,” Griffin told AWEISSSPORTS.
He continued:
“[Severn] didn’t know that he beat me. And then, I was like, ‘Yeah, you beat the first ‘Ultimate Fighter.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool.'”
Griffin Became a Household Name Following ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
Griffin’s loss to Severn didn’t derail his career by any means. He won his next eight fights and eventually became one of the most important fighters in UFC history.
Griffin gained recognition during the first season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, a reality show that saved the UFC. In the finale, he faced Stephan Bonnar in a legendary three-round war. The fight was as one of the most important in UFC history.
He earned a unanimous decision win and joined Diego Sanchez as the first-ever ‘TUF’ winners. The fight drew a huge TV rating, prompting Spike TV to sign a broadcast deal with the UFC.
In 2013, Griffin was inducted into the Modern Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. He also joined Bonnar into the Fight Wing for their legendary clash on the ‘TUF’ finale.
Forrest Griffin Reflects on Fighting UFC Hall of Famer: ‘Just Rode Me Down’