What is Forrest Griffin's Net Worth and Career Earnings?
Forrest Griffin is an American retired mixed martial artist who has a net worth of $7 million. Forrest Griffin rose to fame in 2005 for winning the inaugural season of the MMA reality television series "The Ultimate Fighter." Later, in 2008, he claimed the title of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Following a series of major injuries, Griffin retired from MMA in 2013 and subsequently became vice president of athlete development at the UFC Performance Institute.
Early Life
Forrest Griffin was born on July 1, 1979 in Columbus, Ohio. As a teen, he went to Evans High School in Georgia, where he played on the football team. Griffin went on to attend the University of Georgia, from which he graduated with a BA in political science.
Career Beginnings
Following his graduation from college, Griffin became a police officer for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Augusta, Georgia. During this time, he trained at the HardCore Gym in Athens. Griffin eventually left law enforcement in order to pursue his career as a mixed martial artist. He went on to fight such challengers as Dan Severn, Travis Fulton, Jeremy Horn, Chael Sonnen, Jeff Monson, and Edson Paradeo.
The Ultimate Fighter
In 2005, Griffin rose to national fame as a contestant on the first season of the Spike TV reality series "The Ultimate Fighter." On the UFC-produced mixed martial arts show, he made it to the finals against Stephan Bonnar, whom he proceeded to defeat in a unanimous decision. President of the UFC Dana White later credited the fight with bringing the UFC to mainstream recognition. As the winner of "The Ultimate Fighter," Griffin received a contract to fight with the UFC.
UFC Career
Following his victory on "The Ultimate Fighter," Griffin went up against Bill Mahood at UFC 53; he ended up beating him via submission. Next, he defeated Elvis Sinosic via TKO at UFC 55. Griffin had his first career loss at UFC 59 at the hands of Tito Ortiz. In his next bout at UFC 62, Griffin rematched Stephan Bonnar, once again winning by unanimous decision. He didn't do as well at UFC 66, losing to Keith Jardine by TKO. The following year, Griffin bounced back to defeat Hector Ramirez at UFC 72. His next match was at UFC 76, where he defeated Maurício Rua.
At UFC 86 in July of 2008, Griffin beat defending UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson by unanimous decision, making him the new Light Heavyweight Champion. His first defense of the title came at UFC 92 against the undefeated Rashad Evans. Ultimately, Evans won by TKO, with Griffin sustaining a broken hand during the fight. Following his recovery, Griffin took on Anderson Silva at UFC 101, losing via TKO. However, both men were awarded Fight of the Night bonuses for the bout. Griffin next rematched Tito Ortiz at UFC 106, winning by split decision. At UFC 126, he beat Rich Franklin by unanimous decision. This bout was followed by two rematches. The first was against Maurício Rua, who beat Griffin via TKO. After that, Griffin faced Tito Ortiz for the third time, and won by unanimous decision.
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Retirement
At the news conference following UFC 160 in the spring of 2013, it was revealed that Griffin was retiring from MMA, having weathered ACL and MCL injuries the previous year. He was subsequently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame along with his former challenger Stephan Bonnar.
Acting Career
Beyond the MMA ring, Griffin has acted in a handful of films and television series. In 2009, he appeared in the comedy film "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell." The following year, Griffin appeared in the crime thriller "13" and the action film "Unrivaled." On the small screen, he was in a 2007 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
Other Activities
In 2008, Griffin was one of the coaches on the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter"; the other coach was Quinton Jackson. Griffin won the UFC Light Heavyweight title after defeating Jackson at the conclusion of the season.
Among his other activities, Griffin serves as an MMA instructor at Throwdown Training Center. He is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Additionally, Griffin serves as vice president of athlete development at the UFC Performance Institute in Enterprise, Nevada.
Personal Life
In 2009, Griffin wed his longtime girlfriend Jaime Logiudice. Together, the couple has a daughter.
