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[Sakara=Excitement]

Forrest Griffin apologizes to Tito Ortiz for UFC 148 post-fight interview | MMAjunkie.com

LAS VEGAS – Forrest Griffin has had strange nights in the octagon before. But Saturday may have raised the bar.

After his UFC 148 win over Tito Ortiz – before he even was announced the winner – Griffin bolted the cage and started running back toward the locker room. The early exit prompted UFC president Dana White to leave his cageside seat to chase Griffin down and send him back to the cage.

But if that wasn't enough, Griffin returned to the octagon, got his hand raised, then took the microphone from Joe Rogan and interviewed Ortiz himself. It was a set of circumstances that drew the ire of both White and Ortiz – and had the sell-out crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena booing.

UFC 148 took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and featured a main-event middleweight title fight between champion Anderson Silva and top contender Chael Sonnen. The main card aired on pay-per-view; prelims aired on Facebook and FX.

"He drives me crazy, this guy," White told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) at the post-event news conference. "It's like professional suicide, the things he does. People love Forrest Griffin. So I ran after him. I mean, do I really have to tell you guys what I said to him?"

White said he continued his conversation with Griffin, the first winner of "The Ultimate Fighter" and, like Ortiz, a former light heavyweight champion, before the news conference began.

"I met him back in the hall and I said, 'What are you doing? What's wrong with you? Are you mental?' And he said, 'I was really depressed.' And I said, 'The next time you're depressed about winning a fight, go in the back and be depressed.' It's Tito's last night, stand there, get your hand raised or Tito's hand raised, do your interview and if you're bummed out go do it in the back.

"And if you're bucking for Joe Rogan's (expletive) job, it ain't gonna happen. That's Joe's job. Leave the microphone alone until Joe comes over to talk to you. I love Forrest Griffin. I always have. He's a great guy. But he gets a little kooky sometimes."

Ortiz, who had announced his retirement weeks prior to the fight, and who had been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame earlier in the day at the UFC Fan Expo, took exception to Griffin deciding to interview him.

"That was bull(expletive)," Ortiz said. "You've got to understand, 15 years ago Joe Rogan was the first person to interview me. I told him, 'I'm going to make a mark in this sport.' I helped build the sport that built me into the person I am today. For Forrest to step in and do the thing he did, after running? … I wish Joe Rogan would have interviewed me, but that's what we've got a press conference for."

Ortiz's remarks on Griffin stealing the thunder from his retirement sendoff came just as Griffin was walking into the news conference. Griffin offered his apologies for the incident, though Ortiz sat stone-faced on the dais while he did so.

"I sincerely apologize," Griffin said. "I can see you guys have got a ton of history and I apologize. I wish I could take that back. I'm sorry."

Regardless of the pair of incidents, or how much he may have alienated Ortiz, White or fans, Griffin had a good night from a financial standpoint. As MMAjunkie.com first reported Friday, Griffin made $275,000 for his win over Ortiz – $125,000 to show and an additional $150,000 win bonus. Additionally, he made an extra $75,000 for "Fight of the Night," bringing his total to $350,000. Ortiz pocketed $250,000 as a flat fee, plus the extra $75,000 in bonus money.

[CtGreat]

That was the most bizzar/ dickish thing I've seen in a long time.

[LukeSalvatore]

I'm no fan of Tito Ortiz, but he did get shit on by Forrest Griffin. The fight was awful, which is bad enough for Tito, but then all the focus was on Forrest's odd decision to run away, then run back, and then he interviews Tito..? I was thinking about Forrest, not about Tito, and I don't think he deserved that.

[The Donosaur]

I enjoyed it personally. Tito wasn't the nicest guy for all of his career. He then realizes he is getting old, and he wants a legacy. So he makes a couple of speeches about helping build the sport, and a fancy new nickname (that he picked himself & stole from the rock). Tito did help build the sport that is true, but he also disrespected alot of fellow trailblazers too. Actually on second thought two wrongs don't make a right...not cool forrest...not cool... (randomly runs away)

[Y2JUBAE]

I can't f/n stand Forrest. He is the most overrated fighter to step into a cage. His big wins all are tainted by the fact that his opponents came in horribly out of shape. Rashad and Anderson showed the world how great of a fighter Forrest really is and so did Jardine of all people. Forrest either sits there and cries like a bitch or runs out of the octagon. NOw he has ruined the biggest night of Tito's career AFTER the fight no less because he is a motherfucking attention whore! Fire that dumb ass bitch!

[DanC]

Griffin is my favourite fighter, but that was not cool. The whole running away thing was just weird, and to steal Tito's thunder was out of order. It was a BIG, BIG thing for Tito, and understandably he wanted to enjoy his last few moments in the cage, and his final interview.

Still love Griffin though, man!

[DanC]

Originally Posted by Y2JUBAE

I can't f/n stand Forrest. He is the most overrated fighter to step into a cage. His big wins all are tainted by the fact that his opponents came in horribly out of shape. Rashad and Anderson showed the world how great of a fighter Forrest really is and so did Jardine of all people. Forrest either sits there and cries like a bitch or runs out of the octagon. NOw he has ruined the biggest night of Tito's career AFTER the fight no less because he is a motherfucking attention whore! Fire that dumb ass bitch!

I get the impression you didn't approve... haha!

[Sakara=Excitement]

Originally Posted by Y2JUBAE

I can't f/n stand Forrest. He is the most overrated fighter to step into a cage. His big wins all are tainted by the fact that his opponents came in horribly out of shape. Rashad and Anderson showed the world how great of a fighter Forrest really is and so did Jardine of all people. Forrest either sits there and cries like a bitch or runs out of the octagon. NOw he has ruined the biggest night of Tito's career AFTER the fight no less because he is a motherfucking attention whore! Fire that dumb ass bitch!

Rampage was horribly out of shape? Rich Franklin was horribly out of shape? Stephan Bonnar was horribly out of shape?

[IceCold48]

Originally Posted by LukeSalvatore

I'm no fan of Tito Ortiz, but he did get shit on by Forrest Griffin. The fight was awful, which is bad enough for Tito, but then all the focus was on Forrest's odd decision to run away, then run back, and then he interviews Tito..? I was thinking about Forrest, not about Tito, and I don't think he deserved that.

how was that fight awful? it was the best of the night. besi buthe main event but that didnt go the distance.

[joeodd2]

Originally Posted by Y2JUBAE

I can't f/n stand Forrest. He is the most overrated fighter to step into a cage. His big wins all are tainted by the fact that his opponents came in horribly out of shape. Rashad and Anderson showed the world how great of a fighter Forrest really is and so did Jardine of all people. Forrest either sits there and cries like a bitch or runs out of the octagon. NOw he has ruined the biggest night of Tito's career AFTER the fight no less because he is a motherfucking attention whore! Fire that dumb ass bitch!