UFC 148: Different Paths Lead Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin to Final Showdown

A career in mixed martial arts is all about choices and circumstance.

The battles inside the cage test a fighters skill, endurance and heart. Winning ultimately matters most but the fashion in which the business of it all is handled can either serve to bolster or hinder their progress.

You would be hard-pressed to find a greater contrast in chosen paths than Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz.

While both are former UFC light heavyweight champions and have left their marks on the sport, the similarities between the two draw thin when examining the manner in which they have conducted their business.

To put it simply, Griffin has played the game while Ortiz did his best to turn it on its head. One has walked every step as a company man while the other has taken his company to task at every turn. Despite these differences, their paths will collide for the third and final time at UFC 148.

Both will be searching for victory. One hopes to end a legendary career on a high note while the other looks to prove he still has a place in the sport's limelight. 

Here is a look at how they got here:

Tito Ortiz:

It wasn't all too long ago when Ortiz's name was the equivalent to gasoline around the Zuffa offices. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" had settled into a personal feud with UFC President Dana White and he took every liberty in his power to make their battle public and painful.

Ortiz was brash, boastful and antagonistic as he battled in and out of the cage. In the process, he became a self-marketing machine, the first of his kind in the sport, and this only raised the stakes in the bitter dispute.

Where the company had earned a reputation for discarding fighters who attempted to go against the grain, Ortiz was the longest reigning light heavyweight champion in the organization's history, and his passionate fanbase, mixed with an elevated profile, created a firestorm.

After his contract expired in 2008, many believed Ortiz had exited the Octagon for the final time, but this wouldn't turn out to be the case. Following a brief hiatus, news surfaced that Ortiz and White had squashed their feud and the former champion had re-signed with the UFC.

Ortiz would return with newfound momentum but ultimately struggle in his first two fights back under the UFC banner. In another surprise turn, White decided not to cut Ortiz following his fourth consecutive loss in 2010, instead granting him one last chance.

That opportunity would come against Ryan Bader at UFC 132 and it was a moment Ortiz would absolutely make the most of.

It took Ortiz less than two minutes to dispose of the former TUF winner. After rocking Bader with a short punch, Ortiz latched onto a fight-ending guillotine.

The post-fight speech was an emotional affair as Ortiz claimed his first victory in over five years. In the process, he left his famed "HBB" moniker behind and emerged from the Octagon as "The People's Champion."

Ortiz would ultimately stumble on his next two outings, but the positive energy surrounding his victory over Ryan Bader remained.

Ortiz's image in the sport brightened, and when the UFC announced he would be inducted into the Hall of Fame prior to his bout with Griffin at UFC 148, it brought everything back to square.

It has been a difficult road traveled for "The People's Champion," and he has promised to leave everything in the cage before he makes his final exit at UFC 148.

Forrest Griffin:

When the Georgia native took a slot on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, he had very few expectations.

MMA was still a niche sport and the chances of a mainstream breakthrough seemed to be a long shot at best. Griffin battled through the tournament and when he squared off with fellow cast member Stephan Bonnar for the six-figure contract, all he hoped for was victory.

No one had any idea that fight would forever alter the landscape of the sport and change the way the public viewed mixed martial arts. In the aftermath of that fight, a star was born and Forrest Griffin would be the flag bearer as the UFC charged into a new age.

Griffin took his newly elevated profile in stride as he continued his success in the light heavyweight division. With every hard fought outing, his popularity grew. It didn't matter if he found victory or defeat, the fans supported him in a fashion few other fighters could claim.

After suffering an unexpected loss at the hands of Keith Jardine, Griffin went on to claim three consecutive victories including a stunning upset over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to claim the light heavyweight title.

It was a moment of completion for Griffin as the journey from unexpected hero to world champion became a reality.

Griffin's time atop the mountain wouldn't last. He was defeated by Rashad Evans in his first title defense and then put down by pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva in the very next outing.

Despite the slump, Griffin battled back to claim his next two outings only to have that momentum halted in a rematch with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 134.

These factors all add up to why the trilogy bout with Ortiz carries so much importance. It is no longer about titles but relevance. Should Griffin come up short, he could be ushered into the shadows of a division he helped make exciting for the past six years.

Ortiz is looking to end his career with one last great triumph.

Griffin wants to make you understand he's not going anywhere.

It is a fight both men need for different reasons, and it's a fight they are going to give you everything they have, because it's the only way they know how to do it.