Can Tito Ortiz Make Forrest Run?

Whew! I think looking Tito Ortiz directly in the eyes is a pretty scary experience. If I were an opponent in the octagon facing him before a fight, I fear I would wet myself in front of God and everybody. How his past opponents have stayed dry is beyond my imagination.

It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in my easy chair watching the Ortiz Shamrock trilogy. Why that particular match-up held every one's attention for so long, I do not fully understand.

There would be that intense, shiver inducing face off, the fight would begin, fists would flail, then "BOOM!" Ken would be down, pushed up against the cage or curled tightly in the fetal position with his hands protecting his bloodied face. Gosh, I don't remember if it ever even went to the end of Round One.

As much as I was drawn to the "watch Tito kill Kenny" spectacle, to see which saying will be on his shirt, I also loved to watch him fight with absolutely anybody. In the "War of '04" which took place at UFC 50, I truly thought I would see Tito beaten by an as yet unknown Canadian fighter Patrick Cote. What an unexpectedly entertaining match up!

Consequently, I am now looking expectantly forward to UFC 106 when Forrest Griffin, a fighter I have come to greatly dislike, will step in to replace Mark Coleman. To me this will be even better than a rematch with the Predator, which I would have loved to see due to my love for each fighter. They are both fresh from rehabbing from surgeries due to old injuries.

Forrest was never a favorite of mine, therefore I failed to be able to appreciate the fact that he was a favorite of my daughter-in-law's. Unlike her, I never saw him as being particularly well built or handsome. His quirky sense of humor sounded unusually smart-assed for that of a former officer of the law, even from the state of Georgia.

Since reading his book, hearing his excuse for the rapid departure from the cage he made after his loss to Anderson Silva, and taking heat from a friend of his in comments regarding an opinion piece I wrote, I have much less to respect him for than I initially thought.

This has me drooling to see what his response to Tito's frosty stare will be when they exchange blows in the upcoming event. Suddenly this has become the fight of the year for me. Coleman, who Tito referred to as "the mummy" always appeared more stoic than Forrest, so I am fully expecting to see an abundance of tears flowing down Forrest's bloodied face after the match ends.

Whether they are tears of joy or sorrow remains to be seen.

Oh, just one more thing.

War Tito!