UFC 137 Results: Tyson Griffin Hits Rock Bottom in KO Loss to Bart Palaszewski

Tyson Griffin's tragic tumble down the ranks of the UFC continued Saturday in a knockout loss to Bart Palaszewski at UFC 137 that, though surprising, wasn't entirely shocking.

Griffin had been on a steady decline since last summer after inching so agonizingly close to a shot at the UFC lightweight championship. After three straight losses, including the first KO of his career against Takinori Gomi in August 2010, Griffin shifted back to featherweight with some immediate success in beating Manny Gamburyan.

Griffin seemed to be fine fighting at a lower weight, that is, until he checked in at 149 pounds at the weigh-in prior to his bout with "Bartimus." Griffin will lose a quarter of the purse as a result of the shift to a 148-pound catchweight fight.

Now, Griffin walks away with but a shred of his dignity as a mixed martial artist left intact. The Xtreme Couture team member suffered the second KO of his career less than three minutes into Saturday's fight, on account of a devastating barrage of blows from the Palaszewski.

The carnage began with a pair of hooks from the Warsaw, Poland-born Bartimus that sent Griffin stumbling back against the cage. Palaszewski pounced, not allowing Griffin any time to recover, choosing instead to clock his competitor with 10 strong blows.

Griffin did his best to cover up but struggled to find room to fight back. Once Griffin let his guard down to get himself back in the fight, Bartimus came in with a righteous right hook to send Griffin to the mat, unconscious and clearly done for the night.

And so, Griffin crept out of the Octagon, his head spinning, with his fourth defeat in his last five outings (and fifth in the last eight). The defeat confirmed what everyone suspected when Griffin checked in overweight on Friday: that he is a far cry from the title contender he once was and that the road back to the top will be a long and arduous one if Griffin chooses to do so.

As bad as things may seem for Griffin, his MMA career is far from over, assuming he sticks with it. He's still only 27, with his peak and prime years as a fighter still ahead of him.

Still, one could hardly blame Griffin for calling it a career if he decides to do so, considering how embarrassing the last few years have been for him. Then again, if Tyson Griffin has the heart of a champion, and the wherewithal to survive in the UFC, then he will fight his way back to respectability, slowly but surely.

Because, judging by his showing at UFC 137, Griffin has nowhere to go but up from here.