Tyson Griffin Seeks New Life At Featherweight, And That's A Good Thing

For the first time in his career, Tyson Griffin’s future is uncertain. The twelve-fight UFC veteran never fully matured into the title contender many thought he would one day become when he first entered the UFC, but for the most part, Griffin is an exciting fighter that boasted a pretty high win/loss ratio. Now he’s lost his last three fights, and was KO’d for the first time in his career back when he fought Takanori Gomi in August 2010. It’s recently been announced that Griffin may follow in the footsteps of many of his contemporaries and seek a drop down in weight to rejuvenate his career.

Here’s what Griffin had to say on the subject of his future in a recent interview with the one and only Sherdog: “I’ve been having some problems with my knee… Nobody wants to be back in the Octagon quicker than I do. I’ve got some big plans for 2011… Those plans are to move to 145 and make a run at that belt.”

Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible if the UFC had not integrated the WEC, including its most notable fighters and its Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions, into their own organization at the start of the new year. Many fans and insiders speculated that the new 145 and 135 divisions in the UFC would result in Lightweights dropping down now that they can remain in the UFC while doing so, and it appears that this is definitely the case.

In regards to Tyson Griffin, I think a string of unfortunate decisions have been the cause of most of his problems, rather than any glaring flaws in his abilities as a fighter. In fact, an “unfortunate decision” quite literally applies to the last fight Griffin lost: a very controversial Split Decision loss to the incredibly boring Nik Lentz. In fact, UFC President Dana White disagreed with the decision so much that he confirmed a while ago that Griffin wouldn’t be cut from the UFC despite his current three-fight losing-streak, which is usually a death sentence for virtually any UFC fighter nowadays.

Against Takanori Gomi, though, Griffin’s faults were all his own. But can you really blame him? Takanori Gomi didn’t exactly have a lot of momentum behind him going into his fight with Tyson Griffin, and Griffin had displayed a very good chin up to that point. Griffin simply got caught by a man that made his mark knocking people out. It happens.

I think a drop to 145 would be a great thing for Tyson Griffin, and I think it would help build the credibility of the UFC’s new Featherweight division. Griffin is a good fighter with a lot of heart, and he usually puts together entertaining fights. I can’t say for certain whether or not Griffin would be successful at 145 since the division is so stacked right now, but I can say that I think he has a shot and I certainly would like to see him try.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think Griffin’s chances are at Featherweight?