Tyson Griffin doesn’t have much to complain about these days. At just 24 years old, the Sacramento, California native fights for the
premier mixed martial arts organization in the world and is on the fast track to title contention. Since debuting for the UFC with a submission victory over Dave Lee in 2006, Griffin has made a name for himself with gritty, crowd-pleasing performances. Fight of the Night awards?
Despite all the recognition and acclaim, Griffin is still approaching his upcoming bout with Marcus Aurelio on July 5 like no one knows his name. He enters the Octagon like a painter tempted by an untouched canvas; he can visualize the outcome, but just needs to brush it out with fine strokes. Like an MMA-version of Vincent van Gogh, Griffin wants to put the entire work of art together. He wants the end result to be a portrait of himself in the lightweight title picture.
“I am trying to climb the contender ladder,” Griffin said following a workout at the Xtreme Couture training facility in Las Vegas. “This fight (with Aurelio) is very important to me. I think with a win over Marcus, I’ll put my name above many of the top fighters out there. It will put me in the title picture.”
Before securing a title opportunity, Griffin must first contend with the very dangerous Aurelio. An American Top Team product, Aurelio is a dangerous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner with equally competent hands. After losing his UFC debut to Guida in August 2007, the Coconut Creek, Florida resident responded with two straight victories.
Riding a two-fight win streak, Aurelio is also quickly ascending the lightweight division ranks. For that reason, Griffin believes he must defeat the 34-year-old in dominating fashion.
“I think his record truly shows the type of fighter he is,” Griffin said of Aurelio, a veteran of Pride who owns victories over Takanori Gomi and Dokonjyonosuke Mishima. “He can compete with the best guys and he can beat the best guys in the world as he did against Gomi. A win over Aurelio would improve my stock.”
The bout against Aurelio will mark the third straight time Griffin has battled an opponent with a jiu jitsu foundation. Last September at, Griffin earned a tough decision victory over Brazilian Thiago Tavares. Then, in his last bout in February, Griffin outworked grappler Gleison Tibau en route to a three-round decision.
Preparing for yet another tough foe with ground skills, Griffin realizes that he will have to be calculated in his approach come July 5. In addition to possessing a strong grappling game, Aurelio also owns a four-inch height advantage over Griffin. Despite the size advantage, the 5’6 Griffin is confident he can negate his opponent’s strengths. The key for the ground-and-pound specialist will be to apply constant pressure and look for windows of opportunity.
“I’m going to keep it a fight instead of a jiu jitsu match,” Griffin said, adding that jiu jitsu fighters can sometimes lure opponents into a grappling contest. “The one thing that I’m always thinking is pressure. I’m always moving forward and putting pressure on my opponents.
I want to force them to make mistakes. By providing pressure, I hope to break him (Aurelio) cardio-wise or get something to capitalize on.”
However the fight plays out, Griffin is outspoken in his desire to stop Aurelio. Before getting his first loss via decision to Frank Edgar at UFC 67: All or Nothing last year, Griffin had stopped eight straight opponents, seven of which came in the first round. Notching stoppage victories over the likes of current WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber and Duane Ludwig, Griffin found success with precision punching and a penchant for sinking in rear naked chokes. However, the lightweight has not stopped an opponent since choking out Lee in his UFC debut in September 2006. While he values the quality wins he has stacked, Griffin is admittedly frustrated by the inability to finish a fight.
“I want to get back to my finishing ways,” Griffin said. “My first eight fights never went the distance and I’d like to end fights like that again. That’s the one area I want to improve on. I’m hoping to break Marcus and put him away.”
His desire to earn a stoppage victory over Aurelio aside, Griffin understands that a win will put him in the same upper-echelon category as BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, and Roger Huerta. The thought of being considered among the division’s best motivates Griffin and makes the hours in the gym worth it. Competing in arguably the sport’s most dynamic division, Griffin is hoping to prove that he is continually improving and diversifying his skills.
“I’m a young guy, but I’ve put in my fair share of hours in the gym and I work really hard,” Griffin, who launched his professional career in 2004, said. “In my first years, I ate, slept, and mopped mats at the gym. It’s very gratifying to know that I am climbing the ladder now. It’s a testament to all the hard work.
“I see myself up there in the top five or top 10 in the division. It means a lot to be considered among the best. Not only is the (lightweight) division deep, but it is very diverse. We’ve got so many different styles of grappling and stand-up. It shows the depth of skill in our division. It makes it very tough and competitive to put yourself in the contender pile.”
With his date with Aurelio looming, Griffin is spending the final days of training camp working with fellow lightweight Gray Maynard in an attempt to fine-tune his game plan. As fight night approaches, Griffin is doing his best to focus only on the task at hand. He must make sure his takedowns are strong, his submission defense unflappable, and his striking flawless. Still, with so much riding on the outcome of the Aurelio bout, the five-fight UFC veteran can’t help but to get a little bit excited about his promising future, and he can’t help but to envision himself painted thick into the title picture.
“This means everything to me,” Griffin said of his dedication to MMA. “At the same time, I don’t put too much pressure on myself. They say you are only as good as your last fight. Well hopefully I’ll knock him (Aurelio) down before the judges can score the match. I want to separate myself from the rest.”
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