Sherdog’s Top 10: Overachievers

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1. Forrest Griffin (26-7)

SIGNATURE WINS: Stephan Bonnar (twice), Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson, Tito Ortiz (twice), Rich Franklin, Chael Sonnen
At last, we reach the greatest overachiever of them all. Griffin is the standard next to whom all other underdogs will be judged -- a man who took his durability and cardio and built a game around them that was capable of competing with the very best in the world in the most prestigious division in the sport.

Although Griffin was a fine grappler prior to his run on the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter” -- he had already submitted Sonnen and Ebenezer Fontes Braga, among others -- he quickly became known for his willingness to brawl. That predilection for exciting fights is exactly what made his first bout with Bonnar, the fight that catapulted the UFC into its biggest growth spurt, such an outstanding scrap.

Griffin was happy to be the scrappy brawler until he fought Tito Ortiz for the first time at UFC 59. He lost a split decision but discovered that he really could be a top-notch contender, not just an entertaining action fighter. That slow evolution carried him through a gusty submission win over the favored Mauricio Rua, who was thought to be the best light heavyweight in the world at the time, and then a championship upset over Quinton Jackson; Griffin was +245 with the oddsmakers at UFC 86.

Yes, Griffin immediately lost his title to Rashad Evans, but the mere fact that he was able to beat fighters like Rua and Jackson with his cardio, work rate and sheer refusal to quit makes him the poster child for overachievers everywhere. He retired from the UFC in 2012 as a consensus hall of famer and generally beloved figure, having accomplished far greater things than many of his more talented contemporaries.

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