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When historians look back at the history of MMA (and they will), Forrest Griffin will stand out as one of the most important fighters in the sport’s brief history. When the UFC needed a great fight, when The Ultimate Fighter concept was still hanging by a thread with SPIKE TV executives, Griffin delivered. His legendary slugfest with Stephan Bonnar at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale helped introduce a legion of new fans to the sport.

And it wasn’t just Griffin’s crowd pleasing style that made him a big star. He and the UFC have also carefully manufactured an everyman persona. The television Forrest is always cracking jokes and is the model of the self deprecating good guy. Sometimes that shell cracked a little, like when Forrest was such a jerk about traveling to Northern Ireland that he actually had to apologize for his attitude, and people saw the real Forrest Griffin. Despite being a product of the reality television show, Griffin hates it. Too much like work. “It was annoying. I didn’t really like cameras or having to be certain places,” Griffin said. “It felt like you always had to be somewhere doing something stupid you didn’t want to be doing.” That’s the real Forrest-the guy who is notoriously difficult with reporters and single-mindedly ambitious. But that’s just real life. The TV character Forrest Griffin is who’s important here and he’s finally getting a title shot.

“It’s the biggest fight of my life,” Griffin said. “I realize that. And I’ve done everything right for it. So I’ve got no doubts and no worries. Quinton makes fun of me because I don’t hit that hard, but he doesn’t realize I was a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and if you hit too hard you get penalized for it. So, I’m working on the hitting harder thing.”

He might joke about it, but Griffin’s first title shot is a big deal. He’s Zuffa’s first homegrown star and fans have watched him grow from an unrefined brawler taken to the brink by Stephan Bonnar into a slick professional capable of beating the world’s best in his weight class. Griffin’s growth as a fighter has been astronomical. In 2005, he and Bonnar were as evenly matched as two fighters could be, mirror images with roughly the same skill sets. By the time they had their rematch in 2006, Griffin had moved light years beyond Bonnar. By the time he was in the cage with Rua, Griffin was hardly even recognizable as the guy who went to war on the TUF Finale. He was a different fighter: his footwork was great and his striking had developed to the point that he could hit without being whacked back.

Even though he beat the world’s best in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Griffin realizes that Jackson will be his biggest challenge. “Without a doubt,” Griffin said. “He has power. You know he hits hard. I don’t have the best chin in the world.” Jackson hits harder, has better wrestling, and even showed improved cardio, an area Griffin had hoped to have an advantage. “The one thing that I thought maybe I could exploit in Jackson was his conditioning, but he went five rounds with a guy that wears you down (Dan Henderson).” For his part, Griffin will be ready for five rounds of action. He’s well known as the hardest working man in the business and has adapted his routine to prepare for the two extra rounds. If the fight goes all five rounds, expect Griffin to gain the edge.

All this makes the fight intriguing and Griffin has improved to the point that he is a legitimate challenger. It was also supposed to be the UFC’s showcase fight for 2008. It was thought that Griffin and Jackson would captivate audiences with their infectious personalities, but it just hasn’t seemed to work. The two men seem to like each other, perhaps a little too much, and the spark just isn’t there for a compelling grudge match. To Griffin, that’s missing the point. “Whether you like the guy or hate him, it doesn‘t matter,” Griffin said. “You’re still going to hit him as hard as you can. It doesn’t really matter how you feel about him.”