Even if he gets laid off from UFC gig, Forrest Griffin says 'I've had a good run'

UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin didn’t exactly dispel the idea that guys like him could soon find themselves out of a job. But he’s not particularly worried about it either.

“I’ll be all right, one way or the other,” he recently MMAjunkie. “I’ve had a good run.”

Griffin had just wrapped a coaching stint opposite fellow UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Lidell for “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3,” where he reprised a role he took for “TUF 7” opposite Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in 2008.

A former light-heavyweight champion, Griffin earned a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame for his work in the finale of the reality show’s inaugural season, a slugfest with Stephan Bonnar that UFC President Dana White credits as the turning point in the promotion’s success. After retiring in 2013, Griffin joined Liddell and other former champions by taking a behind-the-scenes job with the UFC.

As MMAjunkie recently reported, it’s ex-fighters like Griffin who could be directly affected by company-wide layoffs in the wake of the UFC’s $4 billion sale to a group led by WME-IMG. Investor documents revealed a plan to cut expenses “through increased standardization and more rigorous corporate discipline” with “compensation practices, (travel and expense) policies, long-lived consultants, political contributions, overhead, etc.”

Griffin seemed to take a “que sera” attitude toward the change and said that whatever happens with the company, the talent shouldn’t worry.

“Nothing will affect the fighters,” he said. “They’ll be fine. The opportunities provided to them won’t change. If they do (change), (it’s) hopefully for the better.”

The UFC’s buyout has energized advocates for a collective-bargaining agreement, prompting multiple groups to come forward with the aim of organizing fighters. Griffin has expressed concerns about unions but hasn’t come out against them.

Like he said, he’s had a good run, so why worry?

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.