Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin at UFC 106 - Plus Jenna Jameson's Cleavage

Brock Lesnar is in the hospital with mono and Shane Carwin is out until February thanks to knee surgery. But what Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin lack in lumbering knockout power, they make up for in name value and star power. Plus, Jenna Jameson is sure to be in the crowd cheering on her boy, and who doesn’t like a quick glance at the most famous porn star in the world.

Ok, even with Jameson heating up the crowd, the main event won’t be as explosive or edge-of-your-seat exciting as Carwin vs. Lesnar, but a main event that could very well be a better all-around technical and strategic fight for purists at UFC 106 in Las Vegas this Saturday.

Some fans might point to this matchup and scoff at the combatants because of their recent histories.

Griffin is coming off of an embarrassing loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 101 in which he couldn’t bear to face the fans so much that he took off running back to the locker room after being knocked senseless, while Ortiz hasn’t fought since May 2008 when Lyoto Machida dominated him.

Ortiz did almost land a triangle submission in that fight near the end, however, which is more than most people can say after fighting “The Dragon.” He has newfound confidence in his game, specifically his jiu-jitsu, since taking time off to broadcast and get things in order while training with new partners and learning some new tricks.

The BetUs.com Sportsbook still considers Griffin (16-6 MMA record) as the favorite because he’s more of a known quantity at this point, however, as he is favored at -165 going into the fight compared with +135 odds for the underdog Ortiz (15-6-1).

For Griffin to win this fight, he’ll have to have great takedown defense and to keep Ortiz out of his range while chipping away at him with leg kicks and picking his shots.

Ortiz, on the other hand, wants to dole out some good old fashioned punishment, his own special brand that usually involves taking someone down and then muscling his way into position for a flurry of elbows and punches before his opponent either gives up or the ref is given no choice but to stop it.

Forrest has put on some good, healthy muscle since these two last fought in 2006, which was a split decision victory for Ortiz. That means Ortiz will no longer be able to push Griffin around, which gives the advantage back to Forrest.

Griffin looked like a complete fighter against Rashad Evans until Evans landed a kick and finished him with some ground and pound. But Ortiz could enter the Octagon refreshed and ready to show the skills that made him one of the UFC’s best light heavyweights for so long.

Both guys are extremely motivated to win this one, but in the end, Griffin’s lack of power and inability to finish the fight will be his undoing as Ortiz continues his relentless pursuit of the takedown.

Ortiz will do just enough damage to impress the judges and take another decision in what would be another frustrating loss for Griffin, who seems to take them harder than anyone else.

The pick: Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision (+135 odds).