T.J. Grant, the Forgotten Title Challenger (UPDATED).

[Willek]

I believe he runs a bait shop in Costa Rica with Ricardo Arona and Goran Reljic.

 

[Dude Incredible]

I haven’t forgotten about him. I was always waiting for him to make his comeback but he never came back to fight again. He was talented could of been champ

came to say this basically.

 

[Grill master]

Feel bad for TJ. He seemed like a legit gentleman and came off humble and quietly spoken outside of the cage but flipped a switch when he fought. He was a baddass. Respect to Grant. I hope he's doing well all the years later.

 

[Azor]

He came into the Maynard fight like a grim reaper, that shit was awesome.

The hype behind him was justified at the time, unlike... say Eric Koch.

I didn't realize he stuck his head out like this. It looks too funny.

 

[HOV]

Earlier this week, I was on Fight Pass looking for fights I haven't seen in a long, long time. Watching random bouts and typing in random fighter names in the search bar, I ended up on T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard.

The synopsis of the fight stated that it was a title eliminator. I knew this at the time. I probably knew this last year. After a few beers that night, I did not. I fired up the fight. Wow. Grant looked amazing. I fired up the fights on his win streak, and he looked just as good.

I then went down the rabbit hole on Google because I think I have issues with enjoying MMA far too much and came upon a free article from the Athletic about T.J. and it compelled me to post this thread.

Suredawg is constantly brimming with hate for fighters win or lose. We're such a passionate and particular bunch of an esoteric, odd part of the sports world, but boy do we love this sport.

I couldn't help but feel horrible for T.J.

I enjoyed those fights at the time. He was a very good fighter. Dreams deferred. Hopes dashed. If you're ever interested in the yesteryear of MMA and talent that should've, but never culminated in greatness due to misfortune, this is it.






https://www.google.com/amp/s/theathletic.com/1749445/2020/04/15/whatever-happened-to-ufc-contender-tj-grant/?amp

Ever since you became a mod...you get on my nerves for some reason. Can't quite put my finger on it just yet.

 

[HHJ]

Fair enough. I guess I was wrong with the title.

I'm just trying to work something different into this sub forum lol.

Theres alot of mma fans here who have been here less than a decade and might not know about the guy.

 

[caesar]

He was smart, one of the first fighters to really start using elbows for power shots in the clinch, then you saw way more fighters start using elbows like him.

 

[HHJ]

He was smart, one of the first fighters to really start using elbows for power shots in the clinch, then you saw way more fighters start using elbows like him.

Imagine if Mirko was able to use elbows the whole time,like in Pride? Dude really took to them.

When he declined he really made good use of them in the clinch.

 

[HHJ]

And went like 20+ fights before Grant, only finished once during the time. Against quality fighters.

Wiman is a guy who deserves a thread like his too imo. Very underrated and under appreciated.

Also the few times he has been finished, they've been pretty memorable.

Damn you can tell Wiman's goose was already cooked before that elbow...

 

[caesar]

Imagine if Mirko was able to use elbows the whole time,like in Pride? Dude really took to them.

When he declined he really made good use of them in the clinch.

Its lethal the elbow, like a bat to the head, its different from a punch, TJ was on to something, IMO if he fought Bendo he would've fed him elbows heaps in the clinch.

 

[Crash Lance]

What was SUPPOSED to happen was Henderson against Grant for the UFC Lightweight World Championship.

Grant had a concussion (or some other type of injury) and he was forced to leave.

The UFC said that Henderson vs. Pettis 2 would be for the UFC Lightweight World Championship and the rest is history.

Regardless, I still remember you, T.J. Grant.

Grant, thank you for giving me so much entertainment over the years. You decapitated Maynard when he was still one of the most elite assassins in the entire Lightweight Division.

 

[sonhow]

I believe he is scheduled to make his return right after Ricardo Arona.

I cant believe how stupid the mma conspiracy theorists have been over the years. I still recall some heavy narrative how ufc paid off TJ to step aside so Pettis could fight Bendo because he was more marketable option. They even insisted TJ had to stay away so long because Dana wanted to cover the tracks lol.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

Earlier this week, I was on Fight Pass looking for fights I haven't seen in a long, long time. Watching random bouts and typing in random fighter names in the search bar, I ended up on T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard.

The synopsis of the fight stated that it was a title eliminator. I knew this at the time. I probably knew this last year. After a few beers that night, I did not. I fired up the fight. Wow. Grant looked amazing. I fired up the fights on his win streak, and he looked just as good.

I then went down the rabbit hole on Google because I think I have issues with enjoying MMA far too much and came upon a free article from the Athletic about T.J. and it compelled me to post this thread.

Suredawg is constantly brimming with hate for fighters win or lose. We're such a passionate and particular bunch of an esoteric, odd part of the sports world, but boy do we love this sport.

I couldn't help but feel horrible for T.J.

I enjoyed those fights at the time. He was a very good fighter. Dreams deferred. Hopes dashed. If you're ever interested in the yesteryear of MMA and talent that should've, but never culminated in greatness due to misfortune, this is it.






https://www.google.com/amp/s/theathletic.com/1749445/2020/04/15/whatever-happened-to-ufc-contender-tj-grant/?amp

Grant's is a sad story. I don't know why this thread made me think of Chris Holdsworth. MMA is a tough sport.

 

[rear naked ankle pick]

Ah yes, the weekly "where is TJ Grant" thread. He isnt forgotten he is the most remembered fighter

 

[Habib The Eagle]

2013
Khabib
"I have asked for a fight with B.J. Penn, but I have not received a response. Perhaps they have different plans for him. I wanted to fight someone I watched on TV when I was younger. He is a legend. If B.J. is not available, I would love to fight Grant. If he feels that he is the next title contender, let him prove it by beating me at UFC 165 in his homeland"

 

[rear naked ankle pick]

I believe he runs a bait shop in Costa Rica with Ricardo Arona and Goran Reljic.

this is first post in many years where Arona is mentioned but without word "surfing"

 

[Fatality]

Kinda difficult to forget about him when he gets several new threads about him every week around here.

 

[Zach The Maniac]

I was always hoping he would make a return he was good, reminds me of Arona another one of those fighters who could have made “waves” sneaky arona joke there lol, but they disappeared.

 

[Franklin U.]

T.j falls into that rarified air of , truly, " what couldve been ? ". He had won several in a row and was just south of 30.

Even his losses were dec/splits. Youd have to go back to 23, 24? where he lost in any type of decisive manner which was more than ok given where he was in career.

 

[Snarly]

TJ is the only MMA fighter I've met in person. I live in his hometown and he came to meet people at a now-defunct local sports bar at UFC 146. He stood near the exit and shook everyone's hands on the way out, super nice guy. He had just won his fight against Carlo Prater so I got to congratulate him.

I was at the same bar the night he knocked out Gray Maynard and he may as well have just won the title, based on the deafening celebrations from the entire bar after at the KO.