Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio Rua — Fight recap

Forrest Griffin defeated Mauricio Rua via submission in round three at 4:45 at UFC 76 on September 22, 2007. Griffin controlled the fight through superior striking efficiency and grappling, landing 66 of 130 significant strikes (50%) while Rua managed only 27 of 75 (36%).

Griffin converted both of his takedown attempts while Rua succeeded on just 5 of 12 attempts at 41%, and Griffin maintained 5:40 of control time to Rua's 4:49. The American's wrestling proved decisive, setting up three submission attempts before securing the finish late in the third round.

Griffin's performance demonstrated the effectiveness of a balanced striking-and-grappling approach against a pure striker, establishing him as a legitimate light heavyweight contender in the division.