Ex-UFC fighter Jordan Griffin is currently serving as an active member of the United States military but he’s seeking a return to the cage sooner than later with a chance to win life-changing money.
The 36-year-old veteran is actually deployed right now for military service but he’s ready to return to his fight career after inking a deal to join the upcoming Gamebred FC lightweight tournament, which kicks off on May 1 in Miami. While booking a fight when he’s still deployed is obviously a risk because he hasn’t endured a full training camp focused only on MMA, Griffin couldn’t pass up on the opportunity, especially knowing the ultimately reward for the winner is a $500,000 grand prize.
He also knew he wasn’t done fighting yet and he couldn’t imagine a better way to return than this upcoming tournament.
“Although I feel accomplished outside of fighting I’m not done working towards my dreams,” Griffin told MMA Fighting. “At the end of the day I’m a fighter and getting an opportunity to fight in the Gamebred MMA tournament for $500K is life changing money, not only for me but most importantly my family.
“I want to come back from this deployment, go directly into this fight handle my business with a finish, and go home to my son with a pocket full of money but I need to make it to weigh-ins first!”
Griffin last fought in 2024 when he scored a first-round knockout over Travis Karppinen, which ended a four-fight losing streak dating back to his final two appearances in the UFC.
Lately he’s been completely dedicated to his military career but the chance to come back with so much riding on this Gamebred FC tournament, Griffin admits it was just too good to pass on.
That said, Griffin believes serving in the military is actually the perfect way to get him ready for such an unpredictable tournament like the one he’s entering. Gamebred FC recently relaunched with a heavyweight and lightweight tournament on the books with Griffin slated to face fellow UFC veteran Kurt Holobaugh on May 1.
“I joined the Army because I wanted to serve my country and learn new skills while finishing college,” Griffin explained. “I wanted more direction outside of fighting. While being deployed I finished 42 college credits and I’ll be graduating with my degree in information science & technology with a back ground in cyber security in November of 2026.
“A lot of the values I learned from fighting professionally I see within the army. Those values are accountability, brotherhood, and pushing yourself past limits you didn’t even know you had. It shaped how I think, how I move, and how I handle adversity. No matter what I do in life, those foundations will stay with me.”
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