Athletes
Max Griffin | The Power of Acceptance
Veteran Welterweight At Peace Ahead Of Return To Action This Weekend In Las Vegas
Max Griffin dropped a split decision to Chris Curtis in Nashville last July, falling to 20-12 overall in the process. It was his second straight loss and third setback in his last four fights, putting the veteran welterweight in a precarious position in the talent-rich division.
Back in the gym almost immediately, the 40-year-old was hoping to return late in the year, but a fight never materialized, so he just stayed on the mats, continued working, and remained ready for whenever the phone rang.
“I’ve been going hard through August, September, October —just training, learning, getting better; I’ve been on a mission,” explained Griffin, who got a call to face Victor Valenzuela this weekend in Las Vegas.
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Being stuck in a “wait and see” pattern is the kind of thing that drives some fighters nuts, as routines, certainty, and a name to focus on make the process of getting ready much easier to navigate.
Max Griffin Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs Zalal
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Max Griffin Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs Zalal
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But for an 18-fight UFC veteran like Griffin, navigating the last several months with a focus on improvement has been a huge positive, and helped him develop a different kind of acceptance about this contest.
“It could be, and I feel like if my mind was in a different place — I’ve been working on a lot of stuff with Micah from the PI on the sports psychologist side, plus I’m always reading and learning, and it’s just about acceptance: control what I can,” Griffin said. “All I can control is being on weight, being focused, being ready, not getting hurt. You get hurt when you’re training, but I can’t be hurt and have a call for a fight and then turn that down.
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“I feel like where my mind has gone, I’m a lot more accepting. When it comes, it comes; I’m not gonna have unnecessary stress. Everyone else is stressing more than me. I just stopped doing that and have a lot of belief that the right fight will come for me, and here we are.
“And it’s not as short notice as it seems because I wasn’t on the couch, I wasn’t 210, asking for a catchweight,” he added with a laugh.
The other part of it is that after years of facing divisional stalwarts and proven commodities, Griffin is stepping in this weekend with Valenzuela, a promotional newcomer who stumbled last season on Dana White’s Contender Series, but rebounded earlier this year with a first-round stoppage win over DWCS and UFC alum Yusaku Kinoshita. The 32-year-old is 13-4 as a pro, but is undersized for welterweight on paper, standing five-foot-nine with a 71-inch reach.
For the battle-tested Griffin, preparations were much more about ensuring he’s at the peak of his powers come Saturday and less about what Valenzuela will bring to the Octagon this weekend.
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“I feel like I was able to do a lot more,” Griffin said. “When you’re in camp, I feel like you’re not really growing —you’re honing in and sharpening one specific tool versus training with all kinds of guys, being risky. That’s when I find I get the most gains is outta camp because I’m able to explore and be an adventurer in the game versus only fighting a southpaw guy and being hellbent on a certain style.
“I’ve been fighting for a while, so it’s ‘What does the guy do?’ I think it’s worse for him to fight me on short notice.
“I’m gonna fight my d*** off,” he added with a chuckle. “I’m ready. I’ve been in this mode — I’ve learned a lot of s***, man. I learn from every fight. I’ve been a lot more in-your-face, on the pedal, biting my lip and throwing, so in this fight, I like that this guy likes to brawl, likes to pressure, but he’s susceptible to a lot of s***. And I like the reach difference — I don’t think I’ve fought a guy where I’ve had a six-inch, seven-inch reach advantage. He has to get in on me — or try to — but I’ve got a lot of stuff for him.”
The same acceptance that informed his preparation has become the basis for how Griffin views where he stands in the overall trajectory of his career as well.
Sitting on consecutive losses is never a comfortable position, and not being high up on the call sheet for a return to action definitely sends a message, intentional or not, about the importance of stemming the tide and having a good showing on Saturday.
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But after more than a decade competing on the biggest stage in the sport, Griffin has reached the point where he knows all he can do is put forth the best effort possible and let the chips fall where they may. If that’s a victory, great. If not, and it means this is the end of the road in the UFC, he’s at peace with that, too.
“This is it! In my mind, this is it!” said Griffin. “If it’s meant to be, I’m gonna go out there, do my s***, take him out. If not, that’s what it is, and I’m okay with that. I’m okay with the situation, and whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen. I’m gonna do my best, do my s***, and I’m okay with that.
“I’m the most prepared I’ve ever been,” he added. “When I look back at these nine months, I was crushing. I’ve been ready to fight since October. In my mind, this is my last fight, maybe. I’m gonna give it everything and I’ve got to go f*** this guy up. This is it.”
Griffin continued by sharing the story of his wife’s great-grandfather, who recently passed. They said that when he died, he did so with a smile on his face, and the idea of having that much acceptance in the face of the end was a powerful message for him.
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While the potential close of his career is obviously different from the last days of one’s life, the notion of being content with what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished as the final days draw near, is a critical piece in both fighting and life.
Not that Griffin has any intention of this being the final time he makes the walk into the Octagon.
“It’s gonna feel wonderful,” he said. “I’m gonna f*** this guy up, I’m gonna cry. I know what I can do, my people know what I can do, so it’s time.”
UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs Zalal took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 25, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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