Max Griffin is facing a do-or-die scenario at UFC Vegas 86.

Griffin is coming off a disappointing decision loss to Michael Morales last July, in a fight where he didn’t think he fought up to his standards. After that, he wanted to return ASAP but that didn’t happen. Instead, he was held to just one fight in 2023, which frustrated Griffin.

“Yeah, I asked, I was like ‘Yo, I want to fight Q4’ because I haven’t stopped training, since my last fight. I haven’t stopped, I was down, long sucks, it was close,” Griffin said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “David Goggins actually sent me a message saying how I’m a dog and he loves seeing the heart in there. I got up and ran, I’ve been freaking going hard ever since, man. Just improving, learning, growing, and making adjustments.”

Once Max Griffin was offered a fight, it was Jeremiah Wells at UFC Vegas 86 which ‘Pain’ was ecstatic for. He knows it’s a good bout for him as he knows Wells comes to fight which are the type of scraps that Griffin wants.

“I’ve seen his fights, he’s a beast, he’s a stud. He’s really explosive, I remember watching him and thinking I’d fight him one day because he is so athletic and explosive,” Griffin said. “He’s beaten some guys I’ve fought and in the same grouping. I like it, it is the first shorter guy I’ve fought in a few years. He’s labeled a grappler but he’s a bomber, I like it a lot.”

Against Jeremiah Wells, Max Griffin is fighting out his contract which he knows adds some pressure to the fight. But, he has full confidence he can finish Wells and enter free agency on a statement win.

“I might get taken down, I might not, but if I do I’m getting up. Take him down, beat him up. I’m looking to finish him, this is the last fight on my contract, so I’m looking to go out spectacularly and finish nicely. He’s tough, I love it, he’s my kind of fighter, he’s a dog in there,” Griffin said.

Should Max Griffin get the stoppage win he’s after, he is excited to test out the free agency market and see what’s out there as he says he’s far from done with his career.

“I love these positions, it seems like I’m in them quite a lot. It’s where I thrive… Usually, we reach out but we didn’t this time, to see what is going on in the market, and give myself a fair chance. Fight this out, this is my choice and the world is ours after that… It is the last fight on my contract but I’m not done fighting,” Griffin concluded.