Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Tito's last chance



For years, UFC fighter Tito Ortiz’s entrances have consisted of him walking from the locker room, to the octagon surrounded by his trainers and carrying an American flag. 

The moment he leaves the locker room, cheers and boos echo through out the crowd, while Eminem’s “Mosh” blasts through the speakers.

March 26 may be the last time fans get to see Ortiz’s entrance as he faces Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC Fight Night 24, which takes place at the Key Arena in Seattle.

UFC President Dana White has hinted at cutting Ortiz (15-8-1) from the promotion, after losing four of his five last fights.

 According to a November article on MMA Weekly, White said that he had thought he was going to cut Ortiz after his loss to Hamill until Ortiz told him he was not done fighting in the UFC.

“He asked me for one last chance, so I’m gonna do it,“ White said.  “This is definitely his last chance and he knows that too.”

Ortiz’s first stint with the UFC

Ortiz made his mixed martial arts debut in 1997, fighting in the UFC 13 Lightweight tournament as an alternate.  He lost to Guy Mezger in the finals of the tournament. 

Ortiz would continue to fight for the UFC.  Utilizing his wrestling ability and ground and pound, he would later avenge his loss against Mezger, and even win the UFC Light Heavyweight championship, successfully defend it five times.  He also would attain wins against fighters like Ken Shamrock, Wanderlei Silva, and Vitor Belfort.

Although he was one of UFC’s top stars, Ortiz was also suffering from a back injury, as well as personal problems between him and the UFC’s front office, mainly with UFC president Dana White.

Ortiz’s last fight was against Lyoto Machida in May 2008.  He would lose to Machida by unanimous decision.

Shortly after the loss to Machida, Ortiz said he would not be returning to the UFC. 

In an interview with MMA Weekly radio, Ortiz said his main reason for leaving the organization was due to treatment from the UFC president.

“He’s a monster and I am going to go elsewhere where they respect me,” Ortiz said.

Exile and return

After some time away from the UFC, Ortiz had back surgery.  He also began training in Brazilian Ju Jitsu.  Shortly after the birth of his tine sons, Ortiz said he had made amends with White in 2009, according to an interview with TapouT radio.  This eventually led to Ortiz being resigned by the UFC.

Ortiz’s opponent for his return bout was originally supposed to be against former heavyweight champion Mark Coleman.  Coleman withdrew due to injury, and was replaced by Forrest Griffin, a man Ortiz had beaten in 2006.  He ended up losing to Griffin by split decision.

Ortiz’s next fight would be against Matt Hamill, a man Ortiz had coached during the third season of the Ultimate Fighter reality tv series.  As with Griffin, Ortiz would lose the fight by decision.

Ortiz was scheduled to face longtime rival Chuck Liddell but had to pull out of the fight due to unknown reasons.

Lil’ Nog

Nogueira (19-4) is the twin brother of former UFC and PRIDE champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, a Brazilian fighter in the heavyweight division.  He is currently in the top ten light heavyweights in the world, according to the USA Today and SB Nation consensus rankings.

According to an interview with the National Post, Nogueira said he is preparing for what he believes will be a difficult fight.

“Tito’s ground and pound is very good and he is a really talented athlete,” Nogueira said.  “This should be a great fight for the fans.”

Although Ortiz is known for his head games, he said he is taking a different approach when it comes to Nogueira, due to the respect he has for the Brazilian fighter.

“Lil Nog is one of the best fighters in the world,” Ortiz said. He’s dangerous on the feet and on the ground. That’s why you won’t hear me talking any smack.”

White said that the fight against Nogueira would be the biggest fight in Ortiz’s career.

“Lil Nog is ranked in the top 10 and a win puts Tito back in the mix,” White said.

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