desperado
12-10-2011, 02:24 PM
TORONTO - His fighting days are numbered and he has won just once in his last seven bouts, but Tito Ortiz remains a marquee name in the UFC.
Ortiz, who turns 37 next month, is a lightning rod for MMA fans. Some still love him, remembering his glory days as light-heavyweight champion. Others just love to hate him.
On Saturday night, he takes on Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5) at UFC 140 at the Air Canada Centre. Ortiz hopes a win will set the stage for a farewell fight next May, possibly a rubber match against Forrest Griffin, that will serve as his 15-year MMA swansong.
Ortiz (17-9-1) has fought in the Octagon 25 times. He has battled both Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell in the cage and UFC president Dana White, who used to manage him, outside it.
These days White and Ortiz have made up. The UFC boss says Ortiz has changed his ways.
"Saying it is one thing and how you act is another," White said. "And Tito has completely acted like that is the case."
it wasn't always that way.
Last year, the UFC issued a DVD called "Bad Blood" that details the oft-poisonous triangle between Liddell, White and Ortiz.
It's akin to MMA piling on as White and Liddell ridicule Ortiz, accusing him of ducking fights, hurting the UFC and thinking only about himself.
It makes for damning watching.
"Chuck Liddell made way more money that Tito Ortiz ever did," White, who also used to manage Liddell, says on the DVD. "Tito Ortiz left more money on the table because Tito always thought he was smarter than everyone else.
"That guy used to step over dollars to pick up dimes."
Ortiz and Liddell were once friends and training partners although the extent of their bond depends who you speak to. The two were on a collision path as fighters and Ortiz balked at the matchup, saying the money wasn't enough to merit fighting a friend.
In contrast, Liddell was ready to rumble.
The two eventually fought twice, with the Iceman winning decisively at UFC 47 in 2004 and UFC 66 in 2006.
"The first one I knocked him out, the second one he quit," Liddell says dismissively on the DVD.
Adds White: "He had Tito's number ... Chuck was one million per cent in Tito's head."
The two were supposed to fight a third time — in Vancouver in June 2010 — after serving as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show. But Ortiz quit the show during filming to undergo neck surgery.
Liddell had predicted the fight would never take place.
White related this week how in making the DVD they gave Ortiz free rein to say what he wanted.
"We didn't cut anything. That was the story. That was how it all went down. We sent Tito a copy as soon as it was out."
Not surprisingly Ortiz was not happy with it.
"I said 'Dude that's exactly the way it went down. It's all the truth. You were able to say whatever you wanted'
"And I think Tito's come to grips with that and realized what he did and what he was like in those days. And I can tell you this, we have completely squashed all of our stuff."
"We're cool now," White added. "And Tito has changed. And he does carry himself in a different way now."
Ortiz still has star power. He showed up at Wednesday's news conference in a charcoal suit offset by a red striped tie and chunky dark glasses.
At six foot three and 205 pounds, he moves gracefully outside the cage.
He still has attitude. His chilly response to one reporter Wednesday was "I don't like you so I'm not going to answer your question."
That prompted White to step in. "Tito, will you answer his question please."
"Thank you, Dana. And I'll answer the question no problem, for you," Ortiz replied.
Ortiz and White still disagree. Ortiz had to talk White into letting him change his longtime nickname of The Huntington Beach Bad Boy to the People's Champ.
Ortiz, whose career has been stalled by several surgeries and contract disputes, said he decided to make the change while feeling the heat before a must-win fight in July against powerful up-and-comer Ryan (Darth) Bader.
"I just said enough's enough," Ortiz recalled. "Push all the negative people away from me. ... out of my life, and say out of sight, out of mind. And you believe positive and my life just got better and better and better. I woke up every morning with a smile on my face.
"And that's when I said it's time to change my moniker, it's time to change my whole attitude about life. I'm not getting any younger."
Ortiz also pointed to his three sons — two by former porn star Jenna Jameson — saying he believes that as they get older they will be happier having their Dad as the people's champ rather than the bad boy.
White said he planned to cut Ortiz after his loss to Matt (The Hammer) Hamill at UFC 121 in October 2010. At the time, Ortiz had not won since October 2006.
"I actually called Tito and said 'It's over.' Tito begged me for a fight and he got that Bader fight and pulled it off," White said. "And in my opinion had an awesome fight with (Rashad) Evans. We'll see what he does Saturday night."
An underdog Ortiz submitted Bader at UFC 132 then lost to Evans one month later at UFC 133 on Aug. 6.
Ortiz made a minimum of US$525,000 for the Bader win, including $75,000 for submission of the night.
He made his UFC debut in 1997 for free, because he didn't want to jeopardize his college wrestling scholarship. Ortiz, who had been an alternate, stopped Wes Albritton in under a minute at UFC 13.
Ortiz's heyday was 2000 to 2002 when he made five successful title defences.
He used his wrestling skills to bulldoze opponents to the ground, then carved them open with his elbows or beat them into submission.
Always flamboyant, he would mimic digging a grave in the centre of the cage after a win. And he would don derogatory T-shirt to further rub in the result.
He still holds six UFC light-heavyweight title records: most successful defences (5), most successful consecutive defences (5), most championship fights (9), most championship fights won (6), most championship fights lost (3), and most championship rounds fought (28).
Twelve of his pro fights were against UFC or Pride champions.
Recognizing his time is almost up, Ortiz has planned his exit strategy — "Walk away healthy. Walk away on my own terms. What else do I got to prove?"
May 30 will be 15 years to the day he made his UFC debut. And a fight then would finish off his current contract.
"I've been putting my body through a grindstone, man," he said this week.
White agrees with Ortiz's plan to call it quits next year, saying "I think it's the right idea."
For all of White's conciliatory words these days about Ortiz, his comments on "Bad Blood" cut like a razor blade.
Ortiz, he says, did everything in his power to hurt the UFC during his contract dispute over fighting Liddell.
"Chuck Liddell went on to make multi- multi- multi-millions of dollars. And it's not because Chuck was running around and thought he was a businessman. It's because Chuck was a fighter and he was willing to prove to anybody anywhere any time that he was the best in the world. And people loved and respected him for that."
Ortiz, White says, will be remembered for other things.
"There's a lot more Tito could have done. And had he done things differently, I think he could have had a completely different career. He let that window close before he accomplished really great things ... Tito has always been and will always be out for Tito. It's all about Tito and nobody else."
And yet Ortiz came across as a caring coach during filming of "The Ultimate Fighter."
On the DVD, Ortiz offers his own take on his life.
He recalls how his parents became heroin addicts and how the family spiralled out of control in California, losing their home, his ad's business and how they moved from motel to motel or even in friends' garages.
He points out the place where one of his friends was gunned down by a rival gang.
Ortiz, driving in his Cadillac Escalade, also proudly displays his gym and Team Punishment clothing business, pointing to the elegant California neighbourhood he now calls home.
"I'm a success story. I'm an American who lives the American dream," he says.
The Canadian Press Dec 10, 2011 07:00:00 AM
Ortiz, who turns 37 next month, is a lightning rod for MMA fans. Some still love him, remembering his glory days as light-heavyweight champion. Others just love to hate him.
On Saturday night, he takes on Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5) at UFC 140 at the Air Canada Centre. Ortiz hopes a win will set the stage for a farewell fight next May, possibly a rubber match against Forrest Griffin, that will serve as his 15-year MMA swansong.
Ortiz (17-9-1) has fought in the Octagon 25 times. He has battled both Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell in the cage and UFC president Dana White, who used to manage him, outside it.
These days White and Ortiz have made up. The UFC boss says Ortiz has changed his ways.
"Saying it is one thing and how you act is another," White said. "And Tito has completely acted like that is the case."
it wasn't always that way.
Last year, the UFC issued a DVD called "Bad Blood" that details the oft-poisonous triangle between Liddell, White and Ortiz.
It's akin to MMA piling on as White and Liddell ridicule Ortiz, accusing him of ducking fights, hurting the UFC and thinking only about himself.
It makes for damning watching.
"Chuck Liddell made way more money that Tito Ortiz ever did," White, who also used to manage Liddell, says on the DVD. "Tito Ortiz left more money on the table because Tito always thought he was smarter than everyone else.
"That guy used to step over dollars to pick up dimes."
Ortiz and Liddell were once friends and training partners although the extent of their bond depends who you speak to. The two were on a collision path as fighters and Ortiz balked at the matchup, saying the money wasn't enough to merit fighting a friend.
In contrast, Liddell was ready to rumble.
The two eventually fought twice, with the Iceman winning decisively at UFC 47 in 2004 and UFC 66 in 2006.
"The first one I knocked him out, the second one he quit," Liddell says dismissively on the DVD.
Adds White: "He had Tito's number ... Chuck was one million per cent in Tito's head."
The two were supposed to fight a third time — in Vancouver in June 2010 — after serving as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show. But Ortiz quit the show during filming to undergo neck surgery.
Liddell had predicted the fight would never take place.
White related this week how in making the DVD they gave Ortiz free rein to say what he wanted.
"We didn't cut anything. That was the story. That was how it all went down. We sent Tito a copy as soon as it was out."
Not surprisingly Ortiz was not happy with it.
"I said 'Dude that's exactly the way it went down. It's all the truth. You were able to say whatever you wanted'
"And I think Tito's come to grips with that and realized what he did and what he was like in those days. And I can tell you this, we have completely squashed all of our stuff."
"We're cool now," White added. "And Tito has changed. And he does carry himself in a different way now."
Ortiz still has star power. He showed up at Wednesday's news conference in a charcoal suit offset by a red striped tie and chunky dark glasses.
At six foot three and 205 pounds, he moves gracefully outside the cage.
He still has attitude. His chilly response to one reporter Wednesday was "I don't like you so I'm not going to answer your question."
That prompted White to step in. "Tito, will you answer his question please."
"Thank you, Dana. And I'll answer the question no problem, for you," Ortiz replied.
Ortiz and White still disagree. Ortiz had to talk White into letting him change his longtime nickname of The Huntington Beach Bad Boy to the People's Champ.
Ortiz, whose career has been stalled by several surgeries and contract disputes, said he decided to make the change while feeling the heat before a must-win fight in July against powerful up-and-comer Ryan (Darth) Bader.
"I just said enough's enough," Ortiz recalled. "Push all the negative people away from me. ... out of my life, and say out of sight, out of mind. And you believe positive and my life just got better and better and better. I woke up every morning with a smile on my face.
"And that's when I said it's time to change my moniker, it's time to change my whole attitude about life. I'm not getting any younger."
Ortiz also pointed to his three sons — two by former porn star Jenna Jameson — saying he believes that as they get older they will be happier having their Dad as the people's champ rather than the bad boy.
White said he planned to cut Ortiz after his loss to Matt (The Hammer) Hamill at UFC 121 in October 2010. At the time, Ortiz had not won since October 2006.
"I actually called Tito and said 'It's over.' Tito begged me for a fight and he got that Bader fight and pulled it off," White said. "And in my opinion had an awesome fight with (Rashad) Evans. We'll see what he does Saturday night."
An underdog Ortiz submitted Bader at UFC 132 then lost to Evans one month later at UFC 133 on Aug. 6.
Ortiz made a minimum of US$525,000 for the Bader win, including $75,000 for submission of the night.
He made his UFC debut in 1997 for free, because he didn't want to jeopardize his college wrestling scholarship. Ortiz, who had been an alternate, stopped Wes Albritton in under a minute at UFC 13.
Ortiz's heyday was 2000 to 2002 when he made five successful title defences.
He used his wrestling skills to bulldoze opponents to the ground, then carved them open with his elbows or beat them into submission.
Always flamboyant, he would mimic digging a grave in the centre of the cage after a win. And he would don derogatory T-shirt to further rub in the result.
He still holds six UFC light-heavyweight title records: most successful defences (5), most successful consecutive defences (5), most championship fights (9), most championship fights won (6), most championship fights lost (3), and most championship rounds fought (28).
Twelve of his pro fights were against UFC or Pride champions.
Recognizing his time is almost up, Ortiz has planned his exit strategy — "Walk away healthy. Walk away on my own terms. What else do I got to prove?"
May 30 will be 15 years to the day he made his UFC debut. And a fight then would finish off his current contract.
"I've been putting my body through a grindstone, man," he said this week.
White agrees with Ortiz's plan to call it quits next year, saying "I think it's the right idea."
For all of White's conciliatory words these days about Ortiz, his comments on "Bad Blood" cut like a razor blade.
Ortiz, he says, did everything in his power to hurt the UFC during his contract dispute over fighting Liddell.
"Chuck Liddell went on to make multi- multi- multi-millions of dollars. And it's not because Chuck was running around and thought he was a businessman. It's because Chuck was a fighter and he was willing to prove to anybody anywhere any time that he was the best in the world. And people loved and respected him for that."
Ortiz, White says, will be remembered for other things.
"There's a lot more Tito could have done. And had he done things differently, I think he could have had a completely different career. He let that window close before he accomplished really great things ... Tito has always been and will always be out for Tito. It's all about Tito and nobody else."
And yet Ortiz came across as a caring coach during filming of "The Ultimate Fighter."
On the DVD, Ortiz offers his own take on his life.
He recalls how his parents became heroin addicts and how the family spiralled out of control in California, losing their home, his ad's business and how they moved from motel to motel or even in friends' garages.
He points out the place where one of his friends was gunned down by a rival gang.
Ortiz, driving in his Cadillac Escalade, also proudly displays his gym and Team Punishment clothing business, pointing to the elegant California neighbourhood he now calls home.
"I'm a success story. I'm an American who lives the American dream," he says.
The Canadian Press Dec 10, 2011 07:00:00 AM