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TITO ORTIZ CLOSE WITH STRIKEFORCE, WANTS FEDOR Wednesday, July 01, 2009 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com One time UFC poster boy Tito Ortiz hasn't fought in more than a year. And it's been nearly three years since he last won a fight.
Plagued by back problems for several years, his last bout was a loss to current UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Prior to that, a draw with former UFC champion Rashad Evans and a loss to another former UFC champion in Chuck Liddell.
But following back surgery in October of 2008, Ortiz has recently been cleared to train full speed ahead.
"My doctor just released me. I feel great. My cardio is great. I'm excited to get back in there. I'm 100-percent, no more pain running down my back."
In a seemingly revolving door of endless negotiations, the former UFC champion sounds as if he is nearing the time when he will set foot back in the cage, once again ready to compete.
"I'm in negotiations right now with Strikeforce and working with CBS and Showtime, so all three of us are going back and forth to make a contract that makes sense to me," he told MMAWeekly.com recently.
"Hopefully by October I'll be competing. We're finishing the contract I'd say with CBS, Showtime, and Strikeforce and making a deal that UFC can't match."
If that deal does come to fruition, Ortiz says he's ready and has his near future already mapped out.
"I feel sorry for the person they have me fight, but I do need one warm-up fight," he said. "I managed to come off a huge back surgery. It's been a year since I've competed. I think one warm-up fight to get things going."
But after that, it's full speed ahead, and truly so if the fight he mentions does end up taking place.
"After that, I don't want no more warm-up fights. I'm hoping by my fourth fight, possibly fight Fedor Emelianenko at a catchweight. That'd be something that I'm looking forward to possibly by the middle of next year."
Ortiz is a great fighter, but he's the kind of athlete that I think the UFC could use less of. The trash talking reminds of WWE/WWF/professional wrestling which just never sat right with me. Was never a fan of staged fights, and I fear the future of UFC is going to be largely staged. Fighters like Ortiz only accentuate the drama (cue in Ortiz v Shamrock...drama?) I want to see a fight, I don't want to see two people fighting because they dislike each other, or they're paid to be assholes to each other. I feel like that kills the sport, and at the same time gives people a reason to hate the sport...
Just my 2 cents.
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"A fight is not won by one punch or kick.Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard.Forget about winning and losing;forget about pride and pain.Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh;let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones;let him fracture your bones and you take his life.Do not be concerned with escaping safely-lay your life before him."
--Bruce Lee
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LOL Fedor would murder Ortiz.
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"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to go to his class."
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The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to ones mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which can not ever be complete, only traveled..."
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I bet Ortiz will loose his tune-up fight unless he fights a complete nobody.
__________________
"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to go to his class."
- Choi, Hong Hi, Founder of Taekwon-Do
The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to ones mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which can not ever be complete, only traveled..."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phonervia
Ortiz is a great fighter, but he's the kind of athlete that I think the UFC could use less of. The trash talking reminds of WWE/WWF/professional wrestling which just never sat right with me. Was never a fan of staged fights, and I fear the future of UFC is going to be largely staged. Fighters like Ortiz only accentuate the drama (cue in Ortiz v Shamrock...drama?) I want to see a fight, I don't want to see two people fighting because they dislike each other, or they're paid to be assholes to each other. I feel like that kills the sport, and at the same time gives people a reason to hate the sport...
Just my 2 cents.
Ortiz was a master of getting the "good guy vs bad guy" thing going. He was a showman good or bad.
very true, I bet Tim Sylvia didn't think he'd get KO'd in 9 seconds though
The funniest part is that was suppose to be a boxing match but they couldn't get the sactioning and Mercer suggested MMA and Tim Sylvia was against the idea because he thought it was unfair to Ray!!!!! LOL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TRIANGLEFROMGAURD
The funniest part is that was suppose to be a boxing match but they couldn't get the sactioning and Mercer suggested MMA and Tim Sylvia was against the idea because he thought it was unfair to Ray!!!!! LOL
TITO ORTIZ CLOSE WITH STRIKEFORCE, WANTS FEDOR
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