Dave Meltzer from Yahoo!Sports.com breaks it down as Tito Ortiz possibly heads into his last fight inside the Octagon against Lyoto Machida at UFC 84: “Ill Will” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24:
“Ortiz has had more fights (21) in the Octagon than any man in history. He was the longest-reigning champion in company history, a three-and-a-half year run as light heavyweight champion from 2000-03. And the Huntington Beach, Calif., native headlined the company’s two most successful pay-per-view events in matches with Ken Shamrock (770,000 buys) and Chuck Liddell (1.05 million), and the company’s highest rated television special (3.1), in a third match with Shamrock.”
He’s doing something right, whether or not you think he’s overrated, all talk or just in it now for the celebrity. Put simply, Tito draws … look no further than next weekend — the show has been sold out for weeks.
And he is more than likely a primary reason for the high interest in tickets.
Ortiz is in the last fight of his contract, which is clearly not going unnoticed by other promotions out there that are eager to cash-in on his star power.
Elite XC, and its Live Events President Gary Shaw, are among them.
Here’s a snip:
“Of all my years in the fight game, I know one thing that I could see, touch, smell and feel, and that is a star and a superstar. Every time I see Tito Ortiz, he reeks of stardom. I think I can even better his days in the UFC. I think I can reincarnate Ortiz. He is a talented fighter and has all the mechanisms that you need to make someone a superstar. Can you imagine Tito Ortiz and Kimbo (Slice) in the cage together one day? My door is open. I hope that he’s able to negotiate one day because I would never interfere with a contract. I hope he’s sitting right next to me, not across from my desk, but right with me.”
Sounds like the perfect match.
May 17th, 2008
71 Comments »
Good write up Mania..
As much as I hate Jacob, I cant say he hasn’t done anything for the sport..And like you said, he is the only man to defend a UFC belt 5 times…. But I didn’t know he has the most UFC fights aswell(23)…Love him or hate him, Tito has payed his dues in the UFC!..
With that said. Machida will send Tito out of the UFC with a loss on his back..sorry Tito!
urghh’ correction 21 fights in the octagon for Tito..
Maybe Tito shouldn’t go to EliteXC, this is a quote from yahoo sports.
” EliteXC has been bleeding money and conceded in a recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Comission that it has lost in excess of $27 million in little more than a year. It may not, it admits in the filings, have the money to make it through the year”
It also said that Shaw is hoping that all the viewers that Kimbo had on youtube would start watching him in MMA, giving them better numbers.
Tito has 20 fights in the UFC 14-5-1
Not after this weekend. he will be 14-6-1= 21 fights.
ELITE XC needs to work on their garbage calls that end good fights!
Dana bashing is not a hobby of mine. As a matter of fact I like the guy alot and feel he’s done big, big things for MMA. I met him ringside at UFC 71 and found him to, cool. With that said I am at a loss as to why he let’s his personal feelings about Tito play into the UFC’s decision making on signing Tito for more fights. I can only imagine that the UFC is not willing to pay Tito the type of numbers that the other organizations have I’m sure by now offered him. I do feel that Tito’s time has passed as there are much better fighters out there now that MMA has taken off. I predict several losses on Tito’s record over the next couple of years. Then again, EliteXC could feed him cans like they do with Kimbo to keep their numbers high. Thoughts?
I agree with you for the most part. I think it just comes down to Tito wanting more money than the UFC is willing to pay him at the moment.
I’s be surprised if the Fertitta brothers (who own 90% of the UFC) would let Dana’s personal animosity with respect to Tito get in the way of business. I predict that after a period of jockeying, Tito signs with the UFC. EliteXC might not even be in business in a year.
Well said mania its true thazt tito sells fights there is no doubt,he is the best fighter the have to sell ppv,dont get me wrong though page ,liddell do well but nothing like tito does,this weekend events will tell all and i hope the f brothers pay close attention as tito returns to his old self and destroys machida and shows hes still a top contender and not a protender like alot of other fighters….long live team punishment !!
To be honest, I could care less about the Tito fight this coming weekend. My buddy and I are buyin gthis PPV for Penn/Sherk.
right on
Yeah Tito will still get credit for the numbers it makes. I can’t stand Tito and Dana is doing a good thing by getting rid of him. He’s a drain on MMA these days and is a boring person. I know he hypes fights but thats so lame and he hasn’t had a decent competitor in a good amount of time. Dana set this fight up so Machida would destroy Tito hopefully tarnishing his image and keeping him from further publicity.
Dana is cutting him because he doesn’t like him. Not because of anything else. I bet when dana was a kid he would never let anyone else pay with his toys.
I could have sworn he was cutting him because he’s greedy and wants more money, he cant win a fight againts a top tier fighter and he never shuts that mouth on his huge face
Tito was the reason i began watching the UFC but yea lately he seems as if he’s more intersted in celebrity than anything or his back is truly messed up! However he did bring the UFC to a next level which he deserves credit for…Dana also put the UFC on the map and i love his attitude of fighting but he needs to throw his ego out the door at times..
I could be wrong, but I don’t think Tito will agree to fight as a heavyweight, unless he knows he can beat the guy. Otherwise, I think he is going to always demand there be a 205lb weight limit for his matches with anybody that poses a risk.
Shaw can throw his best at Tito, but most, if not all the LHW talent lies in the UFC…
Does anyone really care to see another Burrito Ortiz post ?? I sure as hell know for a fact that im sick of them. Please let the door hit you on your azz when you walk out of the cage Christopher Jacob. You help build UFC to where it is now, but your a waste of a roster spot.
and just like tito wants you hate him but you damn sure read these posts about him.
I predict a headline in 2011 that reads “Tito v.s. Rashad 7, the final opportunity”.
You know how we can get rid of Tito Ortiz?
That’s right, stop caring about him.
i’d rather have decent mma news than more bleh about ortiz
So much……money…….
Dana is being doing good getting rid of poor fighters lately. but he is a d**k head letting tito go.
Good summary by Meltzer. You can think of Ortiz what you want but he understands the entertainment aspect of MMA better than almost any other fighter. He knows how to hype the fans up for a fight, hell - most of the time he does a better job than the professional promoters. I believe every promotion out there will court Ortiz and I don’t mind it at all. I rather have the entertainer Ortiz in the cage than the next 0-0 record UFC newcomer who’s artificially being build up to a contender spot.
If you want to watch a sport, you watch basketball or soccer or the ironman. In MMA we seek entertainment, reduced to very primal instincts. Thats the reason why no one likes it when fights go the distance. We want to see the basic “two men enter, one man leaves” scenario. Ortiz gets that and at least makes everyone think beforehand that there will be a carnage.
I agree to a point. Boxing is the same shown clearly from Ali’s press confrences back in the day.
Fighting is such a mental and verbal sport, you can get inside your opponants head like no other. Because of that there will always be the entertainment aspect that will play a part.
I may offend some of the purests on here but i would prefer to see Tito fight any day of the week than machida, its all about the passion and the drama that he brings.
Lets face it if it were only about the fighting why would we all be on this website as opposed to just tuning in and watching next Saturday? Its the entertainment aspect that keeps the majority of us intersted and like it or not, Tito has got entertainment and charisma by the bucketload, the above figures tell that tale very bluntly.
I for one will follow Tito wherever he goes!
agreed. I’d take Tito over some of these TUF rejects.
Let’s look at the winners from all the seasons.
1. Forrest- the best of the best as far as TUF alumni
Diego- fizzled out
2. Stevenson- never should have been in a title fight
Rashad- close but not quite
3. Kendall- gone if he loses his next fight
Bisping- no good unless Dana gives him losers
4. Serra- the ultimate fluke. done after Hughes fight
Lutter- Gasses after eating breakfast
5. Nate Diaz- could be amazing in time
6. Danzig- already was vet and shouldn’t have been on
This show is garbage is what i’m trying to point out. This season is the most pitiful yet. Not a good fight so far. and these guys are supposed to be the future of the MW division? could you imagine what Franklin or silva would do to one of these talentless jokes? So yeah Dana get rid of Tito who brings in fans and has a personal style second to none, hypes fights like crazy and helped the UFC to get where it is today. Instead keep pimping your show of guys that would lose in amateur fights at the local Hooters in Wyoming. Smart move because i’d much rather watch Matt Brown fight than a proven superstar like Tito.
What has Tito shown in his last few fights?
That he is still a fan favorite and people buy his PPV’s. He has star power which is what a lot of guys don’t have.
Just re-read what was just posted more closely and you will find out. tito was, and still continues to be “the UFC” for the most part. Plain and simple, the tito HATERS still tune in and create as much profit as the tito fans when he fights. That my friends is total star power. much like tyson in his has been days, he still brought in loads of revenue for the sport.
Agreed in all cases except Bisping. He may be a genuine contender in the MW divison.
bottom line.. ufc wouldnt be where it is today without tito ortiz
WAR TITO!
BULLSHIT
Agreed. I’ll follow Tito where ever he goes. If he beats Machida he’s back. You can argue otherwise but the fact is, if Tito beats Machida, Tito is back.
Yea what a surprise Shaw would pucker up to Tito’s a** so much, he’s only saying that to hype the dude when he signs for gobs of cash. Shaw says he see talent in Tito and he will “reincarnate” him? OF CORUSE when you put him in a cage with a bunch of half skilled MMA fighters, Tito will look like a STUPIDstar errr superstar. See you in Elite XC Tito, have fun kicking Starns caliber fights and holding the strap for ever! I’ll try not to watch…
Dude, with all due respect, I think EliteXC has some solid firepower MMA wise. Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Antonio Silva, KJ Noons, Ninja Rua, are all pretty solid fighters. Then, when you couple them with Dream and Strikeforce, there are many possible opportunities for sick MMA fights all around. Tito will get some solid challenges in Elite. Haha, Starnes calibre…that should be against the rules, like eye gouging.
Yeah, the UFC definately isn’t the only organization worth watching.
good point I don’t understand why guys hatin on EliteXC it’s often overlooked.
talent wise they need to import fighters from overseas…or sign some young up and coming prospect if they want to challenge Ortiz…otherwise he’ll have to compete @HW…where his weight cutting/ and cardio won’t matter for much since he’ll typically be facing guys 220+ lbs where he’s no longer the big guy and gets his Grappling cardio truly exposed when the fists start flying…
At 205 he ’s quite solid and still top 10 in my book…but the 205 ranks are qetting quite crowded…Lots of new talent in Brazil and Canada _+ some solid unknowns in Europe as well…So Tito is best off cashing in for a big Winter Elite XC card…I’d actually like to see him join EliteXC since Dream and EliteXC will co-promote and potentially have him in a LWH 205 GP next year…Now that would be very interesting….
I’d like to see Tito take on Kimbo. I bet Tito will get higher pay than what he gets from the UFC which could make Dana jealous.
I think its silly how Gary Shaw would say that !
STUPID IDEA FOR A FIGHT, unless Tito grows a few inches and puts on 40lbs
Am I the only one to see how it wouldn’t work out?
I believe it should be about talent and fair competition and not some hype- show. What will the winner of that fight win ???
Nothing. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
How could EliteXC possibly pay Ortiz more than the UFC and still attempt to be a viable business? EliteXc has a handfull of talented fighters, but they are in trouble financially. Personally, I think that Tito will sign with the UFC under the guidance of the Fertittas. Right now Tito is just negotiating with the media.
he sells alot of ppvs cuz people wanna see him get his head knocked off. he has been the perfect heel, but he used to perform at a higher level than now and thats the difference.
in all actuality, the ufc doesnt need tito anymore and in all “reality” tito doesnt need them anymore either.
I have no problem with Tito, or Dana. Instead, I want to point out that Shaw is again, proving the point that has been made by several people on this site before. He is looking to put together fights with “superstars” and regardless of thier current skill level or standing. This semms to be simply driven for marketing. That’s fine for casual fans, but at some point, people really want to see the top fighters (based on skill and rank) rather than starpower alone. Shaw’s Tito vs Kimbo talk seems to prove just that. The Fedor vs Sylvia fight is a case in point. UFC or not, we will want to see that fight, but the dog and pony shows can only last so long.
I’ve always been curious as to why Tito sells so much. It’s weird. I couldn’t think of a less exciting fighter. Give me Wandy or GSP or Fedor or Page, now they’re an exciting match.
Well Dave let me name a few less exciting fighters for you. Machida, Fitch, and Rashad.
I’ve always liked Tito’s fights one way or another… Griffin, Belfort, Couture, Liddell were all entertaining to watch
Stay off the gear Dave…..
Ufc needs to come out of there pockets for Tito, AA ands others. Tito is A HUGE DRAW, AND STILL TOP 10
Tito isnt that good anymore. Pretty soon Gary Shaw will hint that he would love to see Kimbo vs Jesus! Tito is a PPV starter not a main event anymore he is boring. He doesnt have the fire like he used to!
Bill
I agree 100%
Tito’s popularity is interesting. It’s either love him or hate him. I don’t think he has a chance to ever hold a belt in the UFC again unless Rampage let’s him see it for a moment before snatching it back. As a PPV draw, he’s still a viable product. But as a fighter he’s going to be irrelevant soon as the next generation of fighters grow into their own. Don’t get me wrong, I like Tito. (I’d like him better if we didn’t have to hear from that idiot girlfriend of his all the time.)That being said, I think if he chose to promote MMA, or just move into coaching would be great move. He has a head for business and was a great coach on TUF (second only to Serra). Just my opinion.
yees, this should be a known thing by now… no other fighter in MMA is a bigger draw than Tito, he is the guy that people want to see.. when he came back and fought Forrest Griffin they sold out and did much better than they were doing before too, and it was because Tito came back.. Chuck Liddell and Rampage ppv didn’t do so well Liddell vs Babalu didn’t do so well n Chuck is a pretty big draw.. to me this is all ridiculous his last fight was a draw against Evans which he won in my mind and would win the rematch, he beat Forrest with a injury n could do it again, im sure Tito would beat Wanderlei, and he would have a good chance against Jardine, Shogun! guys like Machida and Liddell r just bad matchups for Tito
Elite XC is like WCW in the old days when I used to watch wrstling in middle and high school. They pick up the trash that the UFC (WWF) discards. Funny though Gary shaw seems more like Vince Mcmahon than Dana does. Elite XC is like the sleazy MMA promotion right now. Fixing fightx so their biggest star Kimbo can attempt to look like a top level fighter.
UFC 87 : Seek and destroy is the name. I hope lesnar gets kongo after coleman
everyone is always saying tito is finished and i just cant see why. since his back to back loses to randy and chuck hes beat cote, belfort, griffin, shammy twice (if that counts) losted to chuck (and improved from the 1st fight) then drew with evans, id hardly call that a has been fighter, it would be great to watch tito beat down on machida i can see him giving him an evan tanner slam! tito will always get beat by chuck, but i could see him giving rampage a problem if they ever thought, rampage is weak in the clinch as shogun and wvanderei proved where as tito is quiet strong in that position, what does evey1 think of that then!!!!!
Very much agree but alot of people on this post will dissagree but that is a great point. Tito beat griffin the nbr. 1 contender right now and no one is giving him any props,but hey what can we say hes the fighter people love to hate on!!
I could careless about tito, dont you think chuck lidel and ken shamrock had anything to do with the big box office draw for there fights, machida going to kick his ass, lets see what his draw is when he fights one of those class C fighters in the other shows, tito is washed up,smart buisness decision Dana white, I`m paying to see penn/shrek not to see tito get his ass smeared across the octagon, bye tito, you better sign a good contract in one of those other shows, it will probally be your last
You CAN’T live in the past. He did this and he did that…forget about it already! God knows we have heard it enough.
Like quite a few posts have already said, SAY NO TO TITO ARTICLES MANIA!
Hey Mania!
Put a poll on your website to see if anyone else wants to read “another” Tito Ortiz article.
I bet your readers will tell you they don’t.
Let your readers be heard.
Any else agree?
agree
You know I am reading through these comments about how Tito is washed up and he sucks and he isn’t a real fighter. I think one thing that you can’t deny, whether you like the guy or hate the guy is that the only two people that he has lost to in the past 9 years is Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell. He holds wins over some serious competition as well. I.E. Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Forest Griffin, Ken Shamrock. I mean the list goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong I think that he is definitely more in it for the money now rather than the title but you still have to respect what he has done.
Well said i agree,,,,tito is not respected as a fighter cause alot of younger nobodies come on the scene and dana hypes them up…just too many haters and jealously in the world today….READERS remember this tito will rock your machidas ass and you will have to deal with it the young fighters today are not that good..live it!!!love it!!!deal with it!!!…tito is the best period!
Tito is the best?
Have you seen his last fights?
If you really think about it, the Shamrock fights were all contrived and hyped beyond belief.
I’d love to see Tito come back and dominate. If Tito comes back and actually backs up his BS, then he deserves proper respect from anyone…including me. As it stands today, this guy is NOT even in the top 10.
If only Titos talent was a great as his ability to yap.
The best? Yes…at self promotion.
Most people are comenting on Tito’s ability in the ring, not his previous contributions to the sport. He talks like it’s 2002 and he is at the top of his game. The only thing he is on top of is marketing, and he does that very well. He will contnue to have a fan base - those who look at him as a celebrity more than a fighter.
All the best to him on his ventures outside the UFC once Machida decisions him in a very boring match.
When was the last time Tito had a victory over a significant opponent where he clearly won. Outside of Forrest he has not had a top victory in a while. He really lost to Vitor, that was a horrible decision. Most agree with that. So outside of the Forrest fight, when was his last win? Been a while.
say no to UFC for not treating Tito the way they should is what i say… hell, he and randy are gone and without those guys the UFC wouldn’t even exist.. at the end of the day all the fans needs to stand by the fighters not the organization the fight in..
Titos numbers have been padded!
how long did he duck chuck, and like who was he facing for his title at the time? nobodys anyways titos hasn’t been in the top 5 in his last few fights and we all know that, so this saturday tito needs to fight himslef out of a corner and we all know that. i think the dana feud is part of the entertainment& business aspect of mma and danaand tito knwo thaT. I GUESS WE WILL SEE COME SATUDAY NIGHT THE PPV BUYS AND WHO IS THE VICTOR
rob
Tito counting Jenna’s money… gotta love it!