Author: Andrew Saunders

Tito Ortiz: ‘I May Come out of Retirement’; Wants to Fight Frank Shamrock

In July, the legendary Tito Ortiz was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. This distinguished honor came shortly before his final fight before hanging up the gloves for good: a rubber match against good-natured rival Forrest Griffin.Before the fight, Or…

In July, the legendary Tito Ortiz was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. This distinguished honor came shortly before his final fight before hanging up the gloves for good: a rubber match against good-natured rival Forrest Griffin.

Before the fight, Ortiz announced that his time as an active fighter had come to an end, and that a bout with Forrest was exactly what he wanted to close his career.

However, Ortiz has shown disapproval with his final appearance. The fight was a decision loss that was a very bitter pill for “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” to swallow. In an interview with BloodyElbow.com, Ortiz talked about the final time he waited for judges to reveal their verdict.

What Forrest did was really disrespectful. What I thought was going to happen was that my hand was going to get raised, and when it didn’t, he just added to that feeling of being bummed out from the loss. It’s like he went to smear it in, and it was a damper on the whole night, because I think my fans deserved more than that. 

Not only does he feel like he did enough to earn the decision, but Ortiz has displayed disgust with Forrest Griffin for utilizing testosterone replacement treatment unbeknownst to his opponent.

The BloodyElbow.com interview also revealed Tito’s thoughts on a potential return to the Octagon.

Right now, I’m only four weeks out of neck surgery, and then I have to get the ACL surgery. I still need to recover from that before I start thinking about anything, and if I’ll compete again. You never know, I may come out of retirement. It’s all about how my body recovers.

At 37 years old, it’s unlikely that “The People’s Champion” would be able to get back into any sort of shape that resembles his physical prime, but it is understandable why he would be thinking about coming back to end his legendary career on a high note. 

When asked about what fight he dreams of taking, Ortiz wasted little time in naming the man who defeated him in 1999’s Fight of the Year: Frank Shamrock.

What do you think? Would the UFC be smart to book a post-retirement battle between Ortiz and the seemingly-shunned Frank Shamrock? Is the fight possible? If so, is it something that you want to see?

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UFC President Dana White Sends Joe Lauzon a Pretty Awesome Gift

Anyone who follows the UFC knows that Dana White is one who loves to reward those who strive to put on an entertaining fight. Not only is the UFC president synonymous with undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” but he also shells out $5,000 to each contest…

Anyone who follows the UFC knows that Dana White is one who loves to reward those who strive to put on an entertaining fight. Not only is the UFC president synonymous with undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” but he also shells out $5,000 to each contestant on The Ultimate Fighter if they finish their opponent.

In the case of Joe Lauzon, White is especially generous. Not only did the Massachusetts-based fighter take home $65,000 in bonus money for his blood-soaked war against Jim Miller, but according to a recent Tweet, he was also able to take home an incredible souvenir.

 

The photo you are looking at is the actual canvas from UFC 155, which now resides in Lauzon‘s gym. My favorite comment came from userjackt1974: “DNA tests confirm – the matt is definitely yours…” 

The battle would go on to be known as the 2012 Fight of the Year. Jim Miller won the contest via unanimous decision (29-28 from all three judges).

It makes a lot of sense that White would go the extra mile for Lauzon when you consider that J-Lau has a record 12 Fight Night bonuses for stellar Octagon performances. The only man to share that distinction is UFC legend Anderson Silva.

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UFC on Fox 6: Ryan Bader vs Vladimir Matyushenko Head to Toe Breakdown

On Saturday night, Ryan Bader and Vladimir Matyushenko do battle on the preliminary card of UFC on Fox 6. Both fighters are trying to rebound from knockout losses at the hands of Lyoto Machida and Alexander Gustafsson respectively.The light heavyw…

On Saturday night, Ryan Bader and Vladimir Matyushenko do battle on the preliminary card of UFC on Fox 6. Both fighters are trying to rebound from knockout losses at the hands of Lyoto Machida and Alexander Gustafsson respectively.

The light heavyweight affair is an important battle for both men. If Ryan Bader is unsuccessful, it will be his fourth loss in only six fights.

Likewise, Matyushenko needs this win to prevent the first losing streak of his career. While that may not seem like a big deal, if the Belarusian fighter takes losses in consecutive fights at the age of 42, he can essentially walk himself into the retirement home.

Here is a Head-To-Toe Breakdown of one of the most intriguing fights on Saturday’s Fox event.

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25 Random MMA Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

Hardcore MMA fans know their sport, but no one knows everything. In a world of obscure-yet-awesome trivia, new fun facts emerge every day.Who named his son Thor? Which UFC Hall of Famer has an accounting degree? Which UFC veteran gave his own moth…

Hardcore MMA fans know their sport, but no one knows everything. In a world of obscure-yet-awesome trivia, new fun facts emerge every day.

Who named his son Thor? Which UFC Hall of Famer has an accounting degree? Which UFC veteran gave his own mother an STD? The answer to these questions and more can be found ahead.

Here is a look at 25 random facts about MMA that you probably didn’t know. They are presented in no particular order, however who doesn’t love a good countdown?

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Dan Hardy Says Most Elite MMA Fighters Are Using PEDs

With the recent confession of cycling legend Lance Armstrong, the sports world is going nuts while debating the topic of performance-enhancing drugs.On Monday, UFC fighter Dan Hardy turned to Twitter and calmly acknowledged the rampant use of cheating …

With the recent confession of cycling legend Lance Armstrong, the sports world is going nuts while debating the topic of performance-enhancing drugs.

On Monday, UFC fighter Dan Hardy turned to Twitter and calmly acknowledged the rampant use of cheating in mixed martial arts.

 

 

The popular Brit doesn’t seem terribly concerned by the epidemic, as he continually fielded questions on the subject. “The Outlaw” even stated that he knows several of his previous opponents have been on the juice.

 

 

While some fighters like Roy Nelson and BJ Penn believe that voluntary anti-doping testing could potentially save the sport, Hardy doesn’t seem to be convinced that it does any good.

 

 

Hardy did take time to acknowledge that some fighters who utilize controversial testosterone replacement therapy allowances truly need it. However, he mixes no words when pointing out that others use it without any necessity.

 

 

Currently, Hardy is scheduled to meet Matt Brown at the upcoming UFC on Fox 7 in April. He hopes to improve upon a two-fight winning streak that saw his arm raised against Amir Sadollah and Duane Ludwig in 2012.

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‘Minotouro’ Nogueira: UFC 156 Fight with Rashad Evans Is All About Respect

In the world of mixed martial arts, the action in the cage can occasionally be bland when compared to the copious amount of trash talk that precedes it. When talking about UFC 156’s co-main event between Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, that …

In the world of mixed martial arts, the action in the cage can occasionally be bland when compared to the copious amount of trash talk that precedes it. When talking about UFC 156‘s co-main event between Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, that certainly will not be the case.

Nogueira is a proud Brazilian who became a world-ranked fighter with wins over the likes of Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem and Tito Ortiz. Not only is he beloved by fans, but he’s respected by his peers. 

After the announcement that he would meet Nogueira, Evans was quick to praise his opponent. In an interview with MMACanadaTV (via SB Nation), Evans offered commendation:

He has good stand up. His boxing is pretty good, one of the best in the weight class. Also his ground, he has a really good ground game so I gotta be aware of the ground.

During Monday’s media call to promote UFC 156, Nogueira was thrilled to hear about the surprising praise coming from the usually sharp-tongued Evans. Through translator Ed Soares, Nogueira expressed his joy.

“It makes [me] very happy to hear Rashad say those things.” said Nogueira. “He is a former champion and [I have] a lot of respect for him too.”

Although Nogueira hit a two-fight skid, he rebounded in his most recent fight with a first-round TKO over Tito Ortiz. If he can continue that momentum by upsetting another former champion like Evans, the former Pride star will prove that he still has what it takes to compete with the best in the world.


Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for previews, live coverage and post-fight analysis for the event.

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