It is 1:10 p.m. in a banquet room of this San Diego Dave & Busters. Outside, throngs of fans play Skeeball and shoot hoops and play video games that are far larger and brighter than the arcade games of my youth.
At the front of the room, Tito Ortiz sits, alone, at a long table that will soon play host to most of the main card competitors for Saturday’s Bellator 131 event. Ortiz is wearing sunglasses indoors. He has headphones jammed deep in his ear canals, and I imagine he is playing Angry Birds or perhaps Star Wars Commander. Perhaps he is thinking about Stephan Bonnar, his opponent for Saturday night.
Or perhaps he is thinking of nothing at all.
Ortiz has arrived an hour early for the press conference. This, especially the part where it is taking place in a Dave & Busters, has a distinct Strikeforce feel. Because this is where Strikeforce used to run its events. And now that Scott Coker is in charge of the Bellator traveling circus, it is back to the D&B, where good times are had by all.
The new Bellator does feel like the old Strikeforce. This is not a bad thing. The old Bellator felt like there was a bit of an iron curtain at the helm, and there was, except the iron curtain was named Bjorn Rebney.
The new Bellator? It has a California vibe, all laid back and relaxed and whatnot. The corporate culture presented by Viacom is hidden away in the background. Everyone is affable and approachable.
Ortiz, he of the enormous planet-sized watch, takes photos with fans and military members who approach the stage. These things would never fly at other events.
An hour after Ortiz sits alone on the stage, the rest of the Bellator 131 competitors take their places. This includes Bonnar, who either hates Ortiz with a passion or is pretending to hate Ortiz with a passion. For Bonnar, the animosity might not be real because it does not feel real.
But looking at Ortiz sitting three feet away from me, grinding his teeth while Bonnar grins at him? It is difficult to imagine Ortiz being a willing pawn in Bonnar‘s goofy game.
Regardless of Ortiz and Bonnar and whether they like each other or they are playing this all up for the camera, it is a reality that Saturday’s event on Spike TV will be must-see. They’re competing against a UFC pay-per-view, sure, but that UFC pay-per-view is decimated by the loss of Cain Velasquez.
Spike officials told me they are excited about the prospects of this card, which is the first “tentpole” event under Coker‘s regime. They have more time to promote events, since they aren’t running every single week on a Friday night. And they can target casual fans with fights like Ortiz vs. Bonnar, which has zero hardcore fan appeal but still generates interest with casual fight fans.
Coker kicks off the press conference. The first question is whether Ortiz sent a spy to embed in Bonnar‘s camp, as Ortiz has alleged in recent days. Ortiz answers the question, I think. I’m not quite certain what he’s saying, but I know he talks about the Art of War and loyalty and money.
Bonnar has a pre-made answer ready to go, and it is a simpler one.
“He is talking out of his ass, which is located on his neck,” Bonnar says. “Everything he said is a b******t lie. I can’t stand the prick. He’s a selfish prick. He’s a joke.”
Ortiz fires back with an old standby classic, the one that helped him make his name.
“Stephanie Bonnar will be my b***h,” Ortiz stops. “This guy talked about my family. He’s only known for getting his ass kicked in the cage.”
He leans back, off the microphone. And then he realizes he has more to say.
“Man, f**k this guy,” Ortiz says.
Bonnar turns to glare at him, and Ortiz goes back to grinding his teeth. All the while, “King” Mo Lawal grins, having the time of his life. He is also eating chocolate bars from a large Dave & Busters cup. Needless to say, Lawal has no weighty issues on his mind for this week, and he’s here simply to enjoy the festivities with Ortiz and Bonnar.
And that’s the thing about this Bellator event that’s so enjoyable: It is festive. I don’t know if Bonnar and Ortiz hate each other. I don’t know why Justin McCully was wearing a mask in the now-infamous brawl on Spike TV when the fight was first announced. And I don’t know why McCully is still wearing a mask in San Diego this week. He already unmasked; what is the point of putting the mask back on?
It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t have to make sense, though, because it’s different.
And given the glut of mixed martial arts events we must endure these days, it is notable when something stands out.
Even when the something that stands out is as hokey as the day is long.
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