Tito Ortiz defeated Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in what was labeled as one of the greatest upsets in MMA history. He appeared to be working his way back into the mix, and the world in general was stunned. A little over one week later, he accepts a fight on short notice to face No. 1 contender Rashad Evans, losing by way of TKO. Many say this was a major step back for Tito, but in all actuality, it hurt his stock in no way whatsoever.
Tito is one of the highest paid fighters in MMA today, and he wants to prove that he still has what it takes to be one of the best. Taking that fight with Rashad really showed that his heart is 100 percent back in the right place. That fight wasn’t about money for him, it was all about respect, and he earned a lot of that in his fight at 133.
So where does this loss put him?
Tito is a top 15-20 fighter at the moment, but in all truth, he may be a top 10-12 in the eyes of the UFC bosses. So who should he fight next?
Rich Franklin. Rich is coming off a loss against Forrest Griffin. Rich has been around the game for a long time and has defeated a who’s who list of competition. He told Dana White that he only wants to fight the best of the best because his career is coming to an end. Well, a fight with Tito would make total sense here. Both fighters are well rounded, with Tito having the advantage in the wrestling department. There is no telling how this fight would go down, but no matter what, it is guaranteed to be an entertaining war. So, that is the first fight that makes sense.
Another option would be Forrest Griffin 3. Forrest and Tito are a great fit for each other in the cage. The two have met twice before and both fights were a split decision, with each fighter having one win. The only way that this fight could happen is if Forrest loses in his rematch with Shogun. Forrest and Tito haven’t really evolved much since their last fight, but both appear to be in the best shape of their lives. Tito could use wrestling to his advantage, but on the ground, Forrest is the more superior grappler (his grappling is highly underrated). This fight would not only be very entertaining, but it would complete another legendary trilogy under the Zuffa banner.
In a way, those two fights are must sees when it comes to a Tito Ortiz fight. Tito has a couple of years left and probably three to six fights before he hangs up his gloves for good. When a fighter is in that stage of their career, nothing is better than to see them face another legend and add yet another memory to their legacy. Be on the lookout in the next couple of months, because there is a high chance that one of these fights will be made.
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