Love him or hate him, Tito Ortiz has forever etched his name in MMA history.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion will step into the Octagon for the final time on July 7, which should serve as the end of an era.
For years, Ortiz, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell have been seen as the modern day pioneers of the UFC. With Couture and Liddell already enjoying post-UFC endeavors, Ortiz will be the last of the three to finally hang up the gloves.
He recently spoke with GroundandPoundTV about his final fight in the UFC and how he hopes to remembered.
“This year, my last fight in the UFC, yep, my last fight in the UFC, I want to take it seriously and make sure I get the most out of it. I’m fighting Forrest Griffin. I won the first one, and he won the second one, so we’re gonna do it for a trilogy, and I’m gonna get my hand raised.”
The Ortiz and Griffin rivalry began back in April 2006. Ortiz returned after over a year’s hiatus and earned a split decision over the Season 1 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Griffin would return the favor nearly a year later at UFC 106, where he also won by split decision.
Ortiz hopes to end his career in spectacular fashion, but after everything he’s done in the sport, he feels that he really doesn’t have anything left to prove.
“There’s nothing I need to prove in the UFC anymore. I’m the longest light heavyweight champion in history. Jon Jones may beat that, and if he does beat it, he’s a good guy and I would like him to beat the record, but I don’t think he will. I’ve done everything underneath the sun in Mixed Martial Arts.
I’ve been an ambassador of the sport to bringing it across the world, and I’ve fought the most consecutive bouts in the UFC. I’ve been competing longer than any UFC fighter, and it’s time to say enough’s enough, and I’m ready for it. I’m ready to go onto other things in my life in the business stuff.”
Ortiz has always been a controversial figure in the sport, but it’s hard to disagree with him going down as an all-time great.
Along with Couture, Liddell, Dana White and the Fertitta brothers, Ortiz deserves a healthy portion of the credit for the UFC growing into what it is today.
“There’s a few people that don’t give me the respect that I think I deserve, but there’s a lot of fans who give me a lot of respect. Of course the people who follow me on Twitter @TitoOrtiz, and you can just hear them, the way they talk about me. ‘I’m a legend, I’m an icon of the sport.’ Boxing had Muhammad Ali, professional wrestling had Hulk Hogan and Mixed Martial Arts has Tito Ortiz.”
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