Tito Ortiz has endured an interesting year so far.
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” earned his first win in six years against Ryan Bader at UFC 132, before dropping a bout to Rashad Evans three weeks later at UFC 133. Ortiz will now look to finish off his year with a victory over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira next weekend when the two light heavyweights meet at UFC 140.
While participating in a UFC 140 media conference call, Ortiz spoke about his upcoming bout with the Brazilian and he didn’t have any complaints regarding any nagging injuries or health issues. Ortiz appeared to be in a good spirits and is happy to be apart of the second event hosted in Toronto.
“I’m very excited to fight in front of the Canadian fans and put on my skills and get my hands raised,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz will make his 26th appearance inside the Octagon next weekend and he feels like he can still compete and remain relevant in one of the deepest divisions in the sport.
At 36-years-old, however, Ortiz’s best days appear to be behind him but that won’t prevent him from entertaining fans and putting on a good performance. Ortiz’s recurring injuries have certainly slowed down his mobility and prevented him from being consistent at 205 pounds.
In preparation for his bout against Nogueira, Ortiz spoke highly of his training camp and credits his training partners and doctor’s for helping him remaining active at this stage of his career.
“Being healthy is great. Being able to battle and train like I used to train when I didn’t have any injuries,” he said. “My wrestling is snapping now and it’s easier to get the single, double legs and body locks that put my neck in jeopardy. I’ve been in this game almost 15 years now and my body has taken some damage.”
UFC 140 is scheduled for December 10, live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Mike Hodges is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise stated, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
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