UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz swears his upcoming grudge match with Stephan Bonnar is unlike any other he’s encountered in his 29-fight career due to the utter disdain he has for The American Psycho.
In a brief video interview with MMA Junkie, the self-proclaimed People’s Champion slammed Bonnar, a fellow UFC Hall of Famer, saying he’s done nothing for the sport of mixed martial arts: “I take it very personally, and I can’t just let it slide by. This guy wants to come out of retirement and fight me? He got his wish. He’s a fake. He’s a phony. The guy’s a joke, and he’s an embarrassment to the sport.”
Bonnar, best known for his epic Ultimate Fighter finale brawl with Forrest Griffin back in April 2005, and Ortiz square off at Bellator 131 on November 15.
The contest marks the first time Bonnar will step inside the cage since a lopsided TKO loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 153 in October 2012.
Ortiz briefly retired after a close decision loss to Griffin at UFC 148 in July 2012, but eventually, he returned to the cage when Bellator signed him last July.
Despite an atrocious 1-7-1 record in his past nine fights, Ortiz looked like a new man when he fought then-Bellator middleweight champ Alexander Shlemenko in a light heavyweight matchup in May.
Ortiz had no problem getting the fight to the mat, where Shlemenko looked like a fish out of water, before his American counterpart locked up an arm-triangle choke.
Ortiz vs. Bonnar headlines Bellator 131, which takes place at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, and the card also features a lightweight title clash between Michael Chandler and Will Brooks.
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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