Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz (15-8-1) has his back against the wall come March 26th when he meets Antônio Rogério Nogueira in the headliner for UFC Fight Night: Ortiz vs. Nogueira (aka UFN 24). “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has lost three in a row and is 0-4-1 in his last five fights in the UFC. Another loss will certainly mean his dismissal from the promotion the five time defending champ helped build with his popularity.
Ortiz has battled a number of injuries to his back and neck for many years, which have greatly affected his ability to fight, but now the light-heavyweight say’s he’s ready to meet Nogueira and doesn’t feel he is ready to retire despite what UFC President Dana White thinks.
“I said, ‘You guys have got to give me a chance, man.’ Look at my last fights. I fought Forrest Griffin last year with a ruptured disk in my neck, and I still fought to a split decision. I come back a year later after neck surgery, and I fight a guy who’s on a five-fight win streak, and I lost a couple of takedowns. You guys think I should retire? It’s just crazy…I’m healthy for once. People don’t understand the injuries that I’ve gone through. I’ve had some serious, serious surgeries, and I went through some serious pain over the last seven years, and I fought through it. Now that I’m healthy and I feel good, I want to compete. I want to show the best I possibly can and fight the best guys possible.”
Ortiz was last inside of the octagon in October at UFC 121, losing a unanimous decision to Matt Hamill. Now he’ll meet Nogueira on March 26 at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington in what could be his last fight under the UFC banner.
HT: MMAjunkie.com