Tito Ortiz is widely regarded as one of the great light-heavyweights in UFC history, and he thinks he would’ve given Jon Jones some issues when both men were in their primes.
In an interview with Sports Matters’ Jerry Coughlan, Ortiz was asked for a prediction for a fight between the two legends in their primes and predicted a split-decision victory.
Ortiz’s final fight in his tenure in the UFC came just months before Jones submitted Vitor Belfort at UFC 152. Ortiz suffered a unanimous decision loss that year to Forrest Griffin at UFC 148.
“What-if” scenarios are nothing new for fight fans and pundits alike. Jones has been the center of predictions involving UFC legends Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell and Ortiz.
‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ went into greater detail in late 2019 in an interview with TMZ Sports.
“You stay in that angle, the outside reach of him, you’ve got problems with him,” Ortiz said. “I push myself harder than I pushed myself through my whole career. I’m doing amazing. My mind is in the right place, my body is in the right place.”
Ortiz last competed at Combate Americas 51 against Alberto El Patron, earning a submission victory in the first round by rear-naked choke. Before that, he battled to a trilogy win over Liddell in an event hosted by Golden Boy Promotions.
After Ortiz defeated Chael Sonnen at Bellator 170, Jones took aim.
“That man better enjoy his JV Victory and stay in his lane, I’d make him look like a white belt,” Jones tweeted.
With Jones starting a new journey at heavyweight and the 46-year-old Ortiz retired from full-time competition, the matchup is seemingly nothing more than a talking point now. But there’s no doubt a fight between the two legends in their primes would’ve been extremely entertaining.
How do you think a Tito Ortiz-Jon Jones fight would’ve played out with both men in their primes?