Tito Ortiz and Albert Del Rio sat down the MMA Mania’s Matt Ryan for a 30 minute interview to talk about their upcoming PPV bout for Combate, as well as their UFC & WWE legacies, as well as their beliefs and politics.
Combate Americas is taking a shot at the PPV business. The “premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts sports franchise” initially made headlines back in July with the signing of former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, for a fight against former WWE champion and PRIDE competitor Alberto Del Rio. And more recently finalized the bout for a $30 PPV event this December at the Payne Arena, in Hidalgo, TX.
Del Rio, also known by his in ring names of Alberto El Patron in the WWE and Dos Caras Jr. in MMA, put together a pro record of 9-5 during his nine-year MMA career—which ended in 2010 after a string of low profile regional bouts, following losses to CroCop and Kazuhiro Nakamura in Japan. However, in a recent sit down interview, where he and Ortiz spoke to MMA Mania’s Matt Ryan at length, Del Rio explained just why he was jumping back into the cage after almost a decade away.
“I can not make any predictions right now, because this is MMA, anything can happen,” Del Rio responded, when asked how the fight would go. “You can win in the first round, second round, third round—submission or knockout. But, I’m 100% sure I’m winning this thing. Like I’ve been saying to everybody, I’m not going to let my family down, my people down, and my self down. I’m doing this for the right reasons, I’m doing this for the right people.
“It’s not just for me,” he continued. “My dad – mi jefe, mi jefecito – my dad asked my, ‘Why are you doing this? Alberto, I just want to know if you’re fucking doing this for the right reasons. Because you know you have nothing to prove to the world. You have accomplished everything you wanted.’ And I said, ‘No no no, I have something to prove.’ And his face changed completely. He was about to be mad at me, and I said, ‘Oh no, I have something to prove… TO MYSELF! To myself, and to my children; to prove to myself that I’m still that amazing athlete, that amazing man, and to show my children that ‘Daddy’s a fucking super hero!’”
If it seemed, however, that Del Rio may have been laying it on a little thick, Tito Ortiz certainly didn’t sound impressed with his opponent’s emotionally-charged promo. In fact, Ortiz was so confident in his victory, that he announced he’d be willing to pony up $50k if Del Rio makes it out of round 1, never mind winning.
“My retort is, this doesn’t get past the first round,” Ortiz said, examining some dirt under his nails. “And I guarantee you ain’t get past the first round. Alberto’s never fought anybody like me. Nobody that’s beat him has ever fought anybody like me. I’m a former world champion for a reason. I’ve been fighting in this game of mixed martial arts for a reason. Alberto Del Rio, if you make it to the second round, I’ll donate $50,000 to whatever children’s charity you choose for. If you can make it to the second round.”
Combate: Hidalgo takes place on December 7th. So far, the bout between Del Rio and Ortiz is the only fight announced for the card. As an added incentive, Ortiz and Del Rio have both announced they’ll be putting their respective belts on the line. If Ortiz wins, he walks out with Del Rio’s WWE title around his waist. And if Del Rio wins, he’ll take Tito Ortiz’s UFC belt home with him. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and updates as the event nears.