It’s no big secret: no one needs win at UFC 132 worse than Tito Ortiz. Then again, we said the same thing at UFC 121. He lost a decision there and managed to hold on to his job by the follicles of his bleached blonde hair, so we already know that the normal rules don’t quite apply to him.
But this time, Dana White swears, this time he’s really on the chopping block. Do we believe him? Well, after the tired look on his face when discussing his most recent Tito headache with Ariel Helwani yesterday, it’s kind of hard not to.
Ortiz isn’t the only one who can’t afford to post another L on his record this Saturday night, however. For a look at the fighters who really need to win to stay employed, follow me below.
Tito Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Ryan Bader Why he’s in danger: Come on, you know why. As Dana White pointed out on Thursday, Ortiz doesn’t have a win since 2006. As White put it: “Dude, it’s 2011. He’s got to win.” Really, the fact that he has made it this long is a miracle, or at least a testament to the power of charisma and name recognition. Ortiz is 0-4-1 in his last five fights. The last man he beat? Ken freaking Shamrock. If Ortiz were anybody else, he’d be long gone from the UFC by now. The irony is that, while it’s his Tito-ness that’s helped him stick around, it’s also his Tito-ness that has made him White’s least favorite employee. They could find a way to work together when Ortiz was still a money-maker, but the more he loses, the less people want to see him. Now he finds himself in a must-win against Bader, who is, honestly, a pretty tough style match-up for him at this point. It’s almost as if the UFC is trying to hasten his exit — and maybe it’s finally time for him to go. Odds of getting cut: even. Let’s face it, Ortiz is probably going to lose this fight. And if he does, he’s certainly getting fired, or so says White. Do the math yourself. Remember to show your work.
Aaron Simpson (8-2, 4-2 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Brad Tavares Why he’s in danger: For Simpson, the problem is not so much a parade of losses as it is a couple defeats matched with a few less than inspiring wins. He has a couple of exciting fights on his record — a split decision win over Tom Lawlor, a TKO loss to Chris Leben — but when he has it his way, he typically prefers to put his wrestling skills to work and grind one out. We all know how the UFC feels about that approach, so the question is, if he loses to the undefeated Tavares, will that be reason enough to send him on his merry way? Odds of getting cut: 4-1. Don’t get me wrong, Simpson needs this win. Another loss and he’ll drop to 1-3 in his last four. But unless he looks absolutely awful, he should be able to pull the old ‘Please baby, give me one more chance’ and keep his job.
Andre Winner (11-5-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Anthony Njokuani Why he’s in danger: One more loss and Winner will have the dreaded three-fight losing streak on his hands. I know, the last one was in a bizarre way kind of, sort of not his fault in many people’s eyes, since he got trapped against the fence by Nik Lentz for three boring rounds. Still, if you can stop a guy from doing that to you, how much of a future do you really have in the UFC? It’s sad, too, because Winner once had so much promise. He was a real blue-chipper on TUF, then lost the finale and has been up and down ever since. If he’s going to make his case as a legitimate UFC lightweight, he’s got to do it now. The question is, can he? Odds of getting cut: 2-1. This is a winnable fight, but by no means an easy one. At least Winner knows Njokuani won’t try to stall him in a clinch, which is a start.
Anthony Njokuani (13-5-1, 0-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting: Andre Winner Why he’s in danger: Njokuani ended his WEC run with a 1-2 stint, then rolled right into the UFC with a decision loss. Fortunately for him, that loss came in a thrilling effort that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. If you have to lose in the UFC, that’s definitely the way you want to do it. Then again, a loss is still a loss, and you don’t want to make a habit out of it. Njokuani has earned himself some leeway because of his exciting fighting style, but he’s still after that elusive first UFC win. Even if he doesn’t get it against Winner, he’ll probably get one more chance to shine. Still, with a loss here the situation goes from troubling to desperate. Odds of getting cut: 5-1. His fight with Barboza earned him some goodwill with the UFC brass, so chances are he’s not going anywhere, win or lose. Probably still a good idea to win, though. Just saying.
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at UFC 132 worse than Tito Ortiz. Then again, we said the same thing at UFC 121. He lost a decision there and managed to hold on to his job by the follicles of his bleached blonde hair, so we already know that the normal rules don’t quite apply to him.
But this time, Dana White swears, this time he’s really on the chopping block. Do we believe him? Well, after the tired look on his face when discussing his most recent Tito headache with Ariel Helwani yesterday, it’s kind of hard not to.
Ortiz isn’t the only one who can’t afford to post another L on his record this Saturday night, however. For a look at the fighters who really need to win to stay employed, follow me below.
Tito Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Ryan Bader Why he’s in danger: Come on, you know why. As Dana White pointed out on Thursday, Ortiz doesn’t have a win since 2006. As White put it: “Dude, it’s 2011. He’s got to win.” Really, the fact that he has made it this long is a miracle, or at least a testament to the power of charisma and name recognition. Ortiz is 0-4-1 in his last five fights. The last man he beat? Ken freaking Shamrock. If Ortiz were anybody else, he’d be long gone from the UFC by now. The irony is that, while it’s his Tito-ness that’s helped him stick around, it’s also his Tito-ness that has made him White’s least favorite employee. They could find a way to work together when Ortiz was still a money-maker, but the more he loses, the less people want to see him. Now he finds himself in a must-win against Bader, who is, honestly, a pretty tough style match-up for him at this point. It’s almost as if the UFC is trying to hasten his exit — and maybe it’s finally time for him to go. Odds of getting cut: even. Let’s face it, Ortiz is probably going to lose this fight. And if he does, he’s certainly getting fired, or so says White. Do the math yourself. Remember to show your work.
Aaron Simpson (8-2, 4-2 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Brad Tavares Why he’s in danger: For Simpson, the problem is not so much a parade of losses as it is a couple defeats matched with a few less than inspiring wins. He has a couple of exciting fights on his record — a split decision win over Tom Lawlor, a TKO loss to Chris Leben — but when he has it his way, he typically prefers to put his wrestling skills to work and grind one out. We all know how the UFC feels about that approach, so the question is, if he loses to the undefeated Tavares, will that be reason enough to send him on his merry way? Odds of getting cut: 4-1. Don’t get me wrong, Simpson needs this win. Another loss and he’ll drop to 1-3 in his last four. But unless he looks absolutely awful, he should be able to pull the old ‘Please baby, give me one more chance’ and keep his job.
Andre Winner (11-5-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Anthony Njokuani Why he’s in danger: One more loss and Winner will have the dreaded three-fight losing streak on his hands. I know, the last one was in a bizarre way kind of, sort of not his fault in many people’s eyes, since he got trapped against the fence by Nik Lentz for three boring rounds. Still, if you can stop a guy from doing that to you, how much of a future do you really have in the UFC? It’s sad, too, because Winner once had so much promise. He was a real blue-chipper on TUF, then lost the finale and has been up and down ever since. If he’s going to make his case as a legitimate UFC lightweight, he’s got to do it now. The question is, can he? Odds of getting cut: 2-1. This is a winnable fight, but by no means an easy one. At least Winner knows Njokuani won’t try to stall him in a clinch, which is a start.
Anthony Njokuani (13-5-1, 0-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting: Andre Winner Why he’s in danger: Njokuani ended his WEC run with a 1-2 stint, then rolled right into the UFC with a decision loss. Fortunately for him, that loss came in a thrilling effort that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. If you have to lose in the UFC, that’s definitely the way you want to do it. Then again, a loss is still a loss, and you don’t want to make a habit out of it. Njokuani has earned himself some leeway because of his exciting fighting style, but he’s still after that elusive first UFC win. Even if he doesn’t get it against Winner, he’ll probably get one more chance to shine. Still, with a loss here the situation goes from troubling to desperate. Odds of getting cut: 5-1. His fight with Barboza earned him some goodwill with the UFC brass, so chances are he’s not going anywhere, win or lose. Probably still a good idea to win, though. Just saying.
It is no secret that Ryan Bader has been eager to square off against Tito Ortiz this weekend at UFC 132. The UFC light heavyweight prospect, who is coming off a loss to Jon Jones at UFC 126, will be looking to reenter contention and it wouldn’t be more…
It is no secret that Ryan Bader has been eager to square off against Tito Ortiz this weekend at UFC 132. The UFC light heavyweight prospect, who is coming off a loss to Jon Jones at UFC 126, will be looking to reenter contention and it wouldn’t be more fitting to earn the victory over a legend like Ortiz.
Bader spoke to Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting,com following the UFC 132 pre-fight press conference, and spoke highly of his opponent. Although “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has yet to win inside the Octagon since 2006, Bader expects Ortiz to put on a competitive fight against him and put on a good performance.
“I expect to face the best Tito Ortiz that’s ever came out and fought,” Bader said.
“A lot of people aren’t giving him the credit he deserves and I sure do, and I trained my butt off for this fight and I’m ready for the best Tito Ortiz that has ever come out.”
Bader is not only ready for Ortiz, but he is prepared for what Ortiz’s gameplan is. A gameplan that Bader seems to have figured out after reviewing some of his opponent’s past fights.
“In the first two minutes, he’s trying to bully you, trying to land punches, trying to maybe land a takedown, push you on the fence. I believe that’s gonna’ happen and I’m going to throw my hands at that point and he’s going to start tiring out a little bit,” he said of Ortiz.
UFC 132 is live this weekend, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Well, we can add Tito Ortiz’s name to the growing list of UFC fighters who have accused MMA Fighting reporter Ariel Helwani of starting shit in recent months.
During today’s UFC 132 press conference, Helwani asked Tito’s upcoming opponent Ryan Bader what he thought about Ortiz saying he had weak wrestling and before he had a chance to answer, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” interrupted to inform Ariel that he said no such thing.
In the interview we posted earlier today on the site, Ariel asked Tito if he saw any holes in Bader’s game that he was looking to exploit Saturday night, to which he replied, “His takedowns and his takedown defense,” before describing how he saw some holes in both areas that could leave openings for him to capitalize. He didn’t actually use the term “weak wrestling,” but he did point out that certain aspects of Bader’s wrestling game were lacking in his opinion.
“I never said he had weak wrestling. What are you starting shit for, dude? I never said that. I never said he had weak wrestling. I said I seen holes in his game, but I never said he had weak wrestling. Don’t be putting words in my mouth, dog.”
(Video courtesy of YouTube/IronForgesIron)
Well, we can add Tito Ortiz’s name to the growing list of UFC fighters who have accused MMA Fighting reporter Ariel Helwani of starting shit in recent months.
During today’s UFC 132 press conference, Helwani asked Tito’s upcoming opponent Ryan Bader what he thought about Ortiz saying he had weak wrestling and before he had a chance to answer, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” interrupted to inform Ariel that he said no such thing.
In the interview we posted earlier today on the site, Ariel asked Tito if he saw any holes in Bader’s game that he was looking to exploit Saturday night, to which he replied, “His takedowns and his takedown defense,” before describing how he saw some holes in both areas that could leave openings for him to capitalize. He didn’t actually use the term “weak wrestling,” but he did point out that certain aspects of Bader’s wrestling game were lacking in his opinion.
“I never said he had weak wrestling. What are you starting shit for, dude? I never said that. I never said he had weak wrestling. I said I seen holes in his game, but I never said he had weak wrestling. Don’t be putting words in my mouth, dog.”
Besides maybe over-generalizing Tito’s statements, Helwani didn’t do anything wrong and I’m sure it wasn’t a malicious or sinister oversight on his part, but it’s interesting to note the latest trend of fighters calling Ariel (who many consider the best interviewer in the business) a shit disturber, including Nick Diaz and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Ryan Bader and Tito Ortiz Have The Most Compelling Fight At UFC 132The main event of UFC 132 is the bantamweight championship fight between Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz, but the most intriguing fight is going to be between Ryan Bader and Tito Ortiz. …
Ryan Bader and Tito Ortiz Have The Most Compelling Fight At UFC 132
The main event of UFC 132 is the bantamweight championship fight between Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz, but the most intriguing fight is going to be between Ryan Bader and Tito Ortiz.
Ortiz is on his last legs in UFC and everyone knows it. He has not won a fight since 2006, compiling a record of 0-4-1 in his last five fights. There were reports that he was asked to retire following a loss to Matt Hamill at UFC 121.
Ortiz is one of the most fascinating characters in mixed martial arts thanks to the success that he used to have and his loud, confrontational personality.
But he is one loss away from being kicked to the curb by UFC, and Bader is a budding star looking to make a name for himself after the first loss of his career to Jon Jones in February.
This fight is summed up perfectly by Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports when he wrote this:
In all combat sports, there comes the day when the role of the old lion becomes to give the rub, as they say, to the new lion. That is one of two themes of this UFC 132 co-feature fight, the other being Ortiz battling to keep his UFC career from what is likely its ending without either a win or a hell of a performance going down to defeat.
Bader is a star on the rise. His star lost a little shine when he lost to Jon Jones at UFC 126, but he is still a major prospect in the light heavyweight division. He gets better with each performance, particularly his punching, which has come a long way over the last three years. He needs to prove that he is not going to let his first career loss linger with him for a long time after it has happened.
Ortiz is a star whose best days have clearly passed him by. He is still fighting top guys, which tells you that he isn’t afraid to challenge himself. But this is his last shot to prove what he has left to Dana White, the fans and himself. One more loss and he is (in all likelihood) going to be released.
When you put these two storylines together, you have the makings of one of the more dramatic fights that we will see in mixed martial arts this year.
Ortiz is going to give everything that he has to save his job. Bader will give everything he has in order to prove that he is still the hot prospect everyone believed him to be before the Jones fight.
This fight may not be the main event. It’s not the fight that is going to sell a ton of buys. But, aside from the championship fight, this bout has the most at stake for both combatants. For Ortiz, his job and livelihood is at risk. For Bader, he needs to bounce back from the first loss of his career if he wants to become a star.
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at UFC 132 worse than Tito Ortiz. Then again, we said the same thing at UFC 121. He lost a decision there and managed to hold on to his job by the follicles of his bleached blonde hair, so we already know that the normal rules don’t quite apply to him.
It is no secret that Ryan Bader has been eager to square off against