Despite the relatively short history of modern mixed martial arts there have been many crucial points at which the fate of the sport—as well as the fate of the athletes within the sport—was decided.From events taking place before the UFC wa…
Despite the relatively short history of modern mixed martial arts there have been many crucial points at which the fate of the sport—as well as the fate of the athletes within the sport—was decided.
From events taking place before the UFC was created up until more modern times, there have always been junctions where the swelling popularity of MMA could have taken a turn for the worse or been catapulted even further into popularity or some other calamitous/favorable could have happened.
What are these “what if” moments embedded throughout MMA history? What alternate reality would have unfolded if the historical choices/circumstances did not occur?
(The exact moment Tito’s fighting career jumped the shark.)
It’s amazing that with the UFC’s longtime policy of cutting fighters who lose three fights in a row, that Tito Ortiz, who is 0-3-1 in his past four fights hasn’t been fired yet. One would assume that “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was being kept around because of his past merits and pay-per-view sales, but apparently his job isn’t as secure as we assumed.
According to Ortiz, the UFC was ready to let him go after his UFC 121 loss to Matt Hamill, but instead urged the former UFC light heavyweight champion to follow in the footsteps of longtime nemesis Chuck Liddell and retire to save them the trouble of sending him to the unemployment line. Tito says he basically begged Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for one more kick at the cat and they begrudgingly agreed, throwing him in against a young lion in Ryan Bader at UFC 132.
“Dana White and Joe Silva [the UFC’s matchmaker] told me they wanted me to retire, but I knew I still had the fight inside me. I pretty much begged for my job, to show how much I want to fight, but I still have it in my heart to compete, to fight,” he told the UK Telegraph. I told them I want to still fight against the top guys, I want to put on a show. I’ve just turned 36, but when they put me against the top guys, I think I can still compete.”
(The exact moment Tito’s fighting career jumped the shark.)
It’s amazing that with the UFC’s longtime policy of cutting fighters who lose three fights in a row, that Tito Ortiz, who is 0-3-1 in his past four fights hasn’t been fired yet. One would assume that “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was being kept around because of his past merits and pay-per-view sales, but apparently his job isn’t as secure as we assumed.
According to Ortiz, the UFC was ready to let him go after his UFC 121 loss to Matt Hamill, but instead urged the former UFC light heavyweight champion to follow in the footsteps of longtime nemesis Chuck Liddell and retire to save them the trouble of sending him to the unemployment line. Tito says he basically begged Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for one more kick at the cat and they begrudgingly agreed, throwing him in against a young lion in Ryan Bader at UFC 132.
“Dana White and Joe Silva [the UFC’s matchmaker] told me they wanted me to retire, but I knew I still had the fight inside me. I pretty much begged for my job, to show how much I want to fight, but I still have it in my heart to compete, to fight,” he told the UK Telegraph. I told them I want to still fight against the top guys, I want to put on a show. I’ve just turned 36, but when they put me against the top guys, I think I can still compete.”
Ortiz feels that his record, that hasn’t seen a win added to the win column in nearly five years is deceiving, because he came close to winning against a few of the guys who beat him the past few years.
“Too bad people don’t pay attention to the major details. I’ve competed against the top guys and gone on to win world championships. I’m not getting submitted or knocked out…I’m making little mistakes where I should be submitting guys. I thought I beat Forrest Griffin 2 to 1 the second time. But it was what it was.”
Unfortunately for Ortiz, close only matters when you’re talking horseshoes, curling or hand grenades and this is fighting where constantly telling people you could have won your fights or that you were robbed makes you look like an excuse maker. He recalls that when he lost the fight to Hamill and he received the call to retire from the UFC he figured he would be seeing Ashton Kutcher burst through the door a moment later, but then reality set in that it was no joke.
“The UFC called me after that fight and said ‘we want you to retire’. I was shocked, I thought they were kidding around. I took it as they didn’t want to pay me, to give me what I’m worth. I’m competing against the top guys and I’m not getting dominated. So, next month, I’ll be fighting one of the top guys in the world again, ranked in the top 3, and I’m going to show how much I’m really worth.”
So if he gets manhandled by Bader like he did by Hamill, does that mean the UFC can give him a Costco gift certificate and a can of Xyience?
UFC 132: Tito Ortiz Begged for Fight Against Ryan Bader After Asked to Retire by UFCBleacher Report’s Patrick Drottar:In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, if a fighter’s losses begin to pile up, he will most likely be shown the door.For most fighters…
UFC 132: Tito Ortiz Begged for Fight Against Ryan Bader After Asked to Retire by UFC
Bleacher Report’s Patrick Drottar:
In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, if a fighter’s losses begin to pile up, he will most likely be shown the door.
For most fighters, three losses is enough to earn you a pink slip and a spot in the unemployment line.
However, this is not the case for former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
Ortiz, clearly past his prime, has not won any of his previous five fights. His last victory came back in October of 2006 when he defeated Ken Shamrock to end their bitter rivalry.
Four of those five fights came against fighters who would wear UFC gold at one point in their career in Rashad Evans, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, and Forrest Griffin.
Only Liddell has the privilege of saying he finished the Huntington Beach Bad Boy.
Ortiz’s most recent fight was against collegiate wrestler and student of his Matt Hamill at UFC 121.
This was a fight that Ortiz could have won. However, he underestimated Hamill’s wrestling skills, which lead to an underwhelming performance on Ortiz’s part and another unanimous decision loss.
According to ESPN.com, after the fight, Ortiz was asked to call it quits.
“The UFC called me after that fight and said ‘we want you to retire’. I was shocked,” said Ortiz.
In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, if a fighter’s losses begin to pile up, he will most likely be shown the door. For most fighters, three losses is enough to earn you a pink slip and a spot in the unemployment line. However, this is not the case f…
In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, if a fighter’s losses begin to pile up, he will most likely be shown the door.
For most fighters, three losses is enough to earn you a pink slip and a spot in the unemployment line.
However, this is not the case for former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
Ortiz, clearly past his prime, has not won any of his previous five fights. His last victory came back in October of 2006 when he defeated Ken Shamrock to end their bitter rivalry.
Four of those five fights came against fighters who would wear UFC gold at one point in their career in Rashad Evans, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, and Forrest Griffin.
Only Liddell has the privilege of saying he finished the Huntington Beach Bad Boy.
Ortiz’s most recent fight was against collegiate wrestler and student of his Matt Hamill at UFC 121.
This was a fight that Ortiz could have won. However, he underestimated Hamill’s wrestling skills, which lead to an underwhelming performance on Ortiz’s part and another unanimous decision loss.
According to ESPN.com, after the fight, Ortiz was asked to call it quits.
“The UFC called me after that fight and said ‘we want you to retire’. I was shocked,” said Ortiz.
“I thought they were kidding around. I took it as they didn’t want to pay me, to give me what I’m worth.”
Ortiz would go on to say that he pleaded with both UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and president Dana White for one more chance to show that he was healthy and could still compete at the highest level.
“I pretty much begged for my job, to show how much I want to fight, but I still have it in my heart to compete, to fight. I told them I want to still fight against the top guys, I want to put on a show.”
As mentioned earlier, Ortiz has battled with some of the top fighters in the light heavyweight division and to his credit, he has not been dominated.
But, a fighter who hasn’t won in almost five years and is still employed with the UFC is unheard of in the fight world.
Ortiz has been one of the main reason’s for the UFC’s growth over the years as a sport, but a legend status can only go so far, just ask Chuck Liddell.
Dana White has stated several times that a loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 132 will spell the end of the line for the 36-year old former champ.
With so much on the line, Ortiz seems ready to go.
“Next month I’ll be fighting one of the top guys in the world again, ranked in the top three, and I’m going to show how much I’m really worth. I’ve put in a great eight weeks in camp for Ryan Bader. I’m healthy and ready to compete.”
UFC 132 Fight Card: Champ Dominick Cruz Talks Feud with Urijah FaberBleacher Report’s Michael Evans:MMAweekly.com reported on the feud between Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz. The two men met in the WEC years ago when Cruz was only 21 years old.&…
MMAweekly.com reported on the feud between Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz. The two men met in the WEC years ago when Cruz was only 21 years old. The fight was for Faber’s 145-pound world title, which he retained by defeating Cruz. This was the only loss in Dominic Cruz’s career, and since then he has won all of his fights at bantamweight (135 pounds).
On July 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Cruz and Faber rematch. However, at UFC 132, Dominick Cruz is the champion, and Urijah Faber is the challenger. Both men are very aware of the role reversal and the champion is ready to prove he can beat Faber.
Mixed martial arts has always been a sport full of interesting and entertaining showmen. Last night in Strikeforce’s Overeem vs. Werdum fight card, we got a chance to see one of those personalities shine when one of the sport’s all-time leg…
Mixed martial arts has always been a sport full of interesting and entertaining showmen. Last night in Strikeforce’s Overeem vs. Werdum fight card, we got a chance to see one of those personalities shine when one of the sport’s all-time legends, Josh Barnett, defeated Brett Rogers in the quarterfinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament.
Barnett owned the fight from the opening bell to the final stoppage, but it was his antics after the fight that may be remembered most by some fans.
While most fighters just stand in the cage after their fights and uncomfortably respond to usually-pointless questions from the person interviewing them, Josh Barnett snatched the microphone from Gus Johnson and began to cut a pro wrestling-like promo.
It was an entertaining finish to an already impressive performance in the cage for the “Baby-faced Assassin.”
But Barnett isn’t alone as being one of the best showmen in the sport. Here are 15 of the best showmen in mixed martial arts today.
