Ortiz Fighting Championship?

by Mike Fagan on Jun 2, 2008 2:42 PM EDT

There was an interesting little nugget in this Boston Herald article about Tito Ortiz's future (bolding emphasis mine):

The big question is which organization. Ortiz plans to check out the debut show of new mixed martial arts promoter Affliction in July. Elite XC, which staged the first major network MMA broadcast last night on CBS, is also an option. But Ortiz says he’s "65 percent" sure that he’ll begin his own MMA organization.

"When I was in the UFC, they talked so much about how I wanted to get out of it and how I wanted to stop fighting," Ortiz said. "It was a bunch of baloney. I still see 3-4 more years of competition left (in me) and I want to build. I want to make a (rival) company neck and neck with the UFC. I think it’s going to be about taking care of the fighters and that’s what I’m going to do."

If Ortiz does start his own promotion, I will be most interested to see how much he compensates the fighters. Will he live up to his talk or will he find out how much the UFC puts up for each card?

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Comments

LOL…this will never happen.

by Tha Realness on Jun 2, 2008 2:46 PM EDT reply actions

Tito is just talking sh*t… I doubt he has someone that wants to lose a ton of money for the next 5 years.

by Nick Thomas on Jun 2, 2008 3:00 PM EDT reply actions

I agree with Dana

Tito is not smart. How could he just blindly state he is starting a promotion from scratch that will rival the UFC. I think he has a concussion from Machida kicking his fat head to many times.
We all know he will end up back at the UFC, this is all just really bad posturing on his part. Dana must be laughing his a$$ off.

by strictlymma.com on Jun 2, 2008 3:26 PM EDT reply actions

Damn dude

Take it easy on Ortiz a little. He isn’t THAT bad.

by Luke Thomas on Jun 2, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I am a fan

I actually like the guy, but he says some really….....suspect…....things sometimes. That was a nicer way of stating what I meant. Is that better? ;)

by strictlymma.com on Jun 2, 2008 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, Tito isn’t smart.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 2, 2008 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually Tito has won me over. I hated him when he first entered UFC. But though not brilliant, he isn’t “the stupidest person on the face of the planet” as that thug Dana claims.

I think they call that signaling to investors. (Though 65%, Tito? Not 60% or 70%? Mmmokay.) I could see him doing “Legends Gym” kind of thing. Or maybe he invested well and is stupidly rich now. Money talks.

I did laugh my ass off that the title of his book he is promoting warns the readers: “This is Gonna Hurt”. Only to those of us that love the English language, I’m sure. Kidding, kidding.

He’s well rid of Dana; I wish him luck.

by swarmofkillermonkeys on Jun 2, 2008 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Hahaha...

That would be great. All of a sudden Tito having to realize the realities of RUNNING a business.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like hard work." -- Thomas Edison

by Brent Brookhouse on Jun 2, 2008 3:28 PM EDT reply actions

What about Punishment Athletics?

It’s a big difference in scale, yeah, but he is a successful businessman, so I don’t think he’s a total idiot, even if he sometimes sounds like one in interviews.

by thetakeover on Jun 2, 2008 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Good catch...

I meant “running a promotion” when I typed that. In that you can’t just pay the fighters every cent of profit you make….it doesn’t work like that.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like hard work." -- Thomas Edison

by Brent Brookhouse on Jun 2, 2008 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I predicted he might take this avenue. But most MMA fans have a rigid perception of how the promotions work and might not quite see the rationale here. Whats stopping Ortiz from pursuing a big name to fight as the main event on a Tito Ortiz-produced card, then contracting a solid promoter like Strikeforce to co-produce the undercard? He goes down, sell out the Pavilion in San Jose for them, and brings tons of exposure and possibly big partnerships for advertising and TV. Its very much within the realm of possibility now.

by smoogy on Jun 2, 2008 3:40 PM EDT reply actions

If Tito were to start his own company do you think he would be able to get anybody from the UFC to go over to his?

by The Legend on Jun 2, 2008 3:41 PM EDT reply actions

Gina Carano vs. Jenna Jameson

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like hard work." -- Thomas Edison

by Brent Brookhouse on Jun 2, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

No

Unless Dana cut them.

by Tha Realness on Jun 2, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m curious to see who he’ll sign, really. I don’t think there are many big names left out there who would choose him over Affliction and etc other promotions.

Why won’t he just sign with EXC/Strikeforce? Goes right along with his plan to fight one of the Shamrocks.

by Gong on Jun 2, 2008 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

I'm sure in the end he will...

I think it’d be smarter for him to say that he is interested in managing/promoting FIGHTERS rather than a promotion of his own. That would make a lot more sense to me.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like hard work." -- Thomas Edison

by Brent Brookhouse on Jun 2, 2008 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Financially backed by Jenna Jameson’s back.

"They said you was hung!!"

"And they was RIGHT!"

by BJJDenver on Jun 2, 2008 6:17 PM EDT reply actions

Who’s he gonna get to back his promotion? Donald Trump? Trump thought Tito won against Machida even though Tito didn’t land anything. C’mon. What a joke.

by pud333 on Jun 2, 2008 6:46 PM EDT reply actions

You know what..

This would be the most desireable outcome for the UFC. Tito wouldn’t perform for an existing competitor and would instead create an even thinner distribution of the mostly second-tier fighters that aren’t in the UFC. Bad idea, Tito.

And yeah, SoKM, that’s probably pretty accurate about his book. Did you see his interview on ESPN the weekend of 84? “Speaking the words that I speak”. Just painful..

by Blackout612 on Jun 3, 2008 12:24 AM EDT reply actions