Tito Ortiz - Again

by mythbuster on Jan 3, 2009 11:59 AM EST

Tito Ortiz spoke with MMAJunkie.com about his surgery and his take on the recent fight with Lyoto Machida.

How he feels after the surgery:

"I'm excited to be 100 percent again," Ortiz said. "I'm about 40 percent right now, but I'm not as brittle as a glass house anymore. I'm starting to be able to move around a little more and not taking painkillers anymore is the biggest thing.

"I think I'm blessed, and I can't wait to be 100 percent back into physical shape where I'm able to compete and I'm able to train to where I once was before five years ago. It's been a while, since I lost to (Randy) Couture (in September 2003), that I was 100 percent. And a lot of fans don't really know that, but it was so serious that I had to get surgery."

How he feels about the loss to Lyoto Machida:

"I watched the Machida fight for the first time last night," Ortiz said. "Since competing in it, I haven't even watched the fight. I hate losses. It's like a loved one dying to me. That's how passionate I am about this sport.

"But I watched it, and [my performance] wasn't as bad as I thought it was. [Machida] ran the whole time, and it's kind of funny the whole time to watch (UFC announcers) Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan hype up how elusive he was -- which I thought was really strange. You can be praised upon being elusive and not fighting?

"And he was putting pressure? I understand how he was putting pressure if he was the one that was going forward the whole time. But it's showing how they can put the icing on the cake of someone who I think is afraid to fight."

...

"Machida won the fight fair and square," Ortiz said. "It was just really frustrating to watch a guy run away from me the whole time."

...

"Machida didn't bring it that night, but he did get a win," Ortiz said. "And I think it all played out to Zuffa's way of what they wanted to do with me. But I guess if you're going to lose a fight, lose it like that and not get knocked out.

And, of course:

"Everything happens for a reason in this world. I'm willing to continue my career."

I think it's time he moved to pro-Wrestling. It is my humble opinion that at this point in his career, he is better at being a heel than a fighter. But if he is right after his injury being that bad, and him at 100% now - who knows?

photo via via sharkspage.com

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Comments

Tito must be forgetting that nasty liver shot that Machida put him down with.

by kp the ghost on Jan 3, 2009 12:12 PM EST reply actions

Or being saved by the bell at the end of the first round when Machida tossed him on his ass and put him in the crucifix.

Still, I think Ortiz deserves a lot of credit for taking the fight with Machida.

by Jahbulon on Jan 3, 2009 12:24 PM EST up reply actions

Two types of machida people….

the fans… who only remember the 30 seconds of machida’s action and say he was “aggressive”." and thus post up all his gifs

and the haters, who only remember the other 14 .5 minutes of his fights lol

by dbcb on Jan 3, 2009 12:51 PM EST reply actions

I enjoyed all 15 minutes of that fight.

by who me on Jan 3, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions

Me too; but, if anyone found that fight boring, they should blame Tito.

by Jahbulon on Jan 3, 2009 1:32 PM EST up reply actions

It wasn't boring

I just watched it again on New Years Eve after watching Dynamite and Tito looked stunned and confused. Machida meticulously picked his spots to approach and damage and did so with surgical precision. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again; it’s not Machida’s responsibility to set Tito up for clean strikes— it’s his responsibility to avoid them. Who among us says he didn’t accomplish that? He dominated him and almost finished him several times. The only danger Tito ever posed was the triangle attempt at the end.

by Blackout612 on Jan 3, 2009 1:59 PM EST up reply actions

funny how the haters forgot how many times Tito got hit…seriously…

by banter on Jan 3, 2009 8:10 PM EST up reply actions

You know, sometimes, when a guy that you want to beat up is running, you chase him. Guess nobody told Tito. Or they did and it just rattled around in that fucking bucket he calls a head.

Maybe he was at like 150% or something the last time he actually finished a fight. June 2001. Elvis Sinosic. By cut.

by Derek Suboticki on Jan 3, 2009 1:42 PM EST reply actions

Staying outside of someone’s reach and then plugging away on them at will is hardly what I’d call running. But hey— to each their own, right?

by Blackout612 on Jan 3, 2009 2:03 PM EST up reply actions

Is this not including the two wins over Shamrock? While they are stoppages, picking on the elderly is just mean.

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by Scott C. Broussard on Jan 3, 2009 9:49 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe that is why Tito wanted in with affliction.

by iiowyn on Jan 4, 2009 12:10 AM EST up reply actions

I can understand why a lot of people don’t enjoy watching Machida fight. He’s not exactly coming forward the entire bout. Even I sometimes wish he would engage more aggressively, and I do like to watch Machida. With that said, the dude isn’t running all the time. He certainly wasn’t running when he was pounding Tito from on top. When guys like Tito say that type of shit, it just sounds like an excuse for not getting the win.

Mythbuster, you can split the “tags” up by inserting commas between them.

For instance: tito ortiz, lyoto machida

I’m not trying to be a smart ass. I’m just trying to polish up your awesome posts.

by Cannon Jacques on Jan 3, 2009 2:05 PM EST reply actions

aah

I always wondered how to do that. I appreciate you telling me :)

by mythbuster on Jan 3, 2009 2:08 PM EST up reply actions

The only thing interesting about Tito anymore is how he manages to walk more than a few steps without falling over; that noggin has to make him rather top heavy. Talk about great TD defense!

by Rundownloser on Jan 3, 2009 2:22 PM EST reply actions

Can anyone find that gif of Ortiz running away from Wanderlei like a scared little girl? Yes I know Ortiz won that fight, but still.

by iiowyn on Jan 3, 2009 2:35 PM EST reply actions

Frank Shamrock...

I interviewed Frank Shamrock a few weeks ago and he said that a fight with him and Tito is in the works. Tito is 40% now… let’s hope he gets to 100% to see a good fight between these two.

MissRARA
Co-founder/Director of Marketing & PR
IMMAE - International MMA Expo
Company site: www.immae.tv
Personal site: www.missrara.com

by MissRARA on Jan 3, 2009 3:33 PM EST reply actions

Yes well if Frank Shamrock had his way he would have fought Renzo in April of last year and have already knocked Cung Le out.

by Sam Cupitt on Jan 3, 2009 6:36 PM EST up reply actions

Did someone mention Frank Shamrock and Renzo Gracie in the same sentence? I may be the only one, but I want to see this rematch. I would love to see Renzo beat Frank.

by Cannon Jacques on Jan 3, 2009 7:30 PM EST up reply actions

The only reason I don't want to see Tito/Frank

..is because they can’t both lose.

by Blackout612 on Jan 3, 2009 7:45 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

double KO.

by iiowyn on Jan 4, 2009 12:11 AM EST up reply actions

God willing.

by Rundownloser on Jan 4, 2009 12:23 AM EST up reply actions

Frank Shamrock...

Says a lot of things…..according to him there is like 4 fights in the works but alas where are they?

Ken
Tito
Cung Le again
And a UFC return to the UFC is possible…

whatever

by banter on Jan 3, 2009 8:13 PM EST up reply actions

I think the best would be a July UFC 100 return to rematch Forrest Griffin.

by Michael Rome on Jan 3, 2009 6:50 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Damnit, Rome… you really ought to start charging the devil for being such an effective advocate.

I just can’t get over the fact that a guy that, if he DOES return for 100, will have gone a full eight years without finishing someone not named Ken Shamrock gets this much attention. Babalu deserves a shot at the UFC more than Tito based on fighting ability (though his choke outdouches anything Tito’s done during a fight), and I’d rather see the Janitor.

by Derek Suboticki on Jan 3, 2009 7:20 PM EST up reply actions

Meh..

Rather see Lil Nog than Matyushenko.

by Blackout612 on Jan 3, 2009 7:29 PM EST up reply actions

The thing is, the goal of MMA isn’t to finish, it’s to win. Finishing is something fans like, but objectively speaking it doesn’t matter, and Tito’s style is oriented around grinding out decisions.

Realistically speaking, he holds a win over Forrest Griffin, and drew their current champion. While the former was a moral victory for Forrest, the latter was a moral victory for Tito. He’s not completely making up this back stuff, Joe Silva has said the same thing. Who knows, maybe he’ll show up and put in a good performance? All I know is most UFC fans love him, cheered him wildly over Machida, and he really should finish his career there.

by Michael Rome on Jan 3, 2009 7:45 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I should say that fighters seem to have a lot more respect for Tito as a fighter than fans do, especially the people that have fought him. Rashad, Machida, and Forrest all have said and will tell you he is an extremely tough guy.

by Michael Rome on Jan 3, 2009 11:04 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

If Tito would just shut up and fight a lot more people would probably like him but then if he did that he wouldn’t be Tito Ortiz anymore. The guy has faded and the sport has changed since his heyday but he is still a very dangerous fighter who may be able to have a major impact in the future if 100% healthy. Still that doesn’t change the fact that he is a pompus blowhole obsessed with self-promotion and supporting a massive ego.

by who me on Jan 3, 2009 11:40 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I’d prefer to see Tito rematch Randy at UFC 100. Forrest-Tito is great too, but the time is running out on Randy’s career.

by Jahbulon on Jan 4, 2009 12:08 AM EST up reply actions

I was thinking the same thing – I’d rather see him fight Randy. I’d love to see Tito train with the Wolfslair and come back to the octagon with some new skills.

"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007

by lovingmma25 on Jan 5, 2009 1:32 PM EST up reply actions