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"The Huntington Beach Badboy," Tito Ortiz, is a fighter for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) once again, but the future of the former Light Heavyweight champion remains unclear.
In his last five fights -- all for the UFC -- Ortiz has gone 2-3-1, with his last notable victory against Ken Shamrock in 2006. After his unanimous decision loss to current Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 84 in May 2008, which ended his contract with the UFC, very few people expected to see Ortiz return to the Octagon.
Once considered a superstar in the organization, Ortiz had numerous run-ins with UFC President Dana White over contract stipulations and money. Many MMA fans believe Ortiz’ fight against Machida was designed to run him out of the organization once and for all, though after months of negotiations, both parties agreed to a new six-fight deal.
“Everyone wants to see Tito fight,” said White after re-signing Ortiz, noting, “Tito will retire in the UFC.”
Ortiz will next enter the Octagon at UFC 106 in Las Vegas on Nov. 21, serving as the hors d'oeuvre for the UFC Heavyweight title between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. Although Ortiz has been out of action and is still recovering from back surgery, most MMA enthusiasts and writers anticipate a bloody beat down of 44-year-old Mark Coleman.
Known specifically for his wrestling and ground and pound, Ortiz is working on his standup with famed boxing coach Freddie Roach, who commented that Ortiz' standup is getting better. Coleman has never been known as an exceptional fighter, and matchups between two fighters with wrestling bases often lead to sloppy standup battles. Ortiz will be able to see how his newly-honed skills have developed while working with Roach.
A self-reported back injury was a limiting factor on Ortiz' striking skills, though the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion hopes to be able to strike better to set up takedown attempts. In his fights against UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, Ortiz was unable to secure takedowns, and looked like a fish out of water while boxing and kickboxing with Liddell.
Assuming he beats Coleman at UFC 106, the UFC has a number of interesting matchups possible. Despite many MMA fans claiming he’ll never be champion again, Ortiz and his solid marketing skills will help him draw several marquee matchups after his expected tune-up fight.
Ortiz met UFC legend Randy Couture at UFC 44 in 2003 -- Couture won a unanimous decision -- and a rematch between the two fighters would likely be a large draw. Couture was able to use his strong wrestling skills to stuff takedown attempts from Ortiz, and literally spanked him during their five-round title fight.
If Couture is unavailable, a rematch against Rashad Evans, who fought to a controversial draw against Ortiz during UFC 73 in July 2007, is a fight Ortiz previously stated he’d like in 2010. The possible rematch will depend on whether or not Evans is able to beat Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 107 in December, with the winner earning a title shot against Machida.
MMA fans have also expressed interest in Ortiz fighting Rich Franklin, Thiago Silva, Keith Jardine, or Dan Henderson in future matchups. Furthermore, a third fight with Liddell -- who may or may not be retired, depending who you speak with -- is a battle that Ortiz is interested in putting together.
UFC 66, headlined by Ortiz and Liddell, grossed the UFC’s largest gate, earning $5,397,300 from 12,191 attendees.
"I would have to say Chuck Liddell," Ortiz told reporters recently. "I made a few mistakes in both fights and he beat me twice. I gotta say it was Chuck. I would love a rematch, but too bad he's retired. A rematch would be nice and I think the fans would love it."
Ortiz, who is a large Light Heavyweight, and cuts quite a bit of water weight to make the 205-lb. weight limit, has expressed interest in several Heavyweight matchups. That might not happen now that No. 1 Heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. In early August, Ortiz said he'd like to "test Anderson Silva," though that's a matchup the UFC is very unlikely to put together.
With a scheduled fight in a couple of months, and plenty of possible matchups, Ortiz will have his work cut out for him. Leading up to UFC 106, expect Ortiz to continue causing drama to hype the upcoming fight against Coleman, as he continues his path back to the championship.
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