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Tito Ortiz – from the Octagon to the Bermuda Triangle
© Marc Wickert photos courtesy of UFC Tito Ortiz started wrestling in Cal State Bakersfield College at sixteen. He took the initiative to study grappling in an attempt to defend himself against his older brother. "When I was in high school, one of my older brothers would beat up on me all the time. I used to ask him, ‘Why are you beating me up?’ And he’d tell me it was so I could defend myself when I got older. That’s when I started wrestling, so I could defend myself against him. I can take care of him now - without a doubt," laughs Tito. "All my brothers respect me now." Tito graduated from high school in 1993, the year the Ultimate Fighting Championships made an earth-shattering debut. He saw the UFC as being a vicious sport that didn’t particularly interest him. But when Tito commenced college wrestling, he heard Tank Abbott was looking for a training partner, so he started working out with Tank. Through his training with Abbott, Ortiz became a more proficient boxer. "I also started doing a little jiu-jitsu. Then the UFC made up a lightweight class, which was 199 lbs, and I thought I’d give it a try in UFC XIII: The Ultimate Force, which was May 30, 1997. I stopped the first guy I fought in 23 seconds. That was like kind of a beginning of a champion. I’ve been working hard since then. I’ve been really, really busting my butt, trying to be the best champion I can possibly be." In retrospect, Tito sees his controversial defeat against Guy Mezger at UFC XIII as being a lesson in Ortiz’s career that built a more determined fighter. During the bout, Tito and the ring announcers thought referee John McCarthy had stopped the fight due to the beating Ortiz was inflicting on Mezger. Tito had the upper hand and looked to be pounding Mezger into submitting. But McCarthy had separated the fighters to have Guy’s wounds checked. The bout recommenced, and Merger submitted Ortiz with a guillotine. "When I went back to my corner I thought they’d stopped the fight because Guy had tapped out. Back then, the rules were that you didn’t stop a fight just because of a cut. It was more a case of let the fight go. And in that era of the sport, it was a confusing thing for me. I thought it wasn’t fair, but hey, I had to take the loss how it came. And I vowed to never be guillotined again. I made sure it wouldn’t happen again by working at it and making sure I could get out of the position." Guy Mezger became the first of many competitors from Ken Shamrock’s stable Tito was to fight. Next was Jerry Bohlander in UFC XVIII: The Road to the Heavyweight Title, who called Ortiz a one-dimensional fighter, which Tito disproved convincingly with a crushing defeat over Bohlander. "Of course a lot of guys wanted to hype the fight up and convince me I was an unskilled fighter. And after I picked Bohlander apart, I evolved so much as an athlete. I competed at a higher level very quickly for a young fighter. I was really young and had only been competing in the sport for a year and a half. And it seemed like I had a second sense for the sport. I started wrestling when I was a sophomore, and I took to it really easily, and became a natural. It seems that anything I work very hard at, and set my mind to, I become a natural at. It’s just hard work and dedication to the sport." It didn’t take long for Tito Ortiz to become #1 on the Lion’s Den’s Most Wanted list. With a controversial decision against Mezger and an easy victory over Bohlander, it appeared there was a lot of ill feeling brewing between Ortiz and Ken Shamrock’s team. "I just think it (the ill-feeling) was because I was a brash kid. I mean, my God, I wasn’t a champion yet. I was kind of like a street thug kid who knew how to fight, and I let my mouth do a lot of talking. And of course, my fighting did a lot of talking also. I picked apart Jerry Bohlander. And I got a rematch with Guy Mezger. And I picked him apart really bad. The guys had a lot to say about me. That I was a kid in a man’s sport, and there was a lot of trash spoken about Tito Ortiz. But after I beat them down, it was time for Tito Ortiz to start talking. Then there were a few derogatory things I said towards them, and Ken Shamrock didn’t like that at all." When Tito accepted the rematch with Mezger (UFC XIX: Young Guns), his motivation was mainly financial. The fight was scheduled between Vitor Belfort and Guy Mezger, but Belfort sustained an injury. So Tito accepted the bout with only three weeks’ notice. Ortiz says he was working another job at the time and needed the money. In his return fight with Mezger, Tito was determined to show, beyond doubt, who really was the better fighter. "That goes for each and every one of my fights. I don’t really want to go for submissions, because when I fight a guy, I want to make sure when the fight’s over, he’s going to think in his mind, ‘I don’t want to fight that guy again because he’s hurt me really badly’. I make sure I leave a mark on people’s careers, a mark on people’s minds, and people going, ‘Wow, that Tito Ortiz kid is really tough’. My approach is still the same today. When I fought Ken Shamrock, I could have gone for a submission a couple of times, but I just wanted to brutalize and beat him down – show him what punishment is all about." During his early UFC days, Tito Ortiz gained a reputation for his colourful T-shirt collection. After his bout with Jerry Bohlander, Tito donned a shirt with the inscription "I just F**ked your Ass". And after the Mezger II fight, Ortiz again upset the Ken Shamrock stable by parading around the Octagon, wearing a Lion’s Den coloured T-shirt with a message directed at Guy Mezger. "It was along the lines that Guy Mezger is my bitch. And I just made sure that that happened. After the fight, I had to throw it on, and it was strictly derogatory towards him. And I had to make sure he knew how I felt. I think Ken Shamrock hated it more than Mezger. It started to build probably one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history (UFC 40: Vendetta)." But before Tito’s match with Ken Shamrock, Ortiz was to suffer a defeat against Ken’s younger brother Frank in UFC XXII: Only one Can be Champion. "I would love a rematch with Frank. There’s no doubt in my mind what would be the outcome. I guess the ball’s in Frank’s corner right now. And if he wants to do it, I have no problems fighting him. I would love to fight him. And I would guarantee he wouldn’t last three rounds with me. I’m willing to fight any man. I believe in my mind I’m the best 205 pounder in the world, and I don’t think there’s anybody in the world who could even come close to beating me." After UFC XXII against Frank Shamrock, which is regarded as one of the greatest bouts ever, Tito faced the feared Brazilian warrior Vanderlei Silva for the UFC World Middleweight Championship. This fight proved to be another epic battle, with Ortiz winning by unanimous decision after the bout went the scheduled five rounds. "Vanderlei Silva was really, really dangerous. It was a naked belt and it kinda showed who was going to fight for the UFC and who was going to fight for Pride. That’s why Vanderlai Silva is in Japan fighting and why Tito Ortiz is still in UFC fighting. Because I dominated the fight, and I became the champion. It was a really good match and I had a good game plan to beat him. A lot of people didn’t think it would be that easy to take him down, and every round I did take him down. One round I dropped him and one round he dropped me. So it kinda made it a bit even, and all of a sudden it came down to who was the toughest at doing takedowns. Of course this sport consists of wrestling, jiu-jitsu and boxing, so you’ve got to put everything together. That night, I think Vanderlai came up short with the wrestling side of it." Ortiz believes UFC is the premier of world Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournaments and enjoys competing in the UFC arena. He feels there are a number of young American fans who do not have a good lifestyle, but look to him for inspiration.
"They are searching for a role model and I believe I’m that man. I’m glad I’m fighting in UFC - I’m proud to fight for UFC. There are a lot of fans out there who email me at www.titoortiz.com and they tell me how much of an inspiration I’ve been in their lives. And I think that’s what really matters: not to be the champion or to win the fights, but to be an inspiration for the kids, so they have a future. I believe the youth, not just in the United States but the world, are going to be our future and they’re going to be the ones looking after us when we get old." In 2000, Tito competed in the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships and suffered an extremely controversial defeat. Tito says he entered the competition to prove he was a versatile fighter: not just a ground’n’pounder, but highly skilled in submissions. "It was a real fighting experience. I flew up there by myself, and I believe a lot of those people brought me there so I could get beaten. I had a pretty decent name, and they wanted me to get submitted by the Brazilians and some of the other guys competing. All of a sudden, I came out of pretty much nowhere, and I was submitting guys. I was choking guys out. And I caught myself in the semi-finals at my weight, and I wrestled Ricardo Arona. I lost by referee’s decision. I won in the regulation time, but it went to overtime and they gave it to Ricardo. It was more of a political thing, because they wanted a Brazilian to be in the championship. If I had been in the championship I would have won." Tito Ortiz focuses on being more than well-rounded in wrestling, boxing and jiu-jitsu. He is determined to be stronger and fitter than his opponents. In his battle against Frank Shamrock, Tito appeared to be ahead on points, but Frank’s conditioning seemed to be the deciding factor. Ortiz is not likely to let his fitness level let him down again. "You have to dedicate yourself to a sport and work really, really hard. And not just think about the boxing, or the wrestling, or the jiu-jitsu, but go beyond that and push yourself by doing the cardio and the weightlifting. I train eight hours a day, six days a week. On Sundays I have a half rest-day, where I mainly do cardio and weights. The other six days I run, lift, box, wrestle and I do jiu-jitsu. I try to push myself to the limit each and every time. When I’m training, in my mind, I think either I’m going to pass out or throw up. And it seems that when I push myself that hard I always throw up. I haven’t passed out yet. Either I’m in really good shape or it’s just that my body can take a lot of pain." Perhaps Ortiz’s dedication to training and his willingness to take on anyone was what helped him through his next challenge, though it appears he took being ‘well-rounded’ too seriously. Tito and his wife Kristin were celebrating their honeymoon in Bermuda when they were struck by a bus whilst riding a moped. "That was the last time someone came close to knocking me out. We were at a standstill and the bus was going 30 miles an hour. It knocked me off the moped and sent me thirty feet away. But I wasn’t knocked out. I jumped up to my feet. My wife had been on the moped with me and she got caught under the bus and was dragged eight feet. I pulled her out from underneath the bus and she was alive. That was a life-changing incident. It was like, ‘Wow, we’re alive’. "My wife is fine now. She suffered some fractured vertebras, but she did not have to have surgery, which was very lucky. I think there’s a big man upstairs taking care of Tito Ortiz and his family. I think it goes back to my being put on this earth for a reason right now. And I believe the reason is to show kids that if they work hard and dedicate themselves to a job or to whatever they believe in, they’ll get the best out of life." On September 26, Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture will be facing off for the UFC World Light Heavyweight Championship belt. Both men are capable of toe-to-toe striking and ground fighting. They are about the same height and will be approximately the same weight. "Randy Couture is my mentor. He’s a person I’ve always looked up to, because he’s like the all-American guy. Randy Couture is the Natural. I’ve always looked up to him and I’ve always wanted to be like him. Now, all of a sudden, Tito Ortiz is fighting Randy Couture. "I remember in 1996, up in San Jose, California, we had the wrestling trials for the Olympics, and we actually both competed at the same weight – he did Greco-Roman and I did freestyle. So I’ve been watching him for a long time. And it’s funny, because I know he hasn’t really noticed that, but I’ve always been a huge fan of Randy Couture’s. He’s at my weight class, this is my weight class, and I have no problem at all fighting him. At the same time, I want to make sure I become the victor at the end. I want to still be the champion I am today. "He makes the weight cut the same as I do. We’re both about 217 and we both make the weight class at 205. It will just be a factor of who comes in at the best cardio shape. Of course he’s 40 years old and I’m twenty-eight, so youth is on my side. I’ve got speed, power and a lot more mobility than he has. And I think I’m better looking than he is. With his stand-up skills and wrestling skills, he’s done a lot more wrestling than I’ve ever done. But it’s not a wrestling match, it’s a fight. This is competition at its best. We’re just going to see who the best athlete is on September 26." Tito says he’s approaching this fight the same as any other fight, but started training twelve weeks prior to the bout rather than his usual eight-week preparation.
Tito’s prediction: "My only prediction, that I’m going to say, is you’re going to see the ferocity Of Tito Ortiz." For more on Tito: www.ufc.tv & www.punishmentathletics.com
TITO ORTIZ
Part 2
Back in the Octagon
Where I Belong
 Tito Ortiz at UFC 44 weigh in
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges Last time Tito fought Guy Mezger (UFC 19: Young Guns) it was at late notice after Vitor Belfort withdrew from the card. Consequently, Tito had only three weeks to prepare for the bout. "I got a lot more notice this time and a lot more experience. That was when I fought him the second time, and I was still only in the sport for a year and a half, almost two years, so I was still really, really a young kid in the sport. I’ve gotten a lot better. Mezger’s gotten a lot better himself, but it seems like now my whole career has come to a full circle, and I’m pretty much fighting back where I started again," says Ortiz. Having lost his last two fights to Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, Tito sees Ortiz v Mezger III as an opportunity to start getting himself back in the winning picture. A victory over Lion’s Den legend Guy Mezger would be Tito’s first step on the road to recovering his UFC light heavyweight belt. And regardless of the outcome of the upcoming battle at UFC 50: War of ’04, Ortiz is already set to follow this bout with a match against Brazil’s Vitor Belfort. And Tito is aware that Mezger and Belfort’s scalps would place him in good standing as a contender for the light-heavyweight crown. "More than anything, I want to get back in the Octagon and fight. And this is one of the first opportunities that I got from the UFC. They were like, ‘What do you think of Guy Mezger?’ And I said, ‘I think he’s a tough fighter.’ And they said, ‘Would you fight him?’ And I said, ‘No problem at all.’ Two years ago I would never have taken the fight with Mezger, because really he wasn’t someone to make my career any better. "But I mean, he’s gone through some really tough matches. He had a match with Antonio Nogueira and it went to a decision. And he went to a decision with Ricardo Arona. So these are some of the toughest guys in my weight that he did really well against. It just seems like this will be a really tough match for me." When Tito and Guy locked horns at UFC 19, Ortiz appeared to be the fitter fighter and Tito expects this to be the case again at UFC 50. "I’m always in shape, no matter what. So I’m not going to come into this fight out of shape. And I think the two guys in UFC with the best cardio are me and Randy Couture. I mean we never get tired. We always come in in-shape no matter what. I’m just excited for the fight, and to get back in the Octagon, and to start taking people out. Man, I can’t wait to get back in the Octagon."
Tito concedes that Guy’s strike game is exceptional, but believes he is a more well-rounded fighter than Mezger, suggesting the winner will be the more complete athlete. "I think his striking is actually about the same as mine – maybe a little bit better – just that he’s been in karate for a long time, and he’s been kickboxing for a long time. He’s had a couple of pro fights as a boxer. His striking game is really good. It’s just the fact that this is not boxing; it’s coming down to Mixed Martial Arts where wrestling is added, and jiu jitsu is added, so he’s got to be expecting to be taken down. But what if I want to stand up with him? My boxing skills are as good as his. So it’s not something I’m afraid of. "You never know; sometimes my game plan comes in where I want to stand up with the guy, but I end up taking him down. Or I want to take him down, but I end up standing with him. It’s just a matter of the night…I mean, having a game plan and trying to stick to it is really hard for me because I’m an emotional fighter, and I like to make the fights enjoyable for the fans. I want to make it an exciting night no matter what. I don’t want a boring fight where I just hold the guy to the ground and just try to score points." Although winning the matches is a major priority for Ortiz, providing an action-packed bout for the fans is still his utmost priority: something he hasn’t had a problem doing in the past. Ring announcer Bruce Buffer (see article at knucklepit.com) says the two loudest crowd responses he’s ever heard in the Octagon involved Tito: the bout against Ken Shamrock and Tito’s battle with Randy Couture. For his third meeting with Mezger, Ortiz has been training with Master Toddy and Quinton Jackson. His last month of training prior to the fight will be with Couture and Ricco Rodriguez, plus some fighters from Las Vegas.
"When I fought Ken Shamrock, it was like all the pressure was on me. And you know what? I went in and I did my job. And when I fought Couture, it seemed like I had no pressure because everyone thought he’s an old man. And I kinda believed it myself and looked past him. The same with Chuck Liddell: What I wanted to do was stand up with him instead of doing my game. More than anything I wanted to impress the fans instead of winning the match. That was my mistake. So now the pressure’s on and I’m going to get my game plan, stick to it, and I’m out to win."
Tito, do you expect it to go the three rounds? "I don’t think it’s going to go three rounds. I think McCarthy’s going to come in and stop it. I’m going to be pounding him down, or he’s going to be knocked out, or what. But I just want to make it a real exciting fight. And I’m going to go in there and take care of business." Did the Couture v Belfort fight go as you expected? "Yes, exactly as I expected it would. Randy Couture did everything he was supposed to do. He closed the gap, used his Greco-Roman techniques to take Vitor Belfort down, and Randy did everything as planned. Two months before the fight I trained with Randy for a month, so it just seemed like, more than anything, that I just got the best out of him when I was training with him. And when it was time for him, he did everything he was supposed to do." Although Tito is set to fight Vitor Belfort after Guy Mezger, he says there is no way he will look past Mezger to the Belfort fight. And although he will be totally focused on each bout as it arrives, Ortiz says he does see both opponents as stepping-stones to reclaiming the UFC World Light Heavyweight title. "I think so. Guy Mezger, yes. And Vitor Belfort for sure. I mean, this is like a half kinda deal. He was the ex-champion, so it’s something I’ve gotta do."
And what about Tito Ortiz v Ken Shamrock II? "I’d love that to happen. I’d actually like that fight more than the Vitor Belfort fight, because of all the smack Shamrock has been talking. He said I’m afraid of fighting him the second time. He says I know what’s going to happen. He thinks he’s going to win. You know what? I’m sick of Ken’s mouth, and whenever he wants to step up and sign the contract, UFC has a contract waiting for him. So it’s a factor of his wanting to step up and his wanting to fight me. "I’d love to fight Ken Shamrock and I’d love to give him another beating. But I don’t think the old man wants another beating because I will end his career. Whenever it would happen, I would love it to happen, but I don’t see it happening in the near future because he knows what’s going to happen. He can talk all the smack he wants, but he knows the truth." How do you see the Matt Hughes v Georges St. Pierre Welterweight Title fight going? "Hey, that’s going to be a great match. Matt Hughes is just so damn strong though. I don’t think Georges St. Pierre is going to be ready for it, just because of how strong Matt is and how his technique is. Uh, Hughes has got great wrestling abilities, his jiu jitsu is really good, and his boxing game is real good. So I see Matt Hughes dominating the match throughout, and either (a) the referee coming in and stopping it, or (b) Matt knocking Georges out: one or the other. I don’t think St. Pierre really has that much of a match. I don’t think he’s going to get really deep down." Tito, is there anything you’d like to add to this article? "The main thing, I’d like to thank everybody in Australia and worldwide. I get a lot of people coming to my website and supporting me and my clothing line. I want to thank everybody for supporting me, and I want to get my belt back." For more on Tito Ortiz: www.titoortiz.com, and www.isasports.com For more on UFC 50: www.ufc.tv For Tito’s clothing range and other Ortiz merchandise: www.punishmentathletics.com. TITO
ORTIZ From the Octagon to the Oscars
© Marc Wickert All photos copyright
2004 Zuffa LLC When Tito Ortiz fought Canada’s Patrick Cote at UFC 49: Unfinished Business, it was a fight that Tito had to win. Having lost his preceding bouts against Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, Ortiz was determined to seize the victory against Cote at all costs, rather than concentrating on providing another colorful spectacle for the crowd. "More than anything, it was a case of getting a win under my belt again. Having two losses in a row was really damaging for my career, so it was pretty much just going in there and having to win. I had a lot of stress on my shoulders, but I got the win and the satisfaction of knowing that I finally did it. It wasn’t that spectacular, but I did what I do best: take them down and punish them. And I’m on the winning streak again," says Ortiz. Whilst the fight did go the distance, and Cote did make a big impression at his Octagon debut, it appeared the fight was always going to be Tito’s. "I basically manhandled him the whole time. I stayed in position and made sure I finished the fight as well as I possibly could. I hit him with everything I could, but the kid wouldn’t cut, and he wouldn’t slow up. He’s a tough Canadian. It was nice to just get it over with." Tito is probably best known for his dynamic takedowns and unrelenting ground’n’pounding submissions. However, on the Ultimate Knockouts 1 DVD, Ortiz is featured in a clash with Evan Tanner from their meeting at UFC 30, where there was no pounding of Tito’s opponent required. At just 32 seconds into the opening round, Ortiz had body-locked Tanner, before pile-driving Evan into the canvas and knocking him out. "That KO was just one of those things: perfect timing, perfect planning, and the perfect finish. I prepared myself for that fight up at Big Bear - like I’m doing now – and I just pushed myself to the limit. The fight finished as quick as it did, and it seemed really, really easy. I was able to kick ass because of all the really hard training." For UFC 51: Super Saturday, Tito will be facing Vitor Belfort for their long-anticipated showdown. Ortiz says he is looking forward to the battle with bated breath: "You know, I’m ready, man. I can’t wait ’til this bout gets on. I got some real quality training in, and I’ve got one more week of hard training before I go down to Vegas, taper down a bit, and take care of business." Light-heavyweight champion Randy Couture defeated both Tito and Vitor. But, whereas Belfort was pummeled and bloodied for three rounds before the fight had to be stopped, Ortiz did go the five-round distance, and remained cut-free. Tito believes this will provide a psychological advantage for him over Belfort. "I think so. And for each round I’ve just got to make sure I push Vitor as much as possible. I’ve got to get in his face and see how he likes getting pushed around. I’m not trying to take anything away from him. He is the ex-champion, and he is a tough fighter, but psychologically, can he take another beating? When he gets put in the same position where he’s on his back, will he have flashbacks? I’m just going to give it to him and make him understand that this is going to be the hardest three rounds of his life. And I’m going to push him as much as possible. It should be a great fight." Ortiz believes the pre-fight psychological warfare will play an important factor in determining the bout’s outcome. And with Belfort, it appears from previous Octagon appearances, that he either runs hot or cold – there seems to be no in-between for Vitor. "I think the psych-out has already started. With him, he’s a real mental guy. The kid can’t take a lot of mental beatings, and if I just keep in his face…and when it comes to interviews and stuff…like I say, he’s a tough guy, but it’s not about Vitor Belfort, man, it’s about Tito Ortiz. And I’ll be pushing him as much as possible, and we’ll see what he has to offer."
Tito, with your tactics and fitness being similar to Randy’s, will Vitor see you as another Couture coming to get him? "Yeah, I mean I’m up at Big Bear, California, right now and my cardio is great. I just hope Vitor is ready for three rounds of punishment." What do you think Vitor’s strengths will be? "I think his strengths will be his boxing and wrestling ability. But I’m ready for anything. I’ve been wrestling some great college guys, and a lot of great submission guys. It just seems like I’m getting tougher and tougher. It’s one of those things. This is the last fight of my contract, so I’m going to go out with a bang. If people want to see Tito Ortiz again, they better make sure they see this fight." But you’re going to fight after this, aren’t you? "You never know, my man." So you don’t want to commit yourself? "I just want to make sure I’m making the best business decisions for myself. I’m busting my butt training six days a week, getting injuries… And when it comes down to entertaining, I try to entertain every time. And of course, I want to get into Hollywood too. So I think I’m going to take a little time off to do acting classes for about nine months, and really try to focus on that. "I don’t want to let down my fans at all, but I have to look after my own interests also. I want to make as much money as possible so my son can get to see a lot of good things I didn’t get a chance to see. The future always holds what I can make of it. It’s a matter of working hard and dedicating myself to the job. That’s how I became the world champion. Now it’s time to move on to different levels of life. And I think the next level is my acting career." What will your strengths be against Vitor? "My skills will pretty much come down to my ferocity. And my wrestling skills…closing the gap…and seeing Vitor fight off his back. It’s going to be a tough fight for three rounds." I know you have plans for the future, but you’re not looking past this fight, are you? "I’ve been really focused on this fight, and like I say, my mind’s only on this fight. I’m finally going to get this match over with and get my contract done. There’s nothing in the future for me about fighting, so I just want to make sure that I get in there and go out with a bang. I just want to entertain the fans as much as possible and give them their money’s worth." Who have your main training partners been for this bout? "Ivan Salaverry (see knucklepit.com article). He’s a really tough man. I believe he’s one of the toughest guys out there at 185 lbs. He has great wrestling skills, great submission skills, and his striking skills are just phenomenal. He’s been helping me out a whole bunch. "I’ve also been working out with Dean Lister. He’s an amazing submission artist and a true black belt. I’ve also been training with Ricco Rodriguez and I met a guy named Justin McCawley. Another one of my trainers is Saul Solic: He’s pretty much my kickboxing trainer and he helps me to put the game plan together for the fight." Tito, is there anything you’d like to add? "Well, of course I’ve been working really hard on my clothing company: Punishment Athletics. We’ve been getting a lot of hits on there, man. Literally around the world, people just like the gear we’ve got. And many of the big stores in the United States will be carrying our clothing soon." Sponsors? "A&G Automotive Sound in California, American Home Mortgage, and of course www.punishmentathletics.com."
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For more on UFC 51: Super Saturday – www.ufc.tv TITO ORTIZ This Is Personal
© Marc Wickert All photos copyright 2004
Zuffa LLC
It’s Friday, June 16, and Tito has just finished his second training session of the day. In three weeks’ time he will be facing Ken Shamrock at UFC 61: Bitter Rivals. Anyone who has fought Tito in the Octagon knows he is one athlete who just won’t gas. Ortiz is a hard man and he trains hard for every battle. Leading up to the bout on July 8, Tito is cramming in three gruelling sessions a day, and knucklepit.com caught up with Ortiz after his second workout, at 7pm. "Well, you know me," says Tito. "My training doesn’t start until the afternoon. I started at around one o’clock with my running. I do about three miles, then I take a break and do some wrestling and sparring. Then I take another break and do my weight training. I’m now resting after doing the sparring and bag work." For the Bear Mountain locals it’s nothing out of the ordinary to see this gladiator running the hills, and soaking up the Californian sun, while towing a hefty buddy behind him on a mountain bike. And Tito says the onlookers do call out to him from their cars. "Yeah, all the time. But I have a walkman on these days, so I don’t hear it." After a year’s absence from the Octagon, Ortiz came back in swashbuckling fashion, taking on The Ultimate Fighter #1’s champion, Forrest Griffin, at UFC 59. At the end of three rugged five-minute rounds, Tito was pleased to be awarded the judges’ decision. "I really was, because I was fighting at fifty percent and I pulled it off, which is really hard to do. Next time it will be a better fight. I had a couple of injuries: a partial tear of my LCL, a partial tear of my ECL on my left knee, and I had a bulging disc in my back. Leading up to the fight, I could only train two days a week. I couldn’t run or do a lot of things." For his showdown with Shamrock, Tito says he is injury free. "Yeah, so far. My knee healed up one hundred percent. I still have a little bit of soreness in my back, but I’m getting through training, running every day…" Tito, do you look at your bout with Forrest Griffin as more of a tune-up? "You know, I think it was. I hadn’t fought for a year, and I hadn’t been knocked around for a year. He’s been in the Octagon three times in the last year. But it’s just one of those things. I’d like to fight him when I’m at one hundred percent, but first and foremost I’ve got to take care of Shamrock. See what happens then." Were you happy with the split decision? "You know what, I think it was pretty much right on target. I beat him in the first round; in the second, I think he barely pulled it off; and in the third round, I think I barely pulled it off." [A voice calls out from the background.] "That’s Kendall Grove…. from The Ultimate Fighter – he’s up here at the Bear Mountain training camp with me," says Tito. Will your fight with Ken Shamrock be tougher than the Forrest Griffin one? "I think it will be, because Ken has so much to lose in this one: He doesn’t want another loss on his record, and I think it’s just one of those things where he’s going to give everything he’s got. He’s got a huge heart. But Forrest is a young kid and he’s coming out aggressively himself. It’s just one of those things, and everyone’s a different fight every time."
With the fiery feeling between you and Ken, the purse would be the last thing either of you guys would be thinking about, wouldn’t it? "This ain’t about money, man, this is personal." What do you think will be Ken’s strengths going into this fight? "He has a huge heart and he’s got submission skills. That’s pretty much it. I really don’t respect the guy. I don’t respect him as a fighter and I don’t respect him as a person. I really dislike the guy completely. I can’t wait to cave his face in, to tell you the truth." Will he want to take you to the ground? "I would love to see him try to take me down. It would be an awesome task for him to try to do it. I think he’s going to get a shock when I take him down. And there are a lot of ways I can finish the fight. It’s going to be very exciting on pay-per-view, I can tell you that much." Bruce Buffer said the crowd’s response when you last fought Ken was one of the most deafening noises he’d ever heard. "Wait until you hear this one: This one’s going to be twice as loud. It will be good." Will stamina or strength be factors in this fight? "I think both: Stamina and strength will be factors in this. Everybody says how strong Shamrock was last time we fought, but he didn’t seem that strong. Stamina, of course…Let’s see if he can make it through the first couple of rounds… if he can make it that far. My cardio is really good right now." What will your strengths be against Ken? "I think my ferocity, my aggressiveness…I’ll just push the tempo on him; my stand-up of course; my ground’n’pound…There are so many other attributes that I have." You both have enormous hearts. That has to play a big part, doesn’t it? "Yeah, I really think so. I’ve proven myself over and over, like when I fought Belfort and Forrest, and when I fought Couture. That’s just one of those things, and that’s what makes me a fighter and aggressive, the way I am. There aren’t too many Tito Ortizes in this world – I’m one of a kind." You’ve signed a three-fight contract. If you get through this one, is Chuck next? "Yeah, that is the idea: Chuck Liddell. I can’t wait. To me it doesn’t really matter about the belts. It’s paying him back and getting redemption for something that I let happen – fighting his fight. Next time it won’t happen like that. For me, it’s getting revenge. And revenge is so sweet when it happens." Tito, is there anything you’d like to add? "I’d like to thank all my fans for supporting me. The people who saw me on The Ultimate Fighter #3 saw the gentle side of me. Now they’re going to see the vicious person inside the Octagon – so they’re going to get the best of both worlds. But I definitely want to thank my fans, because if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today." Your sponsors? "My clothing line: www.punishmentathletics.com, A & G Automative Sound in California, American Home Mortgage, and Xyience."
For more on Tito Ortiz: www.titoortiz.com For more on UFC 61: www.ufc.tv.
TITO ORTIZ Part
5 A Man Prepared to Speak His Mind
©
Marc Wickert All
photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC On
June 30, 2007, four-time world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield
battled with Lou Savarese before a half-filled Haskins Center crowd. One
week later, an audience of over 14,300 fans attended UFC 73 in Sacramento,
California. And
although there were two title bouts on this UFC card, the match that kept
the raging fans stomping in their boots and stilettos involved former UFC
champion, Tito Ortiz. This
is probably not a coincidence, considering the Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock feud
in October 2006 drew around six million viewers – making it the most
watched US MMA battle in history. And then in December of that year, Tito
was at the center of another sporting milestone when his showdown with Chuck
Liddell became the most watched p-p-v event of any kind for 2006. Tito
is now at home and having time out from his busy schedule to chat with Knucklepit
after taking his injured back for some shock treatment. “I’m back in
Huntington Beach: That’s where my house is. I just got back from
Disneyland, with Jenna and my son, about an hour and a half ago,” says
Ortiz. Tito’s
discomfort is the result of an injury he sustained during his battle with
Rashad Evans at UFC 73: Stacked, although when entering the bout,
Tito didn’t expect the event title to refer to the positioning of his
vertebrae. “My
back’s really sore, man. It’s hard to sit down: hard to stand up for
long periods of time. It just aches. My discs… between L4 and L5, it’s
bulging out about six millimeters, and I’ve just got to suck it up.
There’s not really much I can do except rest it. It happened in the second
round: I was doing a takedown against the fence and my hips just gave way a
little bit. Hopefully it will get a lot better in another week or so.” Looking back on the fight, Ortiz says he was not totally satisfied with his performance or the outcome. “I was disappointed with myself a little bit, and I couldn’t believe the way the fight went. I thought I dominated, and showed a winning performance - only to have it called a draw because of one point being deducted. I thought I dominated the fight and pressed the tempo throughout the whole fight. It’s just one of those things… It really hurt, and I think my fans felt they were let down a little bit. The next fight I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. I guess I’ll have to go in there and submit him or try to knock him out.”
Tito, you’ve always been known for your incredible level of fitness: Was your fitness as high for UFC 73 as you normally have it? “I
thought it was. But in the second round when I kinda injured my back a bit,
I think it took a little oxygen out of me. I felt a little slow and tired,
but I guess it was just the injury that shocked my whole body – my legs
– and I wasn’t able to move as quickly as I usually do. Hopefully I’ll
be able to heal my injury one hundred percent and not have any worries about
it. “It’s
just one of those things, man. I guess I was chasing Rashad the whole fight.
He was one of those guys who sat back and expected me to come to him, and
ran away.” Do you believe an aggressive combatant, such as yourself, has to contribute more energy, and take more risks, than a defensive or elusive competitor, to make a fight happen? “I
think so, one hundred percent: I thought I was walking forward so much on
Rashad. I landed some really good leg kicks and it seemed he was running
away the whole time. And there was one time that I stopped, and it was like,
‘Stop moving, man, and come to me.’ He talked so much hype that I
thought he wanted to fight, but the whole fight he ran away.” Prior to your bout with Rashad, he said you were going to be a stepping stone for him. Did you feel like you were his side-stepping stone when he did back away from you? “If
I was the stepping stone, he was afraid to step forward. It’s just one of
those things: Guys are going to hype the fight; they’re going to talk
their smack. When it comes to fight time, that’s when everything shows. I
fought my fight, and I fought it well, I thought… I set the tempo and I
was always in his face. I got seven takedowns and he only got two, and in
one of those he got rolled and almost choked out. It was only the end of the
round that saved him.” There have been some UFC matches lately where fighters have chosen to play a very defensive game rather than engaging. And there have been competitors who appear to base their whole strategy on a purely point-scoring game – as in martial arts tournaments rather than in ultimate fighting. Do you think there should be more incentive in the judges’ score system for athletes to fight aggressively? “That
really comes down to the UFC itself. In the press conference before the
fight, Dana said he was going to give a bonus to the best fight of the
night, a bonus to the best knockout, and a bonus to the guy who gets the
best submission. I don’t care about bonuses or anything: I want to go out
there and win, and make the fight very interesting for the fans to watch. I
want it to be exciting. I’m an entertainer, you know… I’m a fighter,
but I’m an entertainer at heart.” So
you expect a rematch with Rashad? “Yes,
I believe we are going again in October – that’s what I’ve heard at
least. And if that’s the best Rashad can give me, then he’s in a whole
world of trouble.” When
are you heading to the Persian Gulf to meet with US troops? “I’m going in August, and for the USO also, to help boost the morale of some of the US troops. Those guys have been at war for a long time, and I’ve just got to go over there and show my support. I’ll show them some submission moves and maybe they can choke out a couple Taliban.”
You were a guest speaker this year at the Armed Forces Day program on May 19 (Banning Armory in California). How was the response? “The
response was really, really good. People weren’t that educated in our
sport and didn’t know who I was. But when they heard my story, how I
support the troops, how much heart I have for the United States troops who
give their lives… I saw a lot of families there who have lost their sons
or daughters in war – it’s heartbreaking and really impressed me in a
positive manner, knowing that I’m doing this for a reason, and helping to
give some people hope. “It
was emotional to hear these people go up there and talk about the son they
lost or the daughter they lost. It hurts, but at the same time it’s
showing the sacrifices United States soldiers are making to fight for our
freedom.” I believe fellow Team Punishment fighter, Justin McCully, will be traveling with you to the Persian Gulf. Will you guys be doing any MMA demonstrations? “Yes,
for sure: We’ll be doing some submission stuff… doing some training and
having some talks… see how they’re doing out there. It should be fun,
and I’m looking forward to it. I’m hoping to get it all on video so
there could possibly be a DVD coming out later on.” Can you tell us a bit about Team Punishment, please, Tito? As well as the clothing range, there’s also the gym aspect, isn’t there? “Yes,
there’s the gym that I just built at Bear Mountain, and we train really
hard, but it’s also about making fights interesting for everyone to watch
Team Punishment guys compete. “With our clothing company – Punishment Athletics, you can go to www.punishment.com online, and we try to get good gear for all the fighters who are coming up and all the fans who love to watch us fight.” Who
are some of the fighters involved in Team Punishment? “Kendall
Grove, Matt Hamill, Josh Burkman, and Justin McCully and myself.” Can
people off the street train there, or is it purely for elite MMA
competitors? “Well,
my training facility up at Big Bear is strictly for MMA competitors, but
I’m actually looking to make a fantasy camp where maybe some guys who are
huge fans of the sport can pay money to come out and train with us – kinda
bring the fighting mentality out after four or five days up at the mountain,
and see how we train and so forth. We’re also looking to build Team
Punishment bigger.” That would be some opportunity for MMA fans to get a taste. “Yes,
it would. Let me tell you, if people think they’re going to get an easy
training camp, they’re in for a big shock.” It
appears you’ve been putting more work into your strike game lately. “I’m
always putting more work into my strike game just because I want to be a
great boxer: I know I’m a great wrestler, but I want to punch the same
too. I try to mix it all together: my wrestling, boxing and submission
game.” And you think your rematch with Rashad will be the next time we see Tito Ortiz whipping up another storm in the Octagon? “Oh,
of course – Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans II.” How
do you think the Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga match will go? “I
really think Gonzaga is going to win by submission or knockout. I just think
that Gonzaga is that good, and I think that Randy had a tailor-made fight
when he fought Tim Sylvia. Not taking anything away from Tim, but I really
see Gonzaga’s hand being raised at the end of that fight.” Tito,
is there anything you’d like to add? “I want to thank all my fans for supporting me. Hopefully I’ve been entertaining them with my fights and I’m going to continue to do it.”
For
more on Tito Ortiz:
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