Tito Ortiz: Contender or Draw?

In the early days of the UFC, Tito Ortiz was the face of the organization. At one point, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was the scary man at the top of the mountain, and he held the UFC Light Heavyweight Title for longer than anyone before or after. However, the UFC was very different during those days. Fighters were more one-dimensional and lacked the cardio and skill set that modern mixed martial artists require. In addition, many argue that Tito ducked the stiffer competition while Chuck Liddell did all the dirty work before earning his title shot. Either way, Tito Ortiz was and is a polarizing figure in the MMA world. His recent stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter reality show certainly added to his already broad fan base and made him even more of a celebrity, but the way he left the show disappointed many. The TUF 11 season was supposed to culminate in an epic 3rd fight between Ortiz and Liddell, but Tito withdrew from the fight only a few weeks before citing an aggravated neck injury. Regardless, many people, including Chuck Liddell himself, think that Tito simply did not want to get knocked out by The Iceman for a third time. Whatever the reason, Tito Ortiz’ name is still being spoken and written all over the place, and that’s what really matters in term of business and marketability. But the question remains, can Tito Ortiz compete with the current UFC roster and really make a run at the 205 pound title? I would argue that he cannot.

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Tito’s success early in his career came from his ability to shoot in, get a takedown, and ground-and-pound from within his guard. His striking was never that crisp, and it has only moderately improved. Now, with his lingering back and neck injuries, his ability to use his wrestling seems to have diminished. He does not have the speed in his shot that he once had, and there are a number of strong, young, talented wrestlers spread throughout the light heavyweight division. Also, even if Tito could get his opponent to the ground, the days of being able to sit in an opponent’s guard and cause damage without having to constantly defend submissions are over. Fighters today are usually well-rounded ju-jitsu practitioners, which spells bad news for that type of fighting style, which has constantly been referred to as Tito Ortiz’ “bread and butter.” While Tito is probably well aware of these facts, it is not going to be easy for him change what he was once best at.

We all saw what happens when Tito Ortiz cannot get a takedown and is forced to strike in his fight against Lyoto Machida. While he almost pulled off a spectacular submission at the very end of the fight, he was dominated in every round. I only wonder what would happen if he was asked to step in the cage with a powerful wrestler and striker like Jon Jones or Rashad Evans. The outcome would likely be defeat for Ortiz in my mind.

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In the end, Tito Ortiz still has a big fight or two ahead of him due to his high-profile and popularity. If he can win his next fight, another big time fight can be set up easily. If he loses, on the other hand, all of these questions will be raised about his relevance within the organization due to the end of his prior run in the UFC, his withdrawal from the Liddell fight and his comparison to the competition he must face. Hey, maybe he can go the “interesting fight” route and compete against some older boxers… or maybe not. Love him or hate him, Tito Ortiz is a household name in the mixed martial arts world, but he seems to be more of a draw than contender in this day in age. We’ll see if he can prove me wrong. Either way, I know I’ll be watching to find out.

By Anthony DeFrancesco
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer