What’s Next for Ortiz?
As Tito Ortiz rode on Interstate 15 from California to Las Vegas before his July 8th bout with Ken Shamrock at UFC 61, a smile came to his face.
“I’m home,� he thought. “It’s time to take care of business.�
Stepping into the Octagon in Las Vegas for the sixth time, the former UFC light heavyweight champion made quick work of Shamrock in their second meeting, stopping the Hall of Famer in a mere 78 seconds.
It was a bout that drew the ire of some fight fans for what they deemed to be a quick stoppage by referee Herb Dean, but from the moment Ortiz grabbed Shamrock moments into the bout and picked him up for a slam to the mat, there was little doubt about the outcome.
“I got a hold of him, and I thought, ‘you’re in trouble,’� said Ortiz at the post-fight press conference. “He really felt light to me, weak. I hit him with some really good shots, and Herb Dean did his job.�
After pushing Shamrock against the Octagon fence, ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ started to rein blows on his rival. Five slammed into Shamrock’s head without a response before Dean pulled Ortiz away.
“I was about three elbows away from really taking him out,� said Ortiz, who stopped Shamrock in three rounds in their first bout in 2002, and though the fans booed and Shamrock stalked the ring angrily, Dean’s actions may have possibly saved the courageous veteran from serious injury, as he was not responding to Ortiz’ attacks when the fight was halted.
Not that Ortiz’ post-fight antics – which included his trademark ‘grave digger’ taunt – calmed Shamrock down any.
“I’m a bad boy,� laughed Ortiz, who improved to 15-4. “I do that to tick people off and to get in his head. The last time I was really a gentleman and I didn’t say anything. I shook his hand and I didn’t put a t-shirt on, and he pretty much just spit in my face. I wasn’t gonna let that happen again. I don’t respect the guy. I don’t like him, I’ve never liked him, and on The Ultimate Fighter he crossed the line. When the show was all over, he shouldered me, and it was like high school.�
Well, last Saturday night was 3 O’clock at the schoolyard and Ortiz left no doubt as to who the better fighter of the two is.
But what’s next?
Expected to take on another nemesis, former friend and current UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, in a rematch (Liddell stopped Ortiz in the second round of their 2004 bout) in February of next year, Ortiz’ plans for redemption may have to wait until he sees if Liddell can get past number one contender Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral in their August bout.
But Ortiz wants to fight again before the end of 2006, making it three times in the Octagon for the year, something he hasn’t done since beating Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, and Vladimir Matyushenko in 2001.
“I would love to fight in November,� he said. “Chuck’s gonna fight in August and maybe November – I need to get a fight between now and then. People don’t understand that when you take a year off or six months off, that ring rust really does matter. This time around I felt great because I just fought three months ago. I would love to be on the November card.�
An opponent for Ortiz later this year is a question mark though, especially with Liddell and Sobral tied up, and young guns like Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, and Keith Jardine still a little green for the likes of Ortiz. A rematch with April opponent Forrest Griffin would be intriguing; a third match with Shamrock would not, no matter what you thought of the stoppage. Grappling ace Dean Lister would make an interesting foe, but the fact that the two are friends who have trained together makes that a no go. Maybe Italy’s Alessio Sakara – who lost to Lister in April – or rising contender Jason Lambert – who just beat Branden Lee Hinkle in June – can fit the bill, but right now, that’s all just speculation.
One thing’s for sure though; Tito Ortiz plans on staying a while.
“I don’t have anything else to fall back on right now,� said the 31-year-old. “It’s fighting, and I love to fight and I want to give the fans what they want to see. And just to clear up a lot of things, I won’t be going anywhere. I’ll be with the UFC the rest of my career.�
