Tito Ortiz walked away from the UFC in 2012 leaving behind the glitz, the glamour, the adrenaline rush, and the money of being a superstar UFC fighter. That is why it should be of no surprise that the former champion is considering a comeback.
[adinserter block=”1″]The ink on his retirement papers is barely dry, yet the UFC Hall of Fame fighter is already talking about a comeback. Ortiz reveals in a recent interview that if he can take care of a number of injuries, he would be open to a fighting again. Is this just another ploy by Ortiz to stir the pot or are we on the verge of seeing one of the UFC’s biggest stars back in the octagon?
BloodyElbow.com talked with Ortiz and snagged a fascinating interview with the former champion. Ortiz talked at length about his injuries and the toll that MMA has taken on his body. That wasn’t a surprise. What was surprising is what he said after running down a laundry list of war wounds.
“Right now, I’m only four weeks out of neck surgery, and then I have to get the ACL surgery. I still need to recover from that before I start thinking about anything, and if I’ll compete again. You never know, I may come out of retirement. It’s all about how my body recovers.”
Ortiz goes on to say that it was Frank Shamrock (talk about irony) that has inspired his thoughts of a comeback. He also tells Bloody Elbow that a comeback wouldn’t necessarily happen in the UFC octagon. Ortiz doesn’t appear delusional about his comeback plans when he tells the interview that the chances of a comeback are “one in a million.”
What would the UFC do if Ortiz called, said he was healed, and wanted to come back? The easy answer is that the UFC would decline. Dana White tries to come off as a compassionate promoter but let’s take a look at his history. He has promoted Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, and Mark Coleman well past their primes. Ortiz is still a draw and the attention he would draw on a comeback may be too much to pass up. In other words I think if he is medically cleared he’d get another UFC fight if he wanted it.
[adinserter block=”2″]I am a Tito Ortiz fan but I think I speak for many when I say I hope he stays retired. Ortiz always prides himself on what a great businessman he is, so why do any more damage to your legacy if the money isn’t needed? Ortiz just turned 37 (today actually) and would probably be 38 or even 39 by the time he actually did get back inside the octagon. I have a lot of doubt that Ortiz would be able to keep up with the younger, faster, stronger fighters currently in the UFC at half speed.
Nevertheless, leave it to Tito to get the talk going.
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Randy Couture was HW champ at 46? he never fought lower tier competition, while maybe he was a touch past his prime, he always competed with the best of him, even at 47 and 48.