UFC president Dana White may have to wait a few months before he makes good on his threats to fire Tito Ortiz. Tito Ortiz has pulled out of his UFC Fight Night fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. A cut to Ortiz’s eye has canceled the fight and arguably delayed the inevitable.
Dana White said several weeks ago that if Tito Ortiz did not win his next fight he would be cut. The news was surprising to some but not to most MMA fans who recognize that it has been years since Ortiz has been able to deliver on any of his many promises at victory. While Ortiz hasn’t been knocked out or tapped since returning to the UFC, his high price tag makes it tough for the UFC to continue promoting the guy in high profile matches who has gone 0-2 since returning to the UFC in 2009.
Maybe if he can’t get through training without suffering injuries it may be time for Tito to seriously consider retirement. Just saying!
Like him or not, a lot of UFC fans were excited to hear that they would get the chance to watch Tito Ortiz’s next fight for free on Spike TV. The contract between the UFC and Spike is coming due which is resulting in the UFC stepping up the star power of the live broadcasts. Ortiz’s last fight on Spike vs. Ken Shamrock shattered records. A “must win” situation for both Ortiz and Lil’ Nog would have been a ratings hit as the event is already close to selling out live.
Phil Davis will step in for the Huntington Beach Bad Boy with a new main event of Phil Davis vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on Fight Night: Seattle. Davis won’t have the same appeal amongst casual MMA fans that Ortiz has, but this is actually a much better fight. Davis is 8-0 but hasn’t faced anyone with the credentials of Nogueira. Davis’ biggest win would probably be a decision over Brian Stann at UFC 109.
As a whole, the Fight Night card on paper may be the strongest lineup that UFC has ever put on Spike for a Fight Night. Almost every fight on the broadcast would have been a past Fight Night main-event. The opener featuring Garcia vs. Phan is a highly anticipated rematch and could be the show stealer.
The main UFC Fight Night: Seattle card…
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis
Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson
Duane “Bang” Ludwig vs. Amir Sadollah
Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan
Team Punishment Tito Ortiz 121 Walkout Men’s Tee
UFC Tito Ortiz Fighter T-Shirt
New Items Marked Down! Shop the UFC Sale
Relentless: Tito Ortiz -vs- Ken Shamrock: The Untold Truth Behind UFC’s Legendary Feud
Tito Ortiz’s autobiography This Is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion.
Eric G.
Eric is the owner and editor-in-chief of the Camel Clutch Blog. Eric has worked in the pro wrestling industry since 1995 as a ring announcer in ECW and a commentator/host on television, PPV, and home video. Eric also hosted Pro Wrestling Radio on terrestrial radio from 1998-2009. Check out some of Eric's work on his IMDB bio and Wikipedia. Eric has an MBA from Temple University's Fox School of Business.
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