Tito Ortiz: With hard work and dedication you can achieve anything
Posted on July 28, 2011, 02:47 PM by Joey Santosus
A Light Heavyweight showdown between top contender Rashad Evans and the recently resurgent Tito Ortiz will headline the stacked UFC 133 fight card, set to take place August 6th from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A Middleweight clash pitting former title challenger Vitor Belfort against Yoshihiro Akiyama will serve as co-main event, while veteran Dennis Hallman takes on Brian Ebersole. Also featured will be Jorge Rivera going head to head with Costantinos Philippou and Rory MacDonald meets Mike Pyle.
Below are highlights from today's UFC 133 Media Conference Call, which included headliners Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz. (Complete Audio at Bottom)
Rashad Evans
• I'm very anxious to get back in the cage. It's been a long 14 months, with a lot of ups and downs both inside and outside of the cage. So, I'm looking to get in there and just get used to competing again. It's been a long time and I love to compete. Being out for 14 months, it was hard for me to do. I had no idea I was going to be out this long, but things happen and circumstances arise.
• I think he's going to try to come out a little bit aggressive. He's believing in himself a little bit more, he just got a win, so he's still riding off of that momentum. But, he's feeling good, his body is feeling good - so he says. So, I expect to see a Tito Ortiz re-energized and ready to go in there and put up a good fight.
• I think Tito has definitely gotten a lot better with his striking from what I've seen in his last few fights. Just from his movement and where he is after he finishes his combinations. But, I'm not really worried about his striking to be honest. I think that, for the most part, what I need to worry about is my own execution. It doesn't matter what Tito Ortiz does.
Tito Ortiz
• With me and my image, it's one of those things where people love me or people hate me. I don't think my popularity has gone anywhere but up, of course. But, at the same time, there's still those haters and there's still the people who support me. It's just one of those things. When it comes to fight time, I go in and compete and try to get my hand raised.
• Over that past five years, I came up with a draw, a split decision loss, a decision loss - I compete with the top guys in the world and I came up a little short. I kept my head and my nose to the grindstone. I got my surgeries done and I never doubted myself. I just want to show people that with hard work and dedication you can achieve anything.
• I think the fight is going to be a lot different (from the UFC 73 fight) on both sides. I think Rashad has gotten a lot better from that to his last fight with Rampage. His shots are a lot better and he's a lot faster. I've gotten a lot better too. My boxing skills of course and my takedowns and takedown defense has gotten stronger. And not having injuries anymore.
Comments
Rashad will win the fight. The W WON'T BE EARNED EASILY THOUGH...TITO WILL DO BATTLE, BUT WILL COME SHORT...YET AGAIN.
Wonder if Rashad will have any ring rust.
ehm yeah... but Rashad is facing a former champion in Tito too.. Rashad was champ for "1 SECOND" and was unsuccessful in defending it once... Tito was a bigger champ than Rashad will ever be. He defended the belt "5 TIMES". Not to mention it was at heavyweight, so whats your point?
Let's get the facts straight here..
Tito is stronger.. has better BJJ and great TDD and wrestling... i give Rashad the edge in striking but his defense is not perfect and he got a suspect chin, he can get caught. Rashad might and i repeat "might" have an edge in speed and is more explosive... yet Tito's strenght could counter that explosiveness... add Tito's 14 years of experience and now in good health + an Iron chin... can u really with out a single doubt say that a "w" for Tito is unlikely? Think about that for a second..... I'll wait !!
Correction: "light heavyweight"
I watched a video of Tito Ortiz earlier, he was on about Rashad's injury and he was saying he wont go after it because he doesn't want to be that type of guy. If I was Ortiz that would be my first thing to attack.. I've been a fan of Tito for ages, always supported and backed him up in discussions either to my friends or the people on the internet. To be honest Rashad is/was probably the best he's been for a long time.. I hope he beats Rashad and hopefully if Rampage beats Jon Jones Tito vs Rampage would be a epic match.
Good luck Tito.
You obviously don't keep up to date with MMA, Dana White has already said if Tito beats Rashad that'll put him in the top three.. meaning him, Rampage and Jones?
Dana sticks alot of people in slots they dont deserve ..
and keeps fighters down that deserve actual shots.
Tito cant hang with the top fighters in that division.
If Tito beats Rashad who is next in line for a title shot (and has been for over a year), he deserves a title shot, as simple as that.
Tito does not need to prove himself anymore in UFC as he hold the record in most (5) title defenses and helped build the UFC to where it is today. So if he beats the nr.1 contender, who are you to say he does not deserve a shot at the champ?
You're not making any sense... If Tito beats Rashad after he already stopped Bader, it's pretty obvious he CAN hang with the Top fighters in the LW division.
Finally your someone who actually understands what fights actually mean. ^^
Anyway.. @Six you said Tito can't hang in with the top fighters? Everyone said that Ryan Bader is stronger, faster, had better hands, and that his ground game is better. After that description is sounds to me as if Tito never had a chance but he almost knocked him out and ended up choking him out in the first two minutes! Bader is ranked in the top 10 (I know rankings don't mean anything but it gives an understanding on where the fighters are at). I'd say Tito can hang with the top fighters.
Back @WorldStarCEO; I agree with your words so much Tito doesn't need to prove anything.
Anyway people may bring up "he pussied out of fighting Liddell" to be honest the first two fights he wasn't at 100% also if he would of fought him recently what could he show; if he won people would say Chuck beat him twice so he's "better" and if he lost they'd still say he's rubbish.
Anything can happen in the fight against Rashad and I'm backing Tito no matter what, win or loss I'm still going to support and respect him.