Tito Ortiz says he "let Rashad Evans off the hook" in their first fight
Posted on August 3, 2011, 06:53 PM by Joey SantosusFormer Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, who will face Rashad Evans in a rematch on Saturday night, discusses his opponent, as well as their first encounter at UFC 73. Ortiz feels he "let Evans off the hook" back in 2007 and says he plans to defeat "Suga" like he should have the first time.
Tito Ortiz: "I think the last time I kind of let (Rashad Evans) off the hook a few times that I probably shouldn't have. This time around, we'll see on Saturday night. I'm healthy, I'm strong, my weight is where I want it to be, I'm heavier than I ever was, but heavier in a great fashion of being strong. My leg strength is there, my back strength, my arms - I'm healthy. I feel good. I feel really, really good... I'm not thinking about after this. I'm not thinking about a title shot right now. I'm just thinking about getting my hand raised and having a victory over Rashad like I should have had the first time."
Further Reading: Tito Ortiz training for the fight with Rashad Evans
Comments
You mean like most ppl did before he beat Bader? Just wait till he loses, people will start hating him again,
Bandwagons man... one of the worst parts of modern MMA.
Well, let's see if he uses any excuses if he gets pawned!
Yeeeeee haaaaw...Tito is all high on the horse now that he has won 1 fight in the last 5 YEARS.
This guy is full of sh*t...and an asshole. GO FIGURE!
come on let Rashad off here I am wanting to cheer for you and cant give the man credit even though beat yourself by a point deduction but Rashad
fought good
This dude is a tool ... wins one damn fight in 5yrs and all the sudden he thinks he is relevant.
If he fought Bader 10 times he would lose 9 of them. Time to bring that big Macy's Day head back to the ground.
Looking for Rashad to remind the world why we forgot about Tito in the first place.
Love him or hate him , he puts butts in the seats and sells ppvs.
He is a pioneer of the sport and deserves respect, just like anyone pro or amatuer that has the balls to step in the cage.
Well he certainly hasn't earned very much respect. He ducked out of the 3rd fight with Chuck. Inadvertantly causing Chuck to retire then, instead of getting at least one more win first. lol, And then when Tito loses to Forrest, he tries to tell everyone he has a cracked skull. LMFAO, That was so priceless. Joe Rogan didn't know what to say. I was happy for Tito to get one last win. The same way I would have been happy for Chuck to get at least one last win over Tito.
Hating on someone is usually a sign of jealousy. Tito is one of the most successful MMA fighters of all time business wise. Like him or not, you can't deny he knows how to promote himself and get your attention, It makes him tons of money, and the haters still watch him.
I'm sorry that you rep Tito as a business man and not a fighter. Rashad worked his ass off to get where he is and Tito's been riding the gravy train. Next stop, KO! Ding Ding!
The "bandwagon" problem in MMA exists in every sport where the team/player success fluctuates every match. It sucks that fans change their mind and opinion every other day, but the truth is, fighters are like stocks. They rise and fall and it is hard to be neutral. Fans love their legends, classic fighters and all round great fighters to death - we all have favorites that regardless of performance will remain on our mantle. The sad fact is, those fighters will one day get old and past it. For some, that day has already come (In my opinion - Fedor) If you want to continue to cheer for a guy who no longer has it, then good for you. Most people will move on or move back depending. Its not a crime. I believe this is what keeps MMA fans motivated to tune in and follow it every day. If we never adapted or changed our minds, then MMA would be boring.
Tito was douche not too long ago. His personal life was blending into his fights and his personality stunk. I hated him for it, but you have to stop hating when that same person triumphs and gets out of his old ways. This we have to respect. Even if Tito ends up cut, lets at least appreciate a guy who is now healthy and overcame adversity. This what fighting is about.
I can't understand why so many so called MMA "fans" slag Tito off all the time man. Yes he said a few stupid things and made comments that maybe he shouldn't of but people are too quick to forget what he brought to this sport man, When he was champ he bought a lot of fans to MMA, helping to get the sport mainstream. He was also a better champ than most of the recent belt holders, he defended his belt 5 times, most LHWs today can't defend it once. I know that is largely due to the level of competition getting better etc but come on guys man, he still deserves a little respect at least for what he's acheived in the sport and for all we know his bad run may have been due to the injuries he was carrying (i.e. his back, neck injury) they're bound to have had some effect on his performance. Now he's had the ops and is completely healthy maybe we will see a bit more of the Tito of old. I know he has always been full of excuses and stuff when he has lost but his excuses may have been valid, no one can know for sure. One thing is for sure though we'll find out if the "old" Tito is back after this fight. Regardless though, i'm not a big Ortiz fan but he has earned my respect as a fighter......