Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader set for UFC 132 in July
Posted on March 22, 2011, 11:47 PM by Joey SantosusFormer Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz and TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader have agreed to go head to head as part of July's UFC 132 line-up.
The fighters revealed the match-up via Twitter, where Ortiz stated, "Ryan Bader want some? You will get some. Let's go!" UFC President Dana White has also since confirmed the bout with ESPN.
Ortiz (15-8-1) was originally set to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event of this Saturday's Fight Night 24 in Seattle, but was forced to withdraw when an injury suffered during training resulted in receiving 20-plus stitches to his head. Though he expressed interest in a rubber match with Forrest Griffin, he will instead get the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler. It's a must win situation for Ortiz, as he has not won a match-up since his 2006 TKO victory over Ken Shamrock and is currently on a three-fight losing streak.
Bader (12-1), meanwhile, will look to erase the memory of his first professional loss, which he suffered in his February bout against Jon "Bones" Jones. Prior to the defeat, Bader had won five straight under the UFC banner, including a unanimous decision over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and a knockout victory over Keith Jardine. Following his setback against Jones, Bader called out "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" during an interview with ESPN.
UFC 132 is set to take place July 2nd from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Though the card is not yet official, the promotion recently announced that the rematch between top Welterweight contenders Jon Fitch and BJ Penn will be a part of the line-up.
Comments
What a ridiculous match up. Bader will destroy Ortiz, probably win a 30-24 decision or something stupid like that. Why is Tito even still in the UFC?
Dana knows if he doesn't take his rage out in the octagon then he will take it out on his coked up porn star wife.
That is probably why Bader has called for this and Dana has given it him to rebuild his kudos in the UFC after being dominated by Jones. I'm not convinced it's as much a gimme as it first appears. Ortiz seemed out of sorts against Forest griffin but I wouldn't be surprised if he is in good shape for this and puts up a great performance regardless of the outcome.
most likely just because of contracts.......he always runs his mouth
last fight he dominated was Ken back I dont know when...??!!!! every
other fight he was suppose to do he came down with something..
dont get me wrong back and neck surgery is no BS but since then
he will talk about how he is going to crush so in so then his neck
or knee or something and was always a big name guy...but Bader
to dodge Bader would be sad so here comes the chit talk but he will get crushed
The last fight tito won was against his wife....
I think Dana is trying to retire Tito by putting him up against people he can't compete with.
That's actually a great idea. Tito Ortiz can't defeat ANYONE in that division. I don't even understand why or how he has fans.
He's such an idiot and he's always been mediocre. Even in his prime he wouldn't have matched up well with anyone in the UFC right now.
The only reason he ever won a belt is because there was no competition at the time and when some finally showed up in the form of Chuck Liddell, they would beat his ass everytime.
Tito is such a pussy that the only thing you need to beat him, is two fists and some balls, that's it.
@ stiks
...my thoughts, exactly. This is (like)...who can I (Dana) give him, that I know will kill him and put an end to Tito's career; finally.
Bottom line - no matter who, really, there are no easy fights for Ortiz @ 205; no locks. I don't really know who he would get a win against, let alone "beat". His game hasn't evolved. He still seems to gas in the second (of every fight he has / had) and I have no idea why people go on about TO's conditioning and cardio, because I don't see it in his fights.
he beat wanderlei silva, vitor belfort and even griffin (even if griffin wasnt that great then), he wasnt mediocre before, but his ass later got to his head
And you call yourself a fan of MMA Fontez.....
First of all your not looking at it the right way. He was great because he was great at the sport when the sports wasnt as big he was the best of the best at a new sport and you wil nevertake that away from him so your right and wrong.
I also fear for tito in this fight but look at it this way, if he gets beat dana can cut him no questions. But if he wins he still has a pretty big fan base so you can do a decent bit of promotional work on him beating a top dog like bader i think
You guys are judging his fighting skills by his personality, not objectively. His last 4 fights he wasn't really dominated at all. Matt Hamil squeaked out a decision win. Forest barely won a split decision win. Lyoto won a boring decision win. Technically he would have won his bout against Rashad (number 1 LH contender), but he lost a point due to a fence grab. The only convincing loss in his last 10 fights was Chuck Lidell. So as much as I hate Tito's personality too, all of the constant statements how Tito can't fight and compete anymore don't really line up with reality when you look at his fights objectively (and the fact that he beat the current LH no. 1 contender).
None of the decision loss fights was he totally dominated, and as I remember they were all fairly unexciting fights. And we are talking the top guys in the LH division couldn't convincingly beat Tito, or basically lost like Rashad.
Hm, I find him pretty 1 dimensional. Thats why I'm judging him. The new breed of MMA fighters would tear him apart even if he was in his prime.
Forrest whooped his ass, Hamil beat him at what he does best wrestling and he out struck him, Lyoto beat his ass, and the list goes on he hasnt won wince what 2005 or earlier? He is not a great fighter anymore hes very one dimensional.
Really why give bader ortiz bader should of got griffin or franklin not ortiz bader will destroy him no questions asked see ya later ortiz.
BADER WILL SMASH ORTIZ
for sure.. but the main question is will tito show up^^
he'll break his hand from punching his wife or jackin off to pictures of himself a week before the fight.
i like the match up...
If Tito insists on still fighting I'd rather see him against someone young and hungry than another seasoned fighter that is more cautious, and more willing to capitalise on Tito's poor form on scorecards to win the decision. HOPEFULLY bader will use wrestling to keep it standing and beat him up standing.
I can see him stumbling back into the cage with a cut above his eye already....ahhh
aw man i know this was at short notice and all that but what a bad matchup, bader will win with no problems
They should start figuring out now who Ortiz' replacement will be when he drops out of this one for some stupid reason.
Bader must've agreed to this fight hoping he destroys Tito to regain some confidence due to the embarrassing big loss he took to Jones. I still can't believe he tried to pull guard in that fight against Bones. I still don't know what he thinking at that moment. But even though he loss that fight, Bader I thought should've fought Griffin, Ace, or even the winner Davis Vs. Nog. I really don't get this fight. Tito is way down the latter of competition right now to me... Well hopefully Bader wins and stops calling out fighters like Tito. As for Tito, well, I don't know.
"The End of Tito's Career".
Chances of Tito beating Bader, particularly with Bader coming off a loss (to the new Champ) - 0.
...Bader...stoppage...no later than the end of the second round.
And will Bader get dropped if he loses to Tito? I was not convinced he deserved the unanimous decision against Nog and thought Nog should have won, followed by a one sided loss to Jones and then a loss to Tito? Bader is a decent fighter IMO but way overhyped though that is easing a little but still some fans are delusional writing off Tito as fast as they do.
I think Bader has a good chance but I believe Tito has a reasonable chance in this one also if he comes in sharp and fit.
I see Ryan Bader just whooping on Tito.
Tito is gonna get Tito'd
Well Tito is officially going to get cut by the UFC soooon enoughh ;)
I will now do a deep summoning of my amazing psychic skills............. Tito will get "injured" and this fight will never happen. BUT if it does...Bader by showing up
Tito fighting is as sad as Ken Shamrock fighting when Tito was kicking his ass.On the bright side hes top ten if he moves to Strikeforce.