Tito Ortiz Says He’ll Kick Any Bellator Light Heavyweight’s A–
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz got his first win in almost three years at last night’s (Sat., May 17, 2014) Bellator 120 pay-per-view (PPV) from the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, submitting middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko with a well-executed first round arm triangle choke.
By far the most noticeable aspect of the fight was the size advantage Ortiz held on “Storm,” a middleweight who could arguably fight at welterweight. The bout was contested at light heavyweight, however, and Ortiz picked up a much-needed victory to right the ship for the time being.
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has obviously had his ups and downs as of late, from his many injuries to his highly publicized split from wife Jenna Jameson. Ortiz believes his win went a long way towards silencing those that were certain he should hang up his gloves, stating the following at the post-fight presser (via MMA Junkie):
“When I got my neck broken, there were many fans who said I should stop, and I didn’t believe in that. My whole life growing up, people told me I couldn’t do something. They told me I was never going to achieve anything in life. I became a world champion after a year-and-a-half in competition. I helped to get the sport where it is today, and I sacrificed my life for it. I’ve had five major surgeries. People tell me I can’t do things and I just prove them wrong.”
Ortiz is riding high on the finish win, but he may be forced to come back down to Earth a bit when he’s forced to face off with an opponent of his own size. But with his injuries and personal issues now a thing of the past, Ortiz is confident he can handle all of the 205-pound talent in Bellator, even “Rampage” Jackson:
“When I go home and I take care of my kids and I train my ass off, I’m a dangerous person, and I’ll kick any one of these light heavyweight’s asses. ‘Rampage,’ that includes you, too.”
Ortiz was supposed to fight “Rampage,” who narrowly beat “King Mo” Lawal in Bellator 120’s makeshift headliner, at the company’s first attempt at an inaugural PPV last November. But when Ortiz went down with a hairline fracture in his neck, the stage was set for “Rampage” to reel off three consecutive victories to earn the light heavyweight tournament title and a shot at 205-pound champion Emanuel Newton.
The only way Ortiz and “Rampage” can hook ‘em up now (at least for the time being) would be if Ortiz wins a tournament. His injuries may be on the mend, but can the 39-year-old former champion survive the full rigors of a grueling Bellator season?
