In The Ultimate Fighting Championship®, no feud has been more inspired than the one featuring light heavyweight legends Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. The long-standing rivalry between “The Iceman” and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has featured two, historic clashes inside the famed Octagon®, each of which was filled with heated exchanges, intense bravado, and passionate displays of athleticism. What’s more, each Liddell-Ortiz encounter left fans choosing sides in this epic rivalry.
In professional sports, fans live for rivalries. Whether it’s Boston vs. New York in baseball, Toronto vs. Montreal in hockey, or Ohio State vs. Michigan in football, fans have a burning desire to see their favorite teams soundly defeat eternal adversaries. Regardless of standings, rankings, or championships on the line, fans believe wins over bitter rivals are of the utmost importance.
In 2010, MMA’s biggest feud takes on a whole new meaning. In what will be one of the most hotly-contested seasons ever, Liddell and Ortiz have been selected to face off as coaches of Spike TV’s most popular original series ever, The Ultimate Fighter®. Scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 10:00pm ET/PT, two of the sport’s biggest icons will lead their respective teams in a season that will produce fireworks never-before-seen in the Liddell-Ortiz saga.
“The world knows that there is no love lost between Tito and Chuck,” UFC President Dana White said. “These two guys will do whatever it takes to beat each other. Whether it’s fighting or checkers, Chuck wants to beat Tito and Tito wants to beat Chuck. On Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter, we’ll see which legend can score the upper hand when it comes to coaching the next batch of rising stars.”
A native of Santa Barbara, Calif., Liddell (21-7) served as coach of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter in January 2005. Known for his phenomenal striking ability and staunch takedown defense, “The Iceman” earned his way into the UFC Hall of Fame by defeating the likes of Vitor Belfort, Renato Sobral, Randy Couture (twice), and Ortiz (twice). Considered by many as the greatest 205-pound fighter ever, Liddell believes he will score another victory when he coaches opposite Ortiz next year.
“I am excited for the opportunity to coach on The Ultimate Fighter, especially since I get a chance to beat Tito again,” said Liddell, who became a pop culture icon with appearances on hit programs such as “Dancing with the Stars, “Entourage,” and “The Apprentice”. “This is a perfect chance for me to help young fighters grow and it’s a chance for me to get another win against Tito.”
The longest-reigning champion in UFC history, Ortiz (16-7-1) once held the light heavyweight title for nearly four years. An outstanding wrestler with vicious ground and pound, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” owns wins over some of the sport’s elite, including Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva, as well as three victories over Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock. A coach on season three of The Ultimate Fighter, Ortiz returns to the show holding the firm belief that he will finally knock off his arch nemesis.
“This season of the show is important to me in so many ways,” said Ortiz, who appeared on the hit series “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2008. “I love coaching and I’m happy that I can give my fighters a chance to become better athletes. Plus, I think I’m a better coach than Chuck. I think my guys are going to be hungry and ready to smash Chuck’s guys. I can’t wait to see his face when that happens.”
Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin will duke it out this Saturday in a rematch to see who moves back up the ladder at 205, and who is forced to step down another rung at light-heavyweight. Here are some factors to consider:
WRESTLING
Tito Ortiz has always depended on solid wrestling to score some of his biggest wins during his heyday as UFC light-heavyweight champ. When things get tough on the feet, Ortiz can always fire back with punches or decide to shoot in for a single and double to turn things around. In fact it was probably a late takedown in his first fight with Forrest Griffin which ended up helping the Mexican-American light-heavyweight get the nod in a close fight. Having this strong wrestling pedigree under his belt will allow Ortiz to dictate where the fight will take place. Griffin has takedown defense, but Ortiz’s skill and relentlessness in shooting in for doubles and singles should allow him to plant Griffin on his back. From there Ortiz will most likely look to score some vintage “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” ground and pound, as opposed to looking for submissions from the top position.
JIU JITSU
Speaking of submissions, Griffin has a pretty solid and often underrated BJJ game. But the same could be said for Tito Ortiz. Griffin tapped out the man many feel should be wearing the UFC light-heavyweight gold right now, and Ortiz came close to catching the man currently holding said gold belt, Lyoto Machida, when Ortiz exploded with a well-executed triangle choke. Both fighters have a good ground game in terms of BJJ, but I see them cancelling each other out on the ground in that respect. The big edge on the ground will not be submissions but the ground and pound striking from up top that Ortiz will rain down.
STRIKING
Both fighters showed in the first fight that they can get the better of one another when it comes to striking. Griffin would have the advantage in leg kicks and perhaps gives him an edge in the overall striking game. He also has a lot more confidence this time out against Ortiz–the first time they fought it was his first time competing against a big name competitor like Ortiz. Griffin could possibly have the slight edge and has good leg kicks, but that kicking advantage could prove to be a detriment to the Las Vegas resident for when he attacks with the leg Ortiz could be ready to pounce by grabbing the leg and rushing in for the takedown. That threat of being taking down could nullify the effectiveness of the Griffin’s kicking game. Ortiz has already thrown out that threat verbally in the pre-fight promotional banter.
MINDSET
Both fighters really need a win right now. Griffin is coming off the most difficult defeat of his career. He appeared to be very shook up about the whole situation and has had to pick up the pieces and get back to the drawing board. I thought that loss might still be impacting him but Griffin appears to have successfully erased and suppressed the negativity surrounding his last performance and has a renewed intensity for Ortiz. This rematch gives him a chance to avenge a loss he felt he didn’t suffer in the first place. He’s really motivated to win this fight. Ortiz is looking to start a new chapter in his career and go for one final run at the 205 pound title. He’s injury free, in a good place with president Dana White and the UFC brass, and looking to be in tip top shape for this upcoming intense battle.
THE RESULT
I’ve flip flopped on this one a lot, but I’ll stick with Ortiz in this one. He has solid wrestling in his back pocket and that can allow him to get Griffin on his back. From there he can land some really brutal ground and pound. I think the advantage Ortiz has the the ground in terms of doing damage with strikes is greater than any advantage Griffin may have over Ortiz in terms of striking on the feet. I think we might end up with a similar finish to this fight, a close decision, perhaps controversial, going the way of Tito Ortiz. With many fans and people in the MMA industry discouraged with judging in MMA these days, a judges decision could be a very unpredictable event. Nonetheless I’ll predict 29-28 for Ortiz on all 3 judges’ scorecards.
Former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, will be attending Wednesday’s press conference for “Affliction: Day of Reckoning.”
Ortiz’s last fight was a decision loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 84 in May.
While insults and insults were slung between the two over the past year, Tito Ortiz and Dana White aren’t still completely unable to do business again. At least according to UFC president Dana White. “Listen, me and Tito didn’t say anything worse than what we said before he came back and became a coach on The Ultimate Fighter“, said Ortiz to USA Today. “Tito and I do not like each other. We do not. It’s 100% real, we don’t like each other at all, but it doesn’t mean we haven’t done business together before.”
There are lots of sacrifices in becoming a fighter of course, especially an Ultimate Fighter. It’s the hard work … the road work, the lifting, the boxing, the wrestling, the jiu-jitsu. It’s really, really challenging — not going out with your friends. I have friends who are in a rock band Korn, and they go on tour all the time. It seems like every time they go on tour I’m actually in training camp and I can’t go out and hang out with them.
My girlfriend would want to go out and go to the movies or go eat dinner at 7 p.m. — I gotta go train at 7 p.m. I can’t eat dinner. I eat dinner at 10 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. at night. … On the weekends, Saturdays are the days we do our mountain runs and lift weights. I can’t leave the mountain to go have a fun time with my son at Disneyland … because I’m training. I spend time away from my son when I am up at Big Bear. He comes up to visit me once every two or three weeks. I have to sacrifice to make sure I’m in the right shape, the right mindset, so when I step into the Octagon I know I’m ready.–Tito Ortiz talking to the Baltimore Sun
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o r i g i n a l M M A a p p a r e l
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