UFC 106 Profile - Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz

Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz

Age: 34

Record: 15-6-1 

Gone but not forgotten, Tito Ortiz is scheduled to make his return to the cage at UFC 106 in a rematch of the controversial split decision win at UFC 59 against Forrest Griffin.  

It’s been 18 months since Ortiz last stepped inside the Octagon and there are ton of questions to be answered when he squares off with the original Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin.    

Is his back at 100 per cent? Ortiz had chronic back pain, which had been plaguing him since he fought Randy Couture all the way back in 2003. He opted for surgery just over a year ago and has had plenty of time to get back into optimal fight shape.  

How is an 18-month layoff going to affect him? Rest is a funny thing. Some guys thrive on it, while others despise it. In this case it has to be a good thing for an aging star like Ortiz to get some time off, really heal up and focus on getting back to where he wants to be. That and he’s been busy making babies with his lady, Jenna Jameson, whose work we’ve all seen.

Were his last three fights a product his pain or a sign of things to come? With a 0-2-1 record in his last three fights - that should really be 0-3-0 as Rashad Evans clearly won their fight - was it the back pain that resulted in his tailspin or is he just getting older and slower? 

Bet on Forrest Griffin -135 vs Tito Ortiz  

Ortiz can only have one game plan if he plans on making quick work of Griffin: ground and pound. As he demonstrated in the Ken Shamrock fights - although Shamrock was 90 years old by then - when Ortiz has an opponent in a compromising position there are few others who can finish a fight like he can.  

Strikes, elbows and the occasional knee to the body will be the key to softening Griffin up for the finish, but taking Griffin to the ground is easier said than done. 

Griffin has a superb takedown defense and clearly possesses the superior standing game. So it is imperative that Ortiz find a way to shoot low out of the gate and continue to push the takedown. With a brand new six-fight contract, Ortiz doesn’t have nearly as much to lose as Griffin and may be in tough when dealing with the pure heart and adrenaline of his opponent. 

After UFC 106 

Love him or hate him, people want to watch Ortiz and with the aforementioned contract he will still get top billing.  

Regardless of the result Ortiz will be looking for vengeance. With a loss, look for Ortiz to be on the hunt for his old pal Chuck Liddell. With a win, look for Ortiz to attempt to right the only draw of his career in a rematch with Rashad Evans. 

Bet on UFC 106 and enjoy!