Tito Ortiz was a major underdog going into his UFC 132 fight against Ryan Bader. Most fans and experts expected Bader to give Ortiz the same business that Matt Hamill did at UFC 121 last year. Instead, Ortiz surprised Bader with a right hand, dropping the former contender before sinking in a deep guillotine choke, bringing the bout to an end in under two minutes. While Ortiz is far from a title shot, he proved that he still belongs in the UFC, despite being a product of an MMA era that seems to be fading away fast in the UFC.
Ortiz belongs in a group of fighters that either are or will be part of the UFC Hall of Fame. Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, and Matt Hughes are also members of that group: individuals who were around before mixed martial arts became the powerful force that it has become today. Before events were held on a weekly basis, and before ESPN dedicated resources to the coverage of the sport, these fighters were putting on great title defenses.
Both Liddell and Couture decided to move into retirement after being knocked out in their last bouts by Rich Franklin and Lyoto Machida respectively. Silva may have very well fought his last battle, as Chris Leben needed only 27 seconds to leave him face down on the mat. The last time we saw Matt Hughes he was being stopped in just 21 seconds by BJ Penn at UFC 123, and this was after bringing a spark back to his career in the form of a three-fight win streak. He’s set to face Diego Sanchez at UFC 135, and will most likely be a major underdog in that event.
Ortiz was expected to be the next name added to that list after Bader walked through him, however the exact opposite happened. Fans in Las Vegas and at home erupted when Ortiz went into his patented grave digger routine, which hasn’t been displayed since 2006. In that quick moment, Ortiz reminded us all that he is a major factor in getting MMA where it is today. Sherdog published an informative piece that laid out many of Ortiz’s contributions to the sport, and whether you like him or not, it’s important that you respect what he has done for MMA.
At 36 years of age, Ortiz isn’t nearly as “old” as Liddell or Couture were when they decided to call it a career. However he is still in the final phase of what has been a Hall of Fame worthy career. There’s no telling whether he will ever get that honor bestowed upon him by Dana White, but there isn’t an argument against his worthiness. The “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has given us many moments to either cheer or boo him, and UFC 132 was just another to be added to the list.
