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Originally Posted by Afro Samurai wow never heard about this, pushed a girl? just adds to the list huh... damn Tito. |
The date was July 13th, 2002; the location was none other than London, England - the birthplace of prize fighting. Mere hours after the Ultimate Fighting Championship had ended, an afterparty occurred in the city's downtown area. Although 'officially' the fighting had ended earlier, little did anyone know the bout of the night was about to take place. On this night, Lee Murray shocked the world and forever etched his name into the Mixed Martial Arts history books. For his fans, the events of that night are looked upon in a proud and very favorable light. However, supporters of Tito Ortiz reflect upon the same day with humiliation, embarrassment, shame, and denial. According to all accounts of the incident not told by Ortiz himself, their shame is more than justified.
In order to better understand the events, it is important to know what preceded the history making encounter between Lee Murray and Tito Ortiz. Prior to it, Lee Murray had grown up in the toughest streets that England had to offer. Often fighting for his own survival, Murray became a tough fighter out of necessity. Growing up in an orphanage, Murray was taken advantage of as a youth and forced into a fighting circuit for children in the shady underground of London; it was here he gained valuable street experience. Afterwards, he began boxing and competing in mixed martial arts events because violence was all he had known growing up; it was also the only way for Lee to conquer the inner demons that that haunted him after surviving the underground orphan fighting circuit. Those same demons greatly desensitized Lee, transforming him into the cold hearted street machine we all know and recognize today.
In contrast, Tito had been living a pampered, wealthy lifestyle in sunny southern California. At the time he visited London, he was the Light Heavyweight Champion of the UFC, earning six figures for each fight. Tito had also aligned himself with the UFC's new owners, known as Zuffa (his previous managers), and was therefore given instant poster boy status, a steady stream of handpicked opponents, and a new weight class just to make it easier for the natural heavyweight to compete against much smaller opponents. All of this was done in an effort to showcase Ortiz's supposed invincibility inside the cage. But Tito had grown very accustomed to fighting opponents with poor standup, and neglected to train in that area of fighting. Worst of all, Tito had begun to believe his own hype, even going so far as to directly steal a line from famed pitfighter David 'Tank' Abbott and proclaim himself the 'Huntington Beach Badboy'.
These factors all played a part in the dramatic conclusion on the night of UFC 38, with an epic confrontation leaving one man standing and another forever damaged in the court of public opinion. As countless unbiased witnesses have explained, the altercation was initiated by Ortiz, but quickly ended by Murray. Cocky and arrogant, Tito Ortiz went into what witnesses described as "roid rage", (a term for side-effects resulting from excessive steroid use); Tito was angered over something insignificant and set out to teach what he perceived to be "cocky and insubordinate" English fighters and fans a lesson, in typical bully fashion. Instead of attempting to resolve the dispute like a man, Ortiz inexplicably approached Lee Murray?s girlfriend and shoved her to the ground. As any real man would, Lee Murray reacted with anger of his own; the 6ft3 and 225 pound Tito Ortiz saw a 180 pound opponent coming towards him, but mistook Lee for another smaller and weaker opponent who he could easily dominate - but both he and the entire Mixed Martial Arts community were about to be taught a hard lesson.
Due to his arrogance and "roid rage", Tito lowered his head and charged Lee, throwing weak, flailing "windmill" style punches that witnesses described as being "girly". As all of the bystanders report it, Lee simply backed up a few steps and then countered with a punching combo that knocked Ortiz down to the ground - "two straight ones and two uppercuts", in his own words. Murray instantly followed up his knockdown with a swift kick to the face of Ortiz, reminding him why he competed in an event that prohibited such acts. Murray, still very angry, screamed at his downed opponent "you're in London now, motherfucker!" before friends and passersby pulled him away from Tito's limp body.
Obviously, Ortiz was mentally and physically defeated by a smaller opponent; some say he simply gave up when faced with superior rage and technique, much as he did to Frank Shamrock in the UFC. The self-described "Huntington Beach Badboy" curled up in a ball and fell into the fetal position after being knocked down, just as weaker animals in the animal kingdom demonstrate their inferiority to more powerful beasts. In fact, the courageous Matt Hughes was forced to throw himself on top of a downed Ortiz in order to prevent any more of an LAPD-style beatdown.
Afterwards, a bloody and beaten Tito Ortiz began spinning the event with typical lies and excuses, and an account of the affair directly contradicting every other report of the incident. Many internet and UFC fans were (and still are) fooled by the spin job, but many others know the truth. Ortiz was also reportedly was forced to see a psychologist to battle persistent questions surrounding his own manhood after his loss to Murray, including a humiliating battle with impotence. His, ego, ability to sustain a satisfactory erection and face may have been hurt that night, but the damage to his reputation will never be lived down.
As For Lee Murray, he gained instant fame and recognition after the incident, and has been on a path of destruction in MMA ever since, including a knockout of famed Bas Rutten student Amir in a mere four seconds. Lee also created a legion of hardcore internet fans, loyal to the last man. After hearing about the quick and savage destruction Murray handed Tito Ortiz, very few fighters are willing to step up to Lee and take him on in the streets OR the cage. Will Murray ever receive his big break and get a shot in the UFC, or will Zuffa continue to protect their poster boy from the aptly nicknamed "Taco Terrorizer"?
This page was created in an attempt to honor the UK's finest warrior and create his first official fan club site. It was also written in response to the false charges and accusations made surrounding the Ortiz/Murray debacle. Most importantly however, the Lee Murray fans know that whether it be in the streets, the ring or the cage, he will compete like a true warrior. Welcome to the first unofficial Lee Murray fanclub page, hopefully you will enjoy visiting almost as much as Lee enjoyed filling the filthy streets of London with the blood of the "Mexican Myth"!this is how things happened.