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[Cat--Smasher]

Tito Ortiz on legacy, Dana, Forrest: "The referee is going to have to pull me off him"

FO: How do you make the switch from calm Tito to charged Tito? Does that happen during camp, is it a process you go through back stage?

“It’s definitely a process that starts in camp. Every night before I go to bed I visualize walking to the cage and going through the entire fight. Even down to the referee asking both corners, ‘Are you ready? Are you ready?’ I go over the first punches thrown, how I’m going to react.

If I’m going to be the first person to throw a punch, or if I’m going to start aggressive, I go through the whole match over and over throughout the six weeks of the camp. I watch videos of the guys I’m fighting so I can visualize their movements and think about the mistakes they’ve made.

From day one I’m thinking about utilizing my skills to counter their mistakes. From Big Bear to Vegas, it’s a metal process. I believe in self-fulfilling prophecy… If you believe in it hard enough then it will happen.”



FO: Jon Jones is the current world number one at 205lb, what do you think of his fighting style?

“Jon Jones is spectacular. I think he’ll go down as one of the greatest. In fact, he’s already one of the greatest right now. He thinks outside the box, the guy is always doing something different. He’s a great wrestler, his Muay Thai is really, really good – I watched the Rashad (Evans) fight and he just picked Rashad apart.

He’s the next generation of fighters. And that’s what makes MMA so great. I can’t wait to see the next generation of fighters after him too. If you think that Ken Sharmock and Royce Gracie were the first generation, and I was the second generation, and Jon Jones is the third generation, when what are the fourth, fifth and sixth generations be like? I can only imagine.

And that’s what makes out sport so great, because the young kids that are coming up and want to be the next Tito Ortiz, or the next Jon Jones, it’s amazing to see. I’m just so excited to see what comes next in the sport of MMA and in the UFC Octagon.”



FO: How would the Tito Ortiz of say 2001 of approached a fight with Jon Jones?

“Pressure. Don’t let him use that reach, try to close down the space with tons of pressure. Use my strength, use my wrestling. An injury free Tito Ortiz is very, very dangerous, and Ryan Bader was the last guy who got a close up of that one. When I’m injiry-free I’m very dangerous.

Me around 2000, when I was fast a strong and I was strong and my confidence was through the roof I could beat anyone. I could of beat anyone in the world man. Now, 15 years later, look at me I’m still competing against top guys in the world – like I always have done – but the injuries have taken there toll.

If I was the same game but without the surgeries, then I’d still be the champion! When I look back at my loss to (Randy) Couture, that’s when I had my first back problem. I was suffering right through that fight camp, and I suffered for seven years with that back problem, Then after the Machida fight I couldn’t do it any more, I couldn’t eat any more pain killers so I ended up getting the surgery.

And despite operations like the ones I’ve had and my back and my neck I’m still competing at the top. And the secret is always staying positive, and everybody in every aspect of life can learn from that. You just have to tell yourself that you can do it, get through and you can. I’ve proved it.”



FO: The Ryan Bader fight, was that a very emotional win for you?

“It was incredibly emotional for me. Everything was stacked against me. I was supposed to lose, I wasn’t supposed to win that fight. And everything that I did to prepare for that fight was all me. The guys around me pushed me the right way, yes, but I prepared the right way. I was injury free, which is just huge in this sport.

“I was very positive - all the negative people, I turned them off completely, I blocked them out of my life. And all I was there was to prove the people right that had my back. I wasn’t there to prove anybody wrong. I never said, ‘Ha, for all you guys who said I was going to lose there you go, back in your face.’ No. I was there to prove the people right, the guys who told me, ‘Tito you can beat him, Tito you can beat this kid.’ I proved them right.

“When I had my hand raised, it was great because a few days before I’d done some filming on The Ultimate Fighter and all the guys were asking, ‘Tito do the gravedigger man, do the gravedigger.’ But I said, ‘No. Wait until the fight. I’ll show it to you then.’ And they looked at me like I was crazy. They were thinking if I didn’t show it to them then, then they weren’t going to see it because I wasn’t winning that fight. And that was the first thing that popped in my head as he tapped out. It was time to show them exactly what they wanted to see.

“It was like that self-fulfilling prophecy, I believed it in my mind, I already had it done. So it was like, bam, I’ve done it. That’s why it was so emotional. To prove all of those people right. That regardless of all the injuries and the hard times, I came through it and I got the job done in like one minute and 56 seconds. The next day I woke up, opened the curtains in my room at the hotel and the sun was shining in just so bright. And I sat there on the edge of the bed and I just cried. That was just pure enjoyment.

“And I just thought, ‘God thank you. Who ever is looking over me, thank you.’ Because I was able to prove to myself, to my family, and to my friends, that I was still a force to be reckoned with in the light heavyweight division. And I was able to work through all my injuries and still prove I was capable at the highest level.”



FO: Do you regret taking the Rashad fight at such short notice afterwards?

“Regret it? No, as I was able to fulfil my UFC contract. But perhaps I would of approached it a little differently and I think the match would of turned out a lot different too. But I stepped up for the UFC, I stepped up for my fans. I didn’t do it for myself. I did it for Dana, as he asked me. I wanted to show everyone that I am a company guy, I’m here for those guys and I’ll do anything for them.

“There’s probably some things that were said in the past that may lay fans to believe that I’m not a company guy, but I am. Remember, I’ve been with the UFC from day one. I was here even before the Fertitta’s bought the company. I’ve been pushing this brand, the UFC, and MMA to the next level. And I’ve been blessed to literally be able to make it happen.

“So I wouldn’t take that fight back, no. But I don believe I would of done better if I’d of had more time to prepare for it. But it is what it is. I wont look back on it with regret. I did what I need to do at the time to secure my legacy and my standing in the UFC.”



FO: What kind of legacy do you hope to leave behind?

“I know I’ve been an inspiration to a lot of people. Not just fighters, but a lot of these guys who are making great money in the sport now, a lot of that has to do with me. I have really worked super hard to make this UFC brand and MMA brand what it is today. Remember I was also one of the first fighters to turn up wearing a suit. To make the fighters more professional too. Lorenzo Fertitta bought me a suit, and I wore it all the time. So much so, When I did The Apprentice, Donald Trump even said to me, ‘Tito you always dress really nice, that makes you appear so professional.’

“And I’ve always done that. Every event that I even go to I dress to the nines. And that’s why Georges St Pierre does it now, and Rashad Evans, even Chuck Liddel. And its cool to see it. I know a lot of fighters are also thankful for a lot of the stuff that I’ve stood for. I just want to be an inspiration. And people to recognize that I literally broke my back to help make the sport of MMA successful.”



FO: What are your favourite career highlights?

“I have a top three. Believe it or not, its pretty much a tie for me winning the world title and beating Ryan Bader at the top two. I guess winning the UFC title, after just a year and a half of competition, is number one. It saved my life and built a future for my family. Then at number two has to be beating Ryan Bader. It wasn’t supposed to happen the way it did, and I was a 6-1 underdog, and I threw a wrench into everyone’s plans, and made everyone think twice.

“And number three has to be when I showed how strong I was mentally and physically the night I beat Vitor Belfort. I had my nose broken in the first minute and a half, but I just showed how mentally strong I was in that fight, to come through by split decision. And I beat 100% the best Vitor Belfort of his career too.

“I remember before that fight Vitor said, ‘Mountains don’t make champions,’ as I was up in Big Bear at the time. And I thought, ‘I’m going to prove you wrong saying that,’ ‘cos I knew how great my cardio was. And he threw everything but the kitchen sink at me and I was able to outlast him and get my hand raised. Those three fights are my favourite 1-2-3 night’s in my career.”



FO: What is motivating you for this fight, and what’s going to give you the victory in this third fight with Forrest Griffin?

“My heart is going to give me the victory in this fight. What motivates me is ensuring I eave my legacy as a winner. I think I deserve it. I just got to put in the work, that’s it. That’s all I gotta do. Come fight time Forrest knows that I’ll just be looking to hurt him. I’m not looking for points, I’m not looking to win by decision. I’m looking to take him out. The referee is going to have to pull me off of him. Elbows, punches, knees, kicks, slams, whatever comes its going to be balls out. I’m going to have 15 minutes of trying to destruct Forrest Griffin. That is going to be my only goal.

“Nothing against Forrest, I think he’s a great guy, but he’s the victim on my list right now. This is about my legacy, it’s what I have fought my whole life for. There is so many UFC fighters who have been forgotten about because of the things they have done. But I’m one of the guys who’s spoke my mind, I’ve spoke the truth. And I’ve never been forgotten about. I’ve always been a staple, always been a stand-up guy and I stick by my words.

“A lot of people say it, but I live it, ‘I’d rather die on my feet, than live on my knees.’ I’ve always been that person. I’m thankful for everything that’s been given too me. I’ve been very successful. Fame and money have come along with my career, but I don’t really care about either of them.

All I care about is leaving a true legacy as a fighter, as a warrior. I stepped into the cage against another man to test who the best man is, I’ve done that and I’m thankful. I’m thankful to the Fertitta’s, I’m thankful to Dana White, not matter about the beef we had with each other, he’s a friend to me and I’ve always just fought for what he’s taught me to fight for. And I’m thankful to the entire Fertitta family.”

Tito Ortiz on legacy, Dana, Forrest: "The referee is going to have to pull me off him" - Fighters Only

[zana1126]

Tito and Forrest are way past their prime. This fight has less sense than the Matt Hughes vs Renzo Gracie did.

[mmawolverine]

Originally Posted by zana1126

Tito and Forrest are way past their prime. This fight has less sense than the Matt Hughes vs Renzo Gracie did.

i dont know i dont think its that bad, tito and forrrest can still put on a good fight im more concerned with forrest and his concussions, i dont even like tito but i dont want the guy to retire if he wins convincingly he should take one more fight against fresh meat

[Y2JUBAE]

FO: How would the Tito Ortiz of say 2001 of approached a fight with Jon Jones?

Answer: Say that they are best friends and avoid the fight...

Damn, so many fighters do that today lol.

[Cat--Smasher]

So does Tito go down to the UFC HOF final fight curse?

I think every HOF fighter has gotten his ass beat in his final fight.