Tito Ortiz is done fighting with Dana White. He just doesn’t think White feels the same.
The UFC Hall of Famer sat down with Ariel Helwani on Wednesday and took the blame for how the most famous feud in MMA history got here. Ortiz and the UFC CEO were once fighter and manager. They ended up trading insults for two decades and were booked to box each other in March 2007 before that fell apart.
Ortiz says he has tried to patch it up more than once.
I think about it, yeah. I’ve tried to reach out a few times. I’ve tried to do interviews and apologize and say I’m sorry for what I did.
He pointed to the negotiating tactics he used against White, and to the shirt he wore before his 2008 fight with Lyoto Machida.
I was a man at that time that was influenced by others that I shouldn’t have been influenced by. I should’ve just automatically done what was right. I made some bad decisions. At the time I was just trying to fight for my future as a fighter. I know I’m not going to be able to compete for the rest of my life and I knew this company was going to be as big as it is now.
Ortiz, 51, still works. He runs a gym and an apparel line, does appearances and takes motivational speaking gigs off the strength of his name.
I shouldn’t have to worry about my bills being paid because I fought my —- for 16 years for the UFC and helped them get on the track of where they are right now.
He says the invitations never come. He was turned down for a single ticket to UFC 327 in Miami in April. He would take a reconciliation if it were offered, but he is not chasing one.
I messed up. It is part of the deal. If that bridge can ever be hashed back together between me and Dana, I would love it. But I know Dana, he’s not that type of guy.
