On Eve of Belfort Showdown, Ortiz Excited about his Future
Tito Ortiz
Josh Gross Feb 5, 2005
What’s Next?
Here is what confounds people about Ortiz. In the same answer he’ll suggest that training is a bore, and that he would be better served spending time on other things. Yet five seconds after making it sound like he’s going to hang ‘em up, he starts in with the classic Ortiz shtick.
When asked about the fans’ recent reaction to him and how he feels
about his current situation, he offered myriad answers—in one
paragraph:
“I’m trying to work on other things. I’m trying to get into the theatrical side of it doing movies and stuff like that because I think that’s where the big money is. I’m sick of beating up my body and sick of doing things that I’ve been doing. I’m kinda bored, man. Kinda bored. It’s just time for me to move on with my life and when I beat down Vitor, I’ll sit back and see if the UFC wants to renew my contract. I really want to. I do want to fight again, but you know I’m going to get paid what I expect that I’m worth. I love fighting.”
Even though he’s convinced “people are going to want to watch Tito Ortiz no matter what,” it is clear from speaking with people inside and outside the UFC, that in order for him to make the most of his professional emancipation, he must defeat Belfort.
“I don’t know how you make money at fighting without winning,” observed Oyama.
If he falls short, said UFC insiders, he might have ruined any chance of resurrecting a career that started to hit the skids following the November 2002 beating of Ken Shamrock.
“We gotta cross that bridge [if] we get there,” Ghahremani said. “I don’t think it would be the end of the world because I think Tito still would have enough draw to be fighting at a high rate.”
“If he loses to Vitor, he’s lost three of his last four fights,” White said. “But the thing is I think we’ve put enough money behind Tito that he would be the guy that PRIDE, K-1 or any of these other organizations would try to bring to have their new stars beat him up. What’s that worth? Who knows.”
Should he defeat Belfort, it’s expected that Ortiz will ask for least $300,000 per fight, said Ghahremani. At that price he would become the highest paid fighter in the history of the organization, a scenario that seems highly unlikely, especially after the last two years.
“I don’t see why Zuffa wouldn’t be able to,” challenged Ortiz’ agent, “because if you look at it with a lot of the pay-per-view incentives people are doing nowadays … it’s not too far from [$300,000]. So why not?
“When you see a guy like Tank Abbott get $150,000 guaranteed to show and Tito doesn’t get that guaranteed to show—and Tito’s draw is a gazillion times stronger than a Tank Abbott—we’re looking realistically $300,000-ish.
“We just don’t like the win-bonus stuff. When you’re starting out to show and win, that’s beautiful; fine, that’s your incentive. But when you’re up at the higher echelon—Tito, Randy, Chuck, Wanderlei—these guys, you don’t need to give ‘em show money because you know they’re going to show up and fight and win. They’re not going to show up and patty-cake it.”
The problem for Ortiz stems from the fact that he is no longer the only show in town. Just last Monday, more viewers tuned in to see Bobby Southworth knock out Lodune Sincaid on Spike TV’s Ultimate Fighter than have watched Ortiz in all his pay-per-view appearances combined.
With variables like that, Ortiz’ bargaining power is definitely diminished. Yet despite the Liddell soap opera, Ortiz still fills seats and sells pay-per-views. The coming months will undoubtedly provide an answer to just how much he’s worth on the open market.
Is he still the same fighter who once captured White’s imagination?
“Tito and I have a lot of history,” said White, “and I’d like Tito to be a part of the UFC forever. I started this thing with Tito and Chuck and I’d like to see Tito end his career with the UFC. But along this road we travel, Tito has kind of lost himself in my opinion.”
“I think [my] focus is making money for my son,” Ortiz said. “I want to make sure he has a really bright future for college and everything. That’s the most important thing. I was already world champion, man. I won five world titles and winning the title again, that’d be nice to happen, but if it doesn’t in the future I’m not going to be down on myself; I’m not going to kill myself over it. I’ve done my job so far.”
Here is what confounds people about Ortiz. In the same answer he’ll suggest that training is a bore, and that he would be better served spending time on other things. Yet five seconds after making it sound like he’s going to hang ‘em up, he starts in with the classic Ortiz shtick.
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“I’m trying to work on other things. I’m trying to get into the theatrical side of it doing movies and stuff like that because I think that’s where the big money is. I’m sick of beating up my body and sick of doing things that I’ve been doing. I’m kinda bored, man. Kinda bored. It’s just time for me to move on with my life and when I beat down Vitor, I’ll sit back and see if the UFC wants to renew my contract. I really want to. I do want to fight again, but you know I’m going to get paid what I expect that I’m worth. I love fighting.”
If after that reply you have any idea what he’s planning to do,
congratulations. Counting Ortiz, you’d be the only one.
Even though he’s convinced “people are going to want to watch Tito Ortiz no matter what,” it is clear from speaking with people inside and outside the UFC, that in order for him to make the most of his professional emancipation, he must defeat Belfort.
“I don’t know how you make money at fighting without winning,” observed Oyama.
If he falls short, said UFC insiders, he might have ruined any chance of resurrecting a career that started to hit the skids following the November 2002 beating of Ken Shamrock.
“We gotta cross that bridge [if] we get there,” Ghahremani said. “I don’t think it would be the end of the world because I think Tito still would have enough draw to be fighting at a high rate.”
“If he loses to Vitor, he’s lost three of his last four fights,” White said. “But the thing is I think we’ve put enough money behind Tito that he would be the guy that PRIDE, K-1 or any of these other organizations would try to bring to have their new stars beat him up. What’s that worth? Who knows.”
Should he defeat Belfort, it’s expected that Ortiz will ask for least $300,000 per fight, said Ghahremani. At that price he would become the highest paid fighter in the history of the organization, a scenario that seems highly unlikely, especially after the last two years.
“I don’t see why Zuffa wouldn’t be able to,” challenged Ortiz’ agent, “because if you look at it with a lot of the pay-per-view incentives people are doing nowadays … it’s not too far from [$300,000]. So why not?
“When you see a guy like Tank Abbott get $150,000 guaranteed to show and Tito doesn’t get that guaranteed to show—and Tito’s draw is a gazillion times stronger than a Tank Abbott—we’re looking realistically $300,000-ish.
“We just don’t like the win-bonus stuff. When you’re starting out to show and win, that’s beautiful; fine, that’s your incentive. But when you’re up at the higher echelon—Tito, Randy, Chuck, Wanderlei—these guys, you don’t need to give ‘em show money because you know they’re going to show up and fight and win. They’re not going to show up and patty-cake it.”
The problem for Ortiz stems from the fact that he is no longer the only show in town. Just last Monday, more viewers tuned in to see Bobby Southworth knock out Lodune Sincaid on Spike TV’s Ultimate Fighter than have watched Ortiz in all his pay-per-view appearances combined.
With variables like that, Ortiz’ bargaining power is definitely diminished. Yet despite the Liddell soap opera, Ortiz still fills seats and sells pay-per-views. The coming months will undoubtedly provide an answer to just how much he’s worth on the open market.
Is he still the same fighter who once captured White’s imagination?
“Tito and I have a lot of history,” said White, “and I’d like Tito to be a part of the UFC forever. I started this thing with Tito and Chuck and I’d like to see Tito end his career with the UFC. But along this road we travel, Tito has kind of lost himself in my opinion.”
“I think [my] focus is making money for my son,” Ortiz said. “I want to make sure he has a really bright future for college and everything. That’s the most important thing. I was already world champion, man. I won five world titles and winning the title again, that’d be nice to happen, but if it doesn’t in the future I’m not going to be down on myself; I’m not going to kill myself over it. I’ve done my job so far.”
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