UFC 51: Super Saturday—If at First You Don’t Succeed …
Tito Ortiz vs. Vitor Belfort
Feb 2, 2005
ORTIZ: Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jacob “Tito”
Ortiz, aka “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” has a 12-4 professional
record in MMA.
The two-time California State Wrestling Champion (58-1 in Jr. College) was also a semi-finalist at 2000 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships. He had been working with Colin Oyama and Team Oyama but a recent split finds Tito training with Muay Thai specialist Master Toddy. Toddy has trained UFC veterans Ricco Rodriguez and Marvin Eastman.
Ortiz was a wrestler at Golden West College and Cal Bakersfield and
came to the UFC as a sparring partner for David “Tank” Abbott. He
began his pro MMA career at Neutral Grounds against UFC veteran
Eugene Jackson.
Tito then entered the UFC 13 tournament as an alternate with amateur status and fought Guy Mezger. It looked like victory for Ortiz but a cut stoppage allowed Mezger a second opportunity at victory and Tito was guillotine choked for the win. He met Guy two years later and beat the Lion’s Den fighter as well as his stable mate Jerry Bohlander.
Tito defended his belt against Pancrase hero Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko and UFC legend and nemesis Ken Shamrock before meeting current UFC light heavyweight champion and former heavyweight champion Randy Couture.
Randy schooled Tito for five rounds and shocked the world. Ortiz was knocked out by former friend and training partner Chuck Liddell at UFC 47 and then defeated Canadian Patrick Cote (a late replacement for Guy Mezger) at UFC 50.
BELFORT: Carlson Gracie Sr. jiu-jitsu black belt Vitor Belfort is 12-4 in MMA. The “Phenom” is a four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and took third place in the 2001 Abu Dhabi Submission Fighting World Championships.
He had been training with Leo Vieira at Master Jiu-Jitsu with members of the Brazil Fight Club, but has rejoined the supposedly crumbling Brazilian Top Team (Mario Sperry, Murilo Bustamante, Rodrigo Nogueira and others).
Belfort studied judo as a youth and began training jiu-jitsu at 13. He was a champion by 16 and went on to train with Carlson Gracie Sr. Vitor began fighting MMA at Superbrawl 2 and knocked out UFC veteran John Hess in 12 seconds.
He won the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament, defeating Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo and beat David Abbott in the Superfight in UFC 13.
In just three months he was becoming a legend, but he ran into Randy Couture at UFC 17 and some say he’s never been the same. Belfort beat Joe Charles at UFC Japan and knocked out Wanderlei Silva in UFC Brazil before jumping to PRIDE. He lost to Kazushi Sakuraba in his debut but rattled off wins over Gilbert Yvel, Daijiro Matsui and Heath Herring.
Still on a high streak, Vitor returned to the UFC and lost a decision Chuck Liddell. He defeated Marvin Eastman with a vicious knee to the head and “beat” Randy Couture by opening a cut over his eye. In their third bout, Couture schooled Belfort again and a bloody Vitor was forced to withdraw at the doctor’s insistence.
MY PICK: Belfort. Both men desperately need the fight but sometimes it comes down to preparation and, more importantly, who is preparing you.
Tito is talking like he’s ready but I think with BTT getting Belfort ready, Ortiz is on his way to the WEC (no disrespect to WEC and Scott Adams, but everyone knows it has become a filter of talent to the UFC).
Vitor is pushing everyone in his camp in training and he’ll undoubtedly give Ortiz everything he can handle standing. Belfort, by TKO in the second round.
The two-time California State Wrestling Champion (58-1 in Jr. College) was also a semi-finalist at 2000 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships. He had been working with Colin Oyama and Team Oyama but a recent split finds Tito training with Muay Thai specialist Master Toddy. Toddy has trained UFC veterans Ricco Rodriguez and Marvin Eastman.
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Tito then entered the UFC 13 tournament as an alternate with amateur status and fought Guy Mezger. It looked like victory for Ortiz but a cut stoppage allowed Mezger a second opportunity at victory and Tito was guillotine choked for the win. He met Guy two years later and beat the Lion’s Den fighter as well as his stable mate Jerry Bohlander.
A bout at UFC 22 against then champion Frank Shamrock saw Ortiz lose and
subsequently refocus himself, improving his overall training
philosophy. He won the UFC middleweight title in Japan in a lengthy
bout with PRIDE superstar Wanderlei Silva.
Tito defended his belt against Pancrase hero Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko and UFC legend and nemesis Ken Shamrock before meeting current UFC light heavyweight champion and former heavyweight champion Randy Couture.
Randy schooled Tito for five rounds and shocked the world. Ortiz was knocked out by former friend and training partner Chuck Liddell at UFC 47 and then defeated Canadian Patrick Cote (a late replacement for Guy Mezger) at UFC 50.
BELFORT: Carlson Gracie Sr. jiu-jitsu black belt Vitor Belfort is 12-4 in MMA. The “Phenom” is a four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and took third place in the 2001 Abu Dhabi Submission Fighting World Championships.
He had been training with Leo Vieira at Master Jiu-Jitsu with members of the Brazil Fight Club, but has rejoined the supposedly crumbling Brazilian Top Team (Mario Sperry, Murilo Bustamante, Rodrigo Nogueira and others).
Belfort studied judo as a youth and began training jiu-jitsu at 13. He was a champion by 16 and went on to train with Carlson Gracie Sr. Vitor began fighting MMA at Superbrawl 2 and knocked out UFC veteran John Hess in 12 seconds.
He won the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament, defeating Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo and beat David Abbott in the Superfight in UFC 13.
In just three months he was becoming a legend, but he ran into Randy Couture at UFC 17 and some say he’s never been the same. Belfort beat Joe Charles at UFC Japan and knocked out Wanderlei Silva in UFC Brazil before jumping to PRIDE. He lost to Kazushi Sakuraba in his debut but rattled off wins over Gilbert Yvel, Daijiro Matsui and Heath Herring.
Still on a high streak, Vitor returned to the UFC and lost a decision Chuck Liddell. He defeated Marvin Eastman with a vicious knee to the head and “beat” Randy Couture by opening a cut over his eye. In their third bout, Couture schooled Belfort again and a bloody Vitor was forced to withdraw at the doctor’s insistence.
MY PICK: Belfort. Both men desperately need the fight but sometimes it comes down to preparation and, more importantly, who is preparing you.
Tito is talking like he’s ready but I think with BTT getting Belfort ready, Ortiz is on his way to the WEC (no disrespect to WEC and Scott Adams, but everyone knows it has become a filter of talent to the UFC).
Vitor is pushing everyone in his camp in training and he’ll undoubtedly give Ortiz everything he can handle standing. Belfort, by TKO in the second round.
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