The Short Lived Renaissance of Tito Ortiz

Heading into 2011, things were looking pretty bleak for former Light Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. He hadn't won a fight since 2006, when he TKO'd an aging Ken Shamrock for the third time. And in October 2010, he lost for the first time to a non-Top Ten fighter in former pupil and TUF 3 winner Matt Hamill. That December, despite granting Ortiz the headlining fight on Ultimate Fight Night 24 against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Dana White openly declared that he had considered cutting Tito from the promotion.

The outlook didn't improve for The Huntington Beach Bad Boy when he took an errant headbutt while sparring and was forced from the bout just a few weeks before the event. Again many were calling for his retirement, as Ortiz had been plagued by injuries throughout the last couple years and didn't look like he could remain competitive or active anymore. Yet, Tito wouldn't be balked and immediately called for a rubber match against Forrest Griffin, who had mocked him on Twitter shortly before the injury was announced. That exchange would come to naught, however, when Tito accepted the challenge of Ryan Bader, who had just lost to Jon Jones at UFC 126.

No one could have predicted at the time that this would signal a change of fortune for Tito's career. He was heading into UFC 132 as an extreme underdog and there was more speculation about his impending retirement than his victorious future. Then, on July 2, Tito Ortiz once again shocked the MMA world:

Only 100 seconds in to the first round, Tito caught Ryan Bader with a powerful right uppercut. As the former contender struggled to regain his bearings, Ortiz locked on an arm-in guillotine choke. Bader, still rocked and unable to escape Tito's guard, tapped out less than half way through the opening round. Exhilarated, he capped off his submission victory with his trademark "Gravedigger" celebration and leaped on to the cage, in an incredibly nostalgic moment.

Understandably, Tito was riding very high after his first winning performance in over half a decade and it showed when he spoke to MMANation's Luke Thomas:

Yeah, this is the greatest time of my life right now. I look at the fact that I beat Ryan Bader, who was fifth in the world, top five in the world in all of MMA, at all levels, and I proved that I could still dominate.

It's nice to be back on top man. It's a gratifying feeling.

Ortiz's return to the limelight wouldn't last long, though as he went on to suffer two devastating TKO losses later this year. The first was an extremely short notice rematch against Light Heavyweight division #2 Rashad Evans at UFC 133, only six weeks after his victory over Ryan Bader. This defeat was readily forgiven by most since Rashad was widely recognized as the number one contender and truly at the peak of his abilities. However, Tito's recent defeat to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is not so easily brushed aside. Lil Nog brutalized him with vicious ground and pound, forcing Yves Lavigne to stop the fight. In an emotional post-fight interview, Ortiz apologized to his fans and pleaded for the right to fulfill his contract with one last fight.

2011 was a roller coaster of a year for Tito Ortiz. He began at the brink of forced retirement and rose to a point he hasn't seen since defeating Ken Shamrock and Forrest Griffin in 2006, only to once again be staring at the end of his career. At this point, it's hard to remember that he still holds the record for most LHW title defenses in UFC history. Even though it's clear that he won't be able to return to his former glory, Tito got the one last moment in the sun that often eludes fading athletes. Personally, I wouldn't begrudge him one last UFC fight, and if he gets it, I'd like to see the final match against Forrest Griffin, who also suffered a career setback in a losing effort against Mauricio Rua at UFC 134.