Tito Ortiz Says He Will Make UFC Pay In His Farewell Fight

[Warchief]

When Tito Ortiz gets in the cage Saturday night at UFC 84, he will be taking on more than unbeaten Brazilian Lyoto Machida.

The Huntington Beach Bad Boy is looking to make a point at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as he exits the UFC to move to greener mixed martial arts pastures.

"I'm fighting Machida of course but I think I'm really fighting the company," Ortiz said, referring to the UFC. "I'm fighting (UFC president) Dana White and I'm fighting for my freedom. Fighting the power, as they say."

Ortiz, 33, has fought 20 times in the UFC, dating back to UFC 13 in May 1997. A former light-heavyweight champion who was once the face of MMA, his rivalry with Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell and Ken Shamrock were financial bonanzas for the UFC.

With one fight left on his contract, Ortiz can't wait to leave the organization. And the UFC apparently can't wait to show him the door.

"Tito is an idiot," White, throwing in one of his trademark F-bombs, said on a recent media conference call. "He's one of the dumbest human beings I've ever met. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes no sense. And I just have no interest in being in the Tito Ortiz business anymore.

"Listen, I put up with his shit when he was a good fighter, you know. ... He's not anymore and I'm just done."

And this from a man who used to manage Ortiz.

The UFC has done Ortiz no favours by putting him up against the 29-year-old Machida (12-0), who has beaten Rich Franklin and B.J. Penn and is coming off a comprehensive win over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. They have also shunted him off to a fight billed fourth on a card headlined by the lightweight title fight between Penn, the current 155-pound champion, and former title-holder Sean Sherk.

Ortiz (16-5-1) says the UFC wants rid of him because he is challenging its financial structure.

"You know I think it really came down to me understanding the revenue that they were making and having a feeling that I should be getting a part of the revenue that I'm building for them," Ortiz told The Canadian Press. "I remember when he (White) was my manager and he was fighting for the same things that I'm fighting for now, when SEG (Semaphore Entertainment Group) owed the company, he was saying 'Yeah, I want Tito to be making more money, I want him to make more pay-per-view (revenue).'

"He was the guy fighting for me for the things that I'm fighting for now. And now all of sudden that I'm saying it myself, I'm a moron because of saying it? I'm a stupid guy because I understand the business now? That I see the numbers they're making now and how about kicking back to us fighters that are putting our lives on the line in the Octagon? That's when it became very disrespectful of Dana, saying I'm a moron, saying these things about me.

"Because I'm actually not a moron. Last time I remember I'm running a million-dollar company, my clothing company (Punishment Athletics), I did the '(Celebrity) Apprentice.' I did these things to push me to the next level, by myself, without their help. And other fighters can't do that, because they're bogged down so much by the UFC that they don't understand the business side of it. And I'm one of the guys that understands the business side of it."

While Ortiz's recent results (a draw with Rashad Evans, a second loss to Liddell and two wins over an aging Shamrock) have not been stellar, he would give a rival promoter an instant headliner. Ortiz still talks a good game and he polarizes fans. He can look forward to some hefty paycheques if he joins EliteXC, Mark Cuban's HDNet Fights or Affliction (providing he can stomach teaming up with a rival clothing company).

"I made these guys a lot of money and they have no respect for me, they really treat me bad and I'm just going to go elsewhere where a company respects me," Ortiz said of the UFC. "And we'll see what happens in the future, but I think this fight really comes down to knowing I'm going to be free, I'm finally going to be a free agent. I'm finally not going to have to wake up every day worried about what the president's going to say about me and how they're going to treat me and if they're going to promote me. I'm going to go to a company that's going to use me for what I'm good for."

As the UFC coffers have grown richer, White has insisted his fighters are happy with their paydays and that the UFC takes care of them. A private company, owned by billionaire brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta with 10 per cent belonging to White, Zuffa Inc. has been tight-lipped about what it pays the men in the UFC cage.

But disputes with heavyweight champion Randy Couture and Ortiz have prompted the ownership to lift the cover on some contracts.

White says Ortiz made $710,000 (U.S.) for his draw with Evans at UFC 73 last July, a figure Ortiz confirms.

But he disputes White's figure of $5.6 million for his earnings in 2006 — when he fought four times — saying "I think that's a little overboard."

Ortiz acknowledges that is good money, although he notes half goes to taxes and the rest has to cover nine weeks of training camp costs when he puts his life on hold to prepare. He also points out fighters, unlike company executives, have a short shelf life.

"It really comes down to we're not getting fair share. I see professional boxers like Floyd Mayweather, like (Oscar) de la Hoya, like Ricky Hatton, where these guys are getting $10 million to $25 million per fight. What are we doing different? What are we doing in the Octagon that's different than the boxers are doing in boxing? We're getting the same pay-per-view numbers. I've done over a million buys on a pay-per-view, I've done over 750,000 pay-per-view buys time and time again.

"Now when are we starting to get a piece of the pie instead of just giving us crumbs? We're putting our lives on the line, like any other boxer. . . . It really comes down to I think the fighters should be getting cut into a bigger chunk than what we're getting now, we're getting anywhere from two to five per cent of the gross of what they're making."

Ortiz's purse at UFC 73 was listed at $210,000, according to figures released by the California State Athletic Commission, but was presumably inflated by UFC bonuses and a piece of the pay-per-view. In comparison, Evans' purse was US$16,000.

Ortiz's $210,000 represented almost 28 per cent of the card's total purse of $761,000. And it was 70 times what Toronto lightweight Mark Bocek made in his UFC debut in the first fight of the night.

The live gate at Sacramento's Arco Arena was $1,551,920.

White, for his part, doesn't miss an opportunity to attack Ortiz, calling him selfish and a liar. "The only one Tito cares about is Tito," White says.

This time, Ortiz plans to do the rest of his talking in the cage.

"I'm very, very motivated. I've been in training camp for nine weeks. This is the longest training camp I've ever had. I haven't had any injuries, I'm ready man. I'm mentally focused, I'm physically focused. I'm ready to compete. Machida's going to be at the bad end of the stick because when my hand's raised and he's a bloody mess, I'm going to look at Dana White and I'll say my piece."


That's if White's people allow him access to the microphone.

Source







Damn!

I think they will allow Tito access to the microphone, and let him said a lot of shit about Dana...i hope Dana enters the octagon too, OMG i can't wait to see this.

[MasterShake]

Maybe we will finally see that boxing match.

[the_dark_angel_4ever]

Is he going to make the UFC/Us pay by putting on a subpar performance and not earning his paycheque?

Tito, STFU and just leave already. I use to be a fan but I'm so sick of this guy.

[mauladala]

I have to say, I agree with a lot of what Tito said.

But... the problem with fighters making boxing salaries seems to be that then you'd have to have only ONE headlining bout in which the two combatants make 10 mil. or so, and then several bouts with "lesser" fights that the fighters don't make nearly as much. This could alienate some fighters and/or cause delays. In that case, no big name would want to take an under-card bout. Which means a lot of waiting on the sidelines until you get main event, co-main event, or second featured bout. The great thing about it now is that we get a card (usually) full of fighters (if not fights) we want to see. I question whether that could happen if ALL the well known fighters made even 1 to 2 mil. plus per fight in an event.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by mauladala

I have to say, I agree with a lot of what Tito said.

But... the problem with fighters making boxing salaries seems to be that then you'd have to have only ONE headlining bout in which the two combatants make 10 mil. or so, and then several bouts with "lesser" fights that the fighters don't make nearly as much. This could alienate some fighters and/or cause delays. In that case, no big name would want to take an under-card bout. Which means a lot of waiting on the sidelines until you get main event, co-main event, or second featured bout. The great thing about it now is that we get a card (usually) full of fighters (if not fights) we want to see. I question whether that could happen if ALL the well known fighters made even 1 to 2 mil. plus per fight in an event.

Good points.

I think we will see better pay for fighters in the near future. MMA is still in it's infancy. As it becomes more mainstream, and sponsors like Budweiser jump onboard, things will improve for the fighters.

Unfortunately, that doesn't help the guys who are at (or past) their prime today.

[LadyJag]

i think dana is so unprofessional when he talks its retarded

[jlruthven84]

I'm all out of elaborate insults, so:

Fuck Tito.

[King Fisher]

Originally Posted by Warchief

I see professional boxers like Floyd Mayweather, like (Oscar) de la Hoya, like Ricky Hatton, where these guys are getting $10 million to $25 million per fight.

This is a good point... Where IS the monetary difference? Promotions perhaps?

How does everyone feel about what Tito says? I mean, we all know he isnt the brightest star in the sky, but it seems like he has a point.

I am definately looking forward the the post fight interview!

[eazye76]

Tito should wear one of those shirts he used to wear - win or lose he could have a shirt that says Dana white is my bitch, or something like that. He wouldn't have to worry about a Matt Lindland situation, because he's gone anyway.
I'm sure Tito will say or do something to express his feelings toward Dana, but he's not going to lay down in the cage or anything like that. like him or not,Tito is a professional and Imo he'll act like it... during the actual fight at least.

[hunterkiller]

Ortiz can't wait to leave the organization. And the UFC apparently can't wait to show him the door.

Does that mean Tito doesn't have to wait through the exclusive negotiation phase since Dana says that they won't resign him either way.

Ortiz's recent results (a draw with Rashad Evans, a second loss to Liddell and two wins over an aging Shamrock) have not been stellar.

He lost to Chuck, fine that's not even debatable. But drawing to Rashad was bull. He controlled 80 percent of that fight and only came to a draw because of that point deduction. Can anyone give me 2 examples besides the Rashad fight where a fighter had a point taken away from grabbing the fence twice? And Dana is the one who masterminded the "aging" Shamrock fights. He brought Shamrock back with the exclusive purpose of him and Tito's feud and they immediately pushed the rematch. You fight who they put in front of you, which he did. And pardon me if I'm wrong but wasn't that "aging" Shamrock feud the best TUF ratings and the best live Spike event ratings?

"I'm fighting Machida of course but I think I'm really fighting the company"

It would be funny to see Dana wearing matching Machida garb and walking out with Machida and his entourage to the cage.

They have also shunted him off to a fight billed fourth.

When did they move it to 4th billed fight? I actually hope that's true because that would make it the 1st or 2nd fight of the night.

In comparison, Evans' purse was US $16,000.

Rashad was underpaid for that fight, IMO but then again, Rashad is kind of boring to watch too. People watched that fight because he was fighting Tito.