|
|
  - IS "THEE" MMA FEUD OVER BETWEEN DANA & TITO? (UPDATED)
Friday, July 17, 2009 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com
Could it be? On the same day that Tiger Woods missed the cut for only the second time in his professional golfing career, it appears that hell may just have frozen over.
Apparently, the longstanding feud between former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and UFC president Dana White is over.
Yes, over.
"I wanted to be a man and squash things between me and him... he did the same to me. Dana showed the type of person he is by apologizing to me and vice versa," said Ortiz on Thursday's edition of Tapout Radio.
Saying that he is still in negotiations with Strikeforce, Ortiz also noted that Affliction or even a return to the UFC were not yet "out of the picture" and he is relishing his role as a free agent.
White confirmed Ortiz' comments, posting on his official Twitter account, "Yes, Tito and I made up."
Although White fell short of saying that his arms were open to a Tito Ortiz return to the Octagon. "Doesn't mean he's back," posted the brash executive. "It means we aren't smashing each other anymore and we don't hate each other."
Of course, it's not out of the realm of possibility, since they have obviously upgraded their status from "Extreme Danger" to "Caution," that Ortiz could find his way back into the Octagon.
Since leaving the UFC following a loss to current champion Lyoto Machida, Ortiz has been in negotiations, first with the now defunct EliteXC, then Affliction, and most recently, Strikeforce.
In fact, less than three weeks ago in an interview with MMAWeekly.com, Ortiz sounded as if Strikeforce was all but a done deal.
"I'm in negotiations right now with Strikeforce and working with CBS and Showtime, so all three of us are going back and forth to make a contract that makes sense to me," he revealed at the time.
"Hopefully by October I'll be competing. We're finishing the contract I'd say with CBS, Showtime, and Strikeforce and making a deal that UFC can't match."
With the UFC's worth being estimated at more than a billion dollars, it wouldn't seem that much would be out of the juggernaught's reach, other than a network television deal.
"I managed to come off a huge back surgery. It's been a year since I've competed. I think one warm-up fight to get things going," Ortiz said in the MMAWeekly.com interview. "After that, I don't want no more warm-up fights. I'm hoping by my fourth fight, possibly fight Fedor Emelianenko at a catchweight. That'd be something that I'm looking forward to possibly by the middle of next year."
That's one other element that the UFC currently can't deliver, Fedor. But the promotion is maxing out many of its top stars with most of its events booked out until October, with the notable absence of a headline bout for its Sept. 19 landing in Dallas. And love him or hate him, Ortiz has a legion of followers and the UFC history that makes him an acceptable headliner or, at the least, a feature bout.
Of course, all of that is pure speculation as neither Ortiz nor White was available for comment – outside of their Twitter posts – at the time of publication. For now, all we know is that one of the most entertaining feuds in MMA history is winding down.
(Editor's Note: References to Tito Ortiz' statements on Twitter have been removed as the validity of the referenced account is being challenged.)
BACK TO THE NEWS
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Related Articles :
- - TITO ORTIZ CLOSE WITH STRIKEFORCE, WANTS FEDOR (Wednesday, July 01, 2009)
Tito Ortiz has been cleared by his doctor and is ready to return to fighting. He says that he's close to signing with Strikeforce and wants a bout with Fedor Emelianenko...
- - HAS TITO FOUND A HOME WITH STRIKEFORCE? (Monday, April 13, 2009)
Tito Ortiz was a notable presence at Strikeforce on Saturday night. Despite the lost luster on a Frank Shamrock rematch, Ortiz appears likely to have found a new home...
- - TITO ORTIZ SETTLES INTO NEW ROLE WITH AFFLICTION (Thursday, January 22, 2009)
Tito Ortiz spoke with MMAWeekly.com about his new role as a commentator for Affliction, his back injury, and his future as a fighter...
- - TITO ORTIZ AND OSCAR DE LA HOYA TALK FEDOR (Tuesday, January 20, 2009)
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and famed boxer Oscar De La Hoya on Tuesday weighed in on Saturday's Affliction main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski...
- - TITO ORTIZ JOINS AFFLICTION... AS COMMENTATOR (Wednesday, December 17, 2008)
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz has signed on with Affliction Entertainment, although not in the capacity that most expected. He will join the broadcast team...
- - UFC CLARIFIES MEDICAL INSURANCE CLAIMS BY TITO (Wednesday, October 08, 2008)
In response to Tito Ortiz' claims the UFC denied him medical coverage for his back, Zuffa responds, clarifying its involvement in the process of a fighter under its employment making a medical claim...
- - IN HIS OWN WORDS: BACK SURGERY SPURS TITO ON (Wednesday, October 08, 2008)
In his own words, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz addresses his recent back surgery and his future in MMA as he moves beyond the UFC...
- - TITO ORTIZ FLIRTING WITH ELITEXC, NEARING DEAL (Sunday, October 05, 2008)
Tito Ortiz declared on Saturday night that he is "maybe a week away" from signing with EliteXC. Will the destruction of the promotion's main marketing machine derail those plans?
- - TITO ORTIZ SWEEPSTAKES COMING TO AN END? (Wednesday, September 10, 2008)
It looks as if the negotiations to sign the biggest free agent in all of mixed martial arts are about to come to an end. Tito Ortiz tells MMAWeekly.com that he expects to announce his new deal by the end of September...
Copyright 2010 MMA Weekly LLC. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of MMA Weekly content is expressly prohibited without expressed written consent of MMA Weekly. MMA Weekly will not be liable for any errors in content or any action taken in reliance thereof.
|
|
|
|
