Most recently, he dabbled in boxing, and took part in a pre-pandemic scrap under the Combate Americas banner against former WWE star Alberto Del Rio (Dos Caras Jr. of PRIDE fame).

Now, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” 47, is talking about a retirement fight — back in the confines of the UFC.

Fresh off the heels of a troubled political run in his native Huntington Beach, Ortiz has told Helen Yee Sports that he’s looking to wrap up his fighting career against Shogun Rua. The Brazilian, a fellow former UFC light heavyweight champ, is widely believed to have a single fight left on his deal, after which he has stated he’ll also call it a career.

“It’s never over and I think I made that mistake with the UFC when I said I’ll never fight for the UFC ever again,” Ortiz said. “And now that I think about it, that’ll be an amazing last fight for myself and for Shogun Rua.”

“Shogun has his last fight with the UFC, we’re in kind of the same era, so it would be nice to see a Tito Ortiz vs. Shogun. I would like that.”

Ortiz added that he felt Rua won his recent rematch with Ovince St. Preux, which ended in a split decision.

“I have a lot of respect for Shogun, I think he’s an amazing former champion, an amazing fighter. I watched his last fight. I thought he won the fight, but they ended up giving it to OSP. Let’s see what happens in the future.”

Ortiz last competed in combat sports as part of a boxing spectacle under the Triller FC banner last year, going up against Anderson Silva. The match saw him knocked out early by his fellow UFC star.

On the MMA side of things, Ortiz is actually on a three-fight win streak, with wins over Del Rio, Chuck Liddell, and Chael Sonnen. It’s been a decade, however, since he competed in the UFC, where he had a heated rivalry with promotion head Dana White. UFC 148 in 2012 marked Ortiz’s final fight with the company, a decision loss against Forrest Griffin.

The post Tito Oritz Admits Shutting Door on UFC Was Mistake, Wants Retirement Fight Against Shogun appeared first on Cageside Press.

Let’s get to it!

Freedom Fight Night: Team Ortiz vs. Team Jackson

Rampage Jackson appears to have liked playing coach at Triad Combat so much, he’s giving it another go at the upcoming “Freedom Fight Night” event on March 19. The opposing coach? None other than Tito Ortiz.

The event is combining fighting and politics, and will be hosted by another former UFC champ, Frank Mir. It’s attempting to bring together conservative political voices and fighting in an attempt to combat “all the freedom denying mandates in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections,” per a post to Rampage Jackson’s verified Twitter account.

No word yet on who’s fighting, but the Freedom Key Society, who are putting on the event, have been teasing an appearance by Donald Trump, who is listed on the event’s website as an invitee.

Come join, watch, sponsor, or stream the first ever Freedom Fight Night!
MMA legends are joining with political voices for the first time ever to raise money to combat the all the freedom denying mandates in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.
Two teams coached by me & Tito pic.twitter.com/BQTI7XUY8q

— Rampage Jackson (@Rampage4real) February 18, 2022

Drake Loses Big on Gamebred Bet

Toronto rapper Drake put down over a quarter mil on Jorge Masvidal to win against Colby Covington at UFC 272. $275,000 to be exact. In related news, Drake should probably stay far, far away from the fight game, at least when it comes to betting.

For the record, in our own staff picks for UFC 272, eight of ten writers responding picked Covington to win.

.@Drake has put over $275K on Masvidal ML tonight 😳 pic.twitter.com/AqmsUB2UPY

— br_betting (@br_betting) March 6, 2022

Brock Lesnar Done with MMA

Brock Lesnar’s UFC 200 appearance in 2016, a unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt that was later overturned to a No Contest when Lesnar failed his drug test, will stand as his final appearance in MMA.

Lesnar announced the news while speaking to the New York Post.

“That door is closed,” Lesnar told the the Post ahead of a live event at Madison Square Garden. “You know what, Dana White, the Fertitta brothers [Lorenzo and Frank] were exceptional to me.”

But, Lesnar continued, MMA is for the young. “I’m too old,” Lesnar said. “That’s a young man’s sport, and that door is closed. I’m Brock Lesnar, the WWE Superstar.”

Lesnar, 44, finished his MMA run with a 5-3, 1NC record, but in that short career managed to capture the UFC heavyweight championship and defend it twice.

Cain Velasquez Denied Bail

Another former UFC heavyweight champ, Cain Velasquez, has been denied bail.

Velasquez, 39, is facing a litany of charges, the most serious of which is premeditated attempted murder, after attacking the suspect of a lewd and lascivious conduct case in which the victim was alleged to have been a family member of the fighter.

After ramming the man’s truck and getting into an 11-mile high speed chase on a highway leading into San Jose, Velasquez opened fire on the vehicle, shooting the wrong man and endangering the life of a woman also present in the truck.

Velasquez was later arrested without incident. The suspect who Velasquez had targeted in the assault was himself out on bail, but had complied with his conditions and had actually been en route to receive a court-ordered ankle monitoring bracelet when the attack occurred.

Santa Clara County Judge Shelyna Brown lambasted Velaquez’s actions in making her decision.

“It is clear to this court that there is clear and convincing evidence that there is a substantial likelihood that release would result in great bodily injury, not just to the named complaining witnesses in this case but to Santa Clara residents at large,” Judge Brown said (via MMA Fighting). “This case involves allegations of extreme recklessness to human life.

“Ramming a vehicle in the middle of the day where are citizens are out driving, going about their business and shooting out of a car at other individuals, which is reckless by any standard. Anyone could have been injured. Anyone could have been killed and when this court looks at article 1, section 12, it is this level of risk that the court must take into consideration. With that said, this court is making the ruling that the risk is too great and that there will be no bail set at this time.”

The decision won’t sit well with the “Free Cain” movement, comprised of fans and fellow fighters who have come to the former UFC star’s defense. They argue that Velasquez taking the law into his own hands was justified.

No thanks!

Whatever is attacking Pat Downey’s skin, we don’t want it.

Standout wrestler Downey was supposed to make his MMA debut at Bellator 277 next month, but a rash being described as a “flesh eating disease” has forced him out of the bout. That, and he also tore his MCL.

Downey had an allergist diagnose the issue, which is believed to be related to a topical cream he had ceased using. As a result, the Bellator hopeful stated on social media that “I have stopped using all meds and we believe every cream especially cortisone or any other topical/injected, oral based steroid is causing this crazy allergic reaction.”

More No Thanks

Eryk Anders will presumably be out for a while due to a chainsaw mishap. The below photo, posted to his Instagram, is probably a blessing in a way, because it could have been much, much worse.

Anyone have the number for the Leftorium?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca-xM3Xul1x/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=92d15a5c-c1ad-4370-a145-855b8e6e5e77

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Brock Lesnar Done with MMA, Anders Chainsaws Foot appeared first on Cageside Press.

On another off-week for major mixed martial arts action, Cageside Press looks back at a classic event in the history of the sport.  For this holiday, we reflect on Bellator 106 on November 02 in 2013.

Though the landscape of mixed martial arts has changed drastically since 2013, one thing has remained the same: it is difficult to put on a successful pay-per-view.  The UFC has largely built a monopoly on holding pay-per-view events behind their brand recognition and promotional resources.  With one pay-per-view event per month on average, the room for most die-hard fans to allocate funds for a non-UFC MMA card often seems non-existent.

That is what made Bellator 106 so interesting.  After years of being the kid brother to the booming UFC, Bellator was set to make their first foray into the pay-per-view business.  Until then, the company had aired exclusively on cable television and was largely known for using their tournament format to build stars like Eddie Alvarez, Ben Askren, Douglas Lima, and Hector Lombard.

For their first night on pay-per-view, Bellator stacked the event with the biggest fights they could make with their roster.  The centerpiece was set to be a battle of former UFC champions and free agent signings in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz who were set to make their Bellator debuts.  In the co-headliner, lightweight champion Michael Chandler and former champion Eddie Alvarez were scheduled for a rematch of their Fight of the Year candidate two years prior.  The undercard also featured featherweight champion Pat Curran taking on Daniel Straus, the heavyweight tournament final between Cheick Kongo and Vinicius Queiroz, and the final of Bellator’s reality series Fight Master with UFC veteran Joe Riggs taking on Mike Bronzoulis.

On paper, the card was about as good as Bellator could hope to put on with the talent and star power available.  The promotion invested heavily into promoting the event, with the commercial running during most programming breaks on Spike TV and the card being a frequent talking point during the events leading up to it.  But the question remained, would fans pay for the pay-per-view when the only product for years that they had paid for was from the UFC?

Fight day! Three titles are on the line, including @MikeChandlerMMA vs. @Ealvarezfight live at 9/8c on @SpikeTV. pic.twitter.com/GjogUdhccL

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 2, 2013

In the end, the jump to pay-per-view (at the time) was not meant to be.  Roughly a week out from the event, it was announced that Ortiz was out of the fight due to a neck injury which led to the card being demoted from a pay-per-view to becoming another free card on Spike.  A day later, the bout between Kongo and Queiroz was also rescheduled due to an injury to Queiroz.

The action that night at the Long Beach Convention Center was a slow burn.  After a solid start to the prelims and a first round finish to open the main card, the card saw three straight decisions that included two five round fights.  It seemed as if the proverbial MMA Gods had simply conspired to put a damper on the evening.  By the time the main event rolled around, all the anticipation had funneled into whether Alvarez and Chandler could deliver once again.  What happened next made everyone forget most of what had taken place earlier in the night.

Alvarez and Chandler went back-and-forth in a battle that many argue was even more competitive and exciting than their first.  After being stopped in the fourth round in the first fight, Alvarez rallied to have a strong finish in the final round of the rematch that was enough to get him the nod in a split-decision.  With one victory apiece and two Fight of the Year candidates in the books, then Bellator President Bjorn Rebney said that having the two potentially headline a pay-per-view with the rubber match was a no-brainer.

Look what's in the works! Who's ready to complete the trilogy? @Ealvarezfight @MikeChandlerMMA pic.twitter.com/aFUxK7lw4w

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) January 10, 2014

Unfortunately, the third fight never materialized.

Rebney did indeed schedule the trilogy as the pay-per-view headliner months later, but an injury to Alvarez forced him to withdraw.  Alvarez would then enter a contract dispute with Bellator, being inactive for nearly a year before being granted his release.  Alvarez went on to sign with the UFC and won the championship in 2016.  He would leave for ONE Championship in free agency a little over a year before Chandler came to the UFC.  The two remain even at one victory apiece over the other.

Months later, Bellator would go on to finally hold a pay-per-view, but it was far from what was expected at Bellator 104.  Quinton Jackson headlined the event against tournament finalist Muhammed Lawal.  Tito Ortiz competed in the co-headliner against middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko who was moving up in weight.  Some of the names that rounded out the included future UFC contender Alexander Volkov and current Bellator star Michael “Venom” Page.

The sales of the pay-per-view did not do well enough to make another attempt a priority, although they did try again in 2018.  Today, the pay-per-view business for combat sports as a whole has been reinvented.  The UFC remains king for MMA, but now sees more competition than ever before with offerings from boxing, bare-knuckle, and the hybrid events from Triller.  Superstars like Canelo Alvarez have blown up the pay-per-view model, forgoing traditional pay-per-view contracts to now negotiating for more money in a flat rate up-front to compete on streaming services like DAZN.

On paper, Bellator 106 may seem like the night that Bellator was in over their head and paid the price for it in losing their pay-per-view headliner.  However, the electric lightweight clash lives on as the bout that made bonafide MMA stars out of Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler.  Alvarez entered the UFC as an immediate contender, a rarity in today’s game.  Chandler went on to become one of the best fighters in Bellator history and was considered one of the best talents outside of the UFC until getting to finally enter the Octagon earlier this year and compete for the title.  Today, Bellator has never been bigger and it is off the back of continuing to build on ambitious events like Bellator 106.

The post Throwback Thursday: Bellator 106 Exceeds Expectations After Setbacks appeared first on Cageside Press.

After defeating a former champion a decade his junior in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., “The Spider” stepped into the ring with… “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz at Triller Fight Club’s Legends II event on Saturday.

Legends both men are. But Silva’s striking has always been miles ahead of his fellow former UFC champion. With the match set at a 195lb catchweight, which Ortiz missed by a full five pounds, Tito was always the underdog.

We found out just how much of an underdog on Saturday.

As he had against Chavez, Silva looked calm and comfortable, easily ducking what little offense Ortiz could muster. With his back to the ring post, Silva then landed a right hook, nicely placed on the chin of Ortiz. Tito was already going down, spinning half around as he did; that allowed Silva to land a left hook as well, which put him down for good.

There was no answering the count for Tito Ortiz.

A PERFECT RIGHT HOOK 😯 #SilvaOrtiz

(via @FiteTV) pic.twitter.com/oPrZt2ExUh

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) September 12, 2021

Had Silva labored against Ortiz, the commentary following the fight would have been that his last moment of glory had come against Chavez. And Chavez, as boxing fans well know, isn’t the fighter he once was. But in two fights, Anderson Silva at age 46 has had exactly the sort of performances he needs to continue fighting.

Logan Paul? Jake Paul? He’s a bad match-up for either, frankly. But that might just be what’s next, if either steps up to the plate. If not, there are plenty of legitimate boxers in Silva’s age range that could make for very interesting match-ups.

With the victory, Silva moves to 3-1 in his professional boxing career. In MMA, the former middleweight champion also posted a 34-11, 1NC record.

Official Result: Anderson Silva def. Tito Ortiz by knockout, Round 1, 1:21

The post Anderson Silva Knocks Out Tito Ortiz With Ease at Triller Fight Club Legends II appeared first on Cageside Press.

The celebrity boxing outfit’s latest offering leaned heavily on mixed martial arts stars of old, with three of four key spots held by former UFC champions. In the main event, Vitor Belfort took to the ring to take on the 58-year old former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, a makeshift headliner cobbled together after Oscar De La Hoya was forced to drop out after testing positive for COVID-19.

The match-up, with that in mind, went from a somewhat competitive one, to an absolute sideshow, with Holyfield having been out of action for a decade.

The co-main event, meanwhile, looked little better. In 2021, the only man with any business even being in a boxing ring appeared to be Anderson Silva. “The Spider” had looked sharp picking apart a former champ in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a full decade his junior, just months ago. But for his latest boxing match he’d opted for a fight with Tito Ortiz — the UFC’s second longest serving light heavyweight champion. And a man who wasn’t known for his hands, unless they were setting up a takedown.

Ortiz had come in five pounds heavy for the fight, after trumpeting his annoyance with Silva for insisting on a 195lb catchweight. Silva, of course, had his heydey at 185lbs in the UFC, but had on occasion moved up to 205lbs and found success there as well.

The bout, however, moved forward regardless, with Silva coming in light at 192.5lbs.

Triller Fight Club Legends II: Holyfield vs. Belfort takes place Saturday at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. The event begins at 7PM ET and can be streamed via Fite.tv — full results can be found below.

Triller Fight Club: Legends II — Holyfield vs. Belfort Results

PPV Card

Vitor Belfort def. Evander Holyfield by TKO, Round 1, 1:49
Anderson Silva def. Tito Ortiz by knockout, Round 1, 1:21
Jono Carroll def. Andy Vences by majority decision (95-95, 97-93, 97-93)
David Haye def. Joe Fournier by unanimous decision (79-72, 80-71, 79-72)

Preliminary Card

Anthony Chavez vs. Diuhl Olguin ends in a majority draw (58-56 Chavez, 57-57, 57-57)
Eliezer Silva def. Terry Roscoe via unanimous decision (39-36, 39-36, 39-36)

The post Triller Fight Club: Legends II — Holyfield vs. Belfort Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

https://twitter.com/combateglobal/status/1242907858439565312?s=20

No one can say that Tito Ortiz is not a businessman.  During his heyday in the UFC, the former light heavyweight champion was famous for embracing a pro-wrestling persona that put him over with the fans and led to then record-setting events against Chuck Liddell.  Outside the cage, he has been a part of everything from movies, reality television, and a recently completed run in politics.  Though his days of fighting the best of the best are behind him, he is one of the few MMA stars whose popularity and athletic ability has allowed him to go on a retirement tour of sorts.  He has headlined pay-per-view shows for both Golden Boy MMA and Combate Americas, and Saturday will once again see him be a featured attraction.

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is arguably facing the toughest challenges of any of the night’s competitors.  He already conceded a significant amount of his purse by failing to meet the contracted weight of 195 pounds, though he gave hints that he was be ready to do so rather than risk health to reach a weight he has not cut to in over 20 years.  Secondly, a career grappler who used his hands primarily to set up his wrestling, Ortiz is without his best weapon as he takes on one of the greatest strikers in combat sports history.

https://twitter.com/FiteTV/status/1406464814218682369?s=20

While the nature of 2020 led to Anderson Silva having an unceremonious exit from the UFC and MMA, “The Spider” found the reception he deserved this past June.  On a card fittingly titled “Tribute to the Kings,” Silva competed in a boxing match against lifelong boxer Julio Caesar Chavez Jr.  At his age and at a deficit of pure boxing experience, Silva was expected to have his hands full.  Instead, Silva had a clock turning performance that saw him route the former champion and earn a celebrated victory.  It would have been a fitting end to his career if he had chose, but the combat sports world immediately called to see him compete again with rumors of a bout with Logan Paul being thrown around following the bout.

Ortiz called out Silva for asking the bout to take place at 195 pounds, but it is a decision that most think was more telling of a fear that his camp may have.  Despite the larger gloves, the fact is that Silva’s durability has been in question in recent years.  At 46 years old, he is actually a few months younger than Ortiz.  However, most will concede that Silva has taken far more damage in recent years than his upcoming foe.  Ortiz may have had a tough weight cut, but it is expected that Silva will be the one more likely to be unable to withstand damage come fight night.

Ortiz will have the advantage that Triller’s boxing ring is exceptionally smaller than the standard size.  Triller does this on purpose so that fighters will have less room to move and are forced to engage more, thus leading to more action.  Silva will not have the same freedom to get in-and-out with his movement and thus will face the challenge of throwing with more volume while keeping up an impeccable defense.  For Ortiz, he should look to use his physicality to keep Silva against the ropes where he can unload with power punches to wear down “The Spider.”

Intense staredown between Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz ahead of Saturday's boxing clash. 👀

Which former UFC champion will get his hand raised?#TrillerFightClub | Weigh-in results: https://t.co/GDK3lclCx8 pic.twitter.com/oSMB27bJFw

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 10, 2021

The winner of the bout is likely to be in the conversation for a battle with one 2021’s most controversial pugilists: Jake or Logan Paul.  The age of both Silva and Ortiz will make them a favorable choice for the brothers, and their larger stature will make for a more marketable match-up after the public has seen them face noticeably smaller opponents in their last several outings.

The post Ortiz and Silva Look to Give A Legendary Show in the Boxing Arena appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Triller boxing event on September 11 is being bolstered by some major star power as UFC legends Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva are set to meet on the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya vs Vitor Belfort event.  MMA Fighting was first to report the news.

BREAKING: A boxing match between former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz is targeted for Triller event on Sept. 11, multiple sources told myself and @DamonMartin. Story coming to @MMAFighting.

— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) August 11, 2021

Former champion Tito Ortiz returns to competition for the first time in over two years and will be making his professional boxing debut.  Ortiz is best-known for being one of the biggest MMA stars of the 2000’s due to his pro-wrestling approach to promoting his fights and his battles with Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Belfort, and other stars from the time.  He goes into the fight on a three fight win-streak in MMA in as many different promotions with stoppages over Chael Sonnen (Bellator), Chuck Liddell (Golden Boy MMA), and Alberto Rodriguez (Combate Americas).  Previously the holder of the record for most UFC title defenses in light-heavyweight history, Ortiz notably also had a public falling out with headliner De La Hoya following the Golden Boy MMA event.

Anderson Silva will be competing in boxing for the third time in his career and is coming off a rousing victory over former boxing champion Julio Caesar Chavez Jr back in June.  Silva recently parted ways with the UFC after more than a decade with the promotion where he set numerous records en route to being regarded one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time.  Silva had previously been connected to rumors of a bout with social media celebrity Logan Paul, though discussions never reached serious levels.

More details on the undercard have not been announced.  The event is scheduled to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on September. 11.

The post Anderson Silva to Box Tito Ortiz on De La Hoya vs. Belfort Undercard appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Friday, the now-former Mayor Pro Tem of Huntington Beach, California announced that he would return to the cage later this year. While no date or promotion was provided, Ortiz assured fight fans that he would be in the cage in 2021 — and asked them just who he should fight.

I will be fighting this year. Who should I fight? 2021

— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) July 17, 2021

Ortiz (21-12-1) last competed against pro wrestler and mixed martial artist Dos Caras Jr., better known to the general public as WWE star Alberto Del Rio. The bout came under the Combate Americas banner in 2019, with Ortiz winning via submission care of a rear-naked choke in the opening round.

Prior to that, Ortiz had picked up victories over fellow aging stars Chuck Liddell and Chael Sonnen. The Sonnen win came under the Bellator banner, and marked the end of Ortiz’s run in that promotion — a run that saw “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” go 3-1, with the lone loss coming against Liam McGeary in a light heavyweight title fight.

Of course, Ortiz is best known for his UFC tenure, which saw him capture the 205lb title in 2000. After defending the belt five times, a record that stood until the era of Jon Jones, Ortiz lost the title in 2003, to Randy Couture.

Ortiz would challenge for light heavyweight gold once more in the UFC, losing at UFC 66 to Chuck Liddell. After going 1-7-1 in nine fights starting with that loss, Ortiz briefly retired in 2012. He returned, joining Bellator in 2014, then retired again following that stint, before coming back for the third Liddell fight, under the ill-fated Golden Boy MMA banner.

Since then, Tito Ortiz has remained mum about retirement, seemingly taking fights one at a time.

The post Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Tito Ortiz Says He Will Fight in 2021 appeared first on Cageside Press.

As first reported by the OC Register, Ortiz stepped down from City Council after citing unspecified threats to his family. Ortiz was elected to office last November.

Council had sought to remove Ortiz via a no confidence vote several months into his term. While that failed, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has opted to leave on his own.

Reading from a prepared statement, Ortiz said that “I was under the notion that I was in a bi-partisan position and that we all had a common goal that our city and our constituents could have. To put it frankly, that’s not the case.”

“From Day One, I was sworn in and I was met with hostility and judgment,” he continued. “Being a public figure, nothing is new. However, to be the sole focus of character assassination each and every week, with multiple news stories and leaked personal information — all of which were in hopes to slander and defame my name.

“I thought I was up to this job, but I knew I had over 40,000 constituents who were there counting on me. As of recent, the attacks against me moved to involve my family. I now feel their safety is in danger. To put it simply, this job isn’t working for me.”

Huntington Beach City Council did not respond to Ortiz’s resignation. The move came Tuesday during the first in-person meeting of the council in 2021.

Ortiz, 46, served as UFC light heavyweight champion from 2000 to 2003, defending the title five times — a record that stood until Jon Jones surpassed the mark in 2013. Ortiz last fought in 2019, defeating pro wrestler and occasional mixed martial artist Alberto El Patron (Alberto Del Rio to WWE fans) under the Combate Americas banner.

The post Tito Ortiz Out as Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem appeared first on Cageside Press.

On a week without major MMA action, we decided to look back at a classic event from years past.  This week, we look back at Golden Boy MMA 1 which was held on November 24, 2018.  The event was the first and only mixed martial arts event to be put on by decorated boxer and promoter Oscar De La Hoya.  For his first foray into MMA, De La Hoya paired former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.  While De La Hoya’s success in putting on boxing events was well-chronicled, the circumstances surrounding the card led to one of the sport’s most discussed events of the year.

The trilogy between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz is on for Thanksgiving weekend according to @OscarDeLaHoya. Per Oscar, both men have passed medicals.

▶️https://t.co/FdBPj0zGMu

— Gabriel Gonzalez (@DoubleGonTV) August 27, 2018

Promotion for the event actually began months prior, with preliminary talks about De La Hoya, Liddell, and Ortiz coming together to do business starting months earlier.  Liddell had long been rumored to be in talks to return to action, and that summer during International Fight Week he and Ortiz had their first face off in years in front of the UFC’s 25th Anniversary wall.  It would not be until months later, at a promotional event for the rematch between boxers Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, that De La Hoya confirmed the weekend of Thanksgiving for the bout.

🔥 @ChuckLiddell and @titoortiz had one last heated exchange at today's final press conference. #LiddellOrtiz3 Nov 24 on PPV @theforum pic.twitter.com/uKmb0frJVB

— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) November 21, 2018

It was in the coming weeks that red flags began to be raised about the event.  For one, De La Hoya frequently referred to Liddell as “Lie-del” which raised questions as to how much he was actually involved and invested in the event.  Liddell’s health was also in question.  At 48 years old, “The Ice Man” had retired from the UFC years prior after admitting that his chin and ability to take punches were not the same.  Though he’d had time off to recover since then, his ability to still take punches from another trained fighter remained in question.  Finally, the decision to air the event on pay-per-view was highly criticized considering the two were far removed from their time as major draws in the MMA landscape.  While De La Hoya and others expressed interest in MMA beyond the event, many wondered if the entire card was a jab from “The Golden Boy” who had publicly feuded with UFC President Dana White for years.

Though it was not made clear in pre-fight promotion, the event had a respectable roster for a non-UFC or Bellator card at the time.  Dotting the undercard were names like future UFC fighter Deron Winn and UFC veterans such as Tom Lawlor, Gleison Tibau, Ultimate Fighter winner Efrain Escudero, Jay Silva, Albert Morales, and others.

The presentation of the festivities left plenty to be desired, whether you attended live or watched it at home.  Due those involved having been in the UFC for years, there were no highlight reel packages available to hype up the event.  Instead, a broadcast team with Todd Grisham and UFC veterans Frank Mir and Rashad Evans led the way through several graphics in-between calling fights.  Inside The Forum Inglewood, the production only aired live shots on the big screen so fans in attendance were left at a loss without the instant replay when incidents such as low-blows were under review. There was also no camera for crowd shots, something that was glaringly apparent when the arena announcer shouted out celebrities in attendance but their faces were not shown on the big screen to generate the desired applause.

#LiddellOrtiz3 Face off 🔥

Watch them LIVE one last time tomorrow night on #PPV @theforum pic.twitter.com/Thh0hq7hC5

— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) November 23, 2018

One thing that can be said is that the main event was treated with all of the pomp and circumstance that has come to be expected from any pay-per-view headliner.  Say what you will about the match-up at the time, but at least Liddell and Ortiz still looked the part as opposed to other questionable match-ups like Kimbo Slice against Dada 5000 or an older Royce Grace against Ken Shamrock in Bellator.

When the action began, it was very clear that it was no longer 2004.  Liddell circled patiently but it was plain as day from the first few strikes that Ortiz’s shots had astronomically more effect on him than they did years prior.  As the first round was closing, Ortiz landed the finishing sequence that left Liddell asleep on the canvas.

By the time Monday came along, the MMA world sought answers for how such an event took place.  For one, the California State Athletic Commission came under fire for licensing Liddell when it was abundantly clear he could still no longer take a punch.  Secondly, the flop on pay-per-view had many wondering if future plans, were there truly any at all to begin with, would go forward for Golden Boy to continue putting on MMA events.  It should be noted, the event was not up against any competition from the UFC as the Octagon was in China that weekend for an event that took place in the early morning hours in the United States.

Years later, Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya have made zero mention of entering the MMA space again.  Tito Ortiz has stated that business did not end well between himself and De La Hoya.  He has not completely closed the door on a return to competition at 46.  Chuck Liddell at 51 has not shut the door on a return to competition either, with a recent appearance in a trailer for Triller Fight Club fueling rumors that he may bring his services there.  The Golden Boy MMA event was immortalized as a footnote in the final part of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Chuck and Tito that aired in 2019.

#Redemption 🔥🔥🔥 @titoortiz is victorious! #LiddellOrtiz3 pic.twitter.com/u8JLDKLcXZ

— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) November 25, 2018

Notably, several fighters from the event would go on to find more success following the bout.  Deron Winn would go on to fight for the UFC, seen by many at the time as the hidden gem of the entire Golden Boy MMA saga.  Johnny Cisneros and Tom Lawlor would later go on to fight in Bellator and PFL respectively.  Jay Silva and Albert Morales would go on to find success as champions in the regional California promotion CXF, with Morales going on to fight in Bellator.  Juliana Miller, who opened the card as one of several amateur bouts, is now a professional who fights for Invicta.

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