Tito Ortiz Eyes Fight With Fedor Emelianenko: “Let The Beatings Begin”
UFC Hall of Famer and current Bellator MMA fighter Tito Ortiz is looking to get his next fight lined up. According to Ortiz, he has three fights in mind. Ortiz said in a recent interview with FightHub TV that he would be interested in a fight with Royce Gracie, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Fedor Emelianenko.
“I respect Royce so much, that’s the only reason I would want to compete against him. It’s nothing bad against him. I really, really like the guy but I just think his name is such a huge name, it’d make sense for my last fight but he don’t want to do it. I guess I don’t want to do it either, so let’s make an interesting fight. Let’s see if Fedor can get down to 205. Rampage. Rampage kind of talked smack his last fight saying that he’ll fight me no matter what. Okay, let it be. Let’s see him get down to 205.”
Ortiz explained that he had been a light heavyweight his entire career, so the option of him moving down to middleweight or up to heavyweight is not in his future plans.
“I’m a 205 lb. fighter, been my whole career, 19 years and I’m not going anywhere. No reason to give anybody a little extra. I understand my levels of how I like to compete and at 205 that’s where I’m super fast. I’m a workhorse, and that’s my weight. So Rampage or Fedor or whoever they have else to fight me at 205, I don’t care.”
Ortiz believes he has limits so he will not go up to heavyweight for just a fight with Emelianenko to make a ton of cash, which at this stage of his career, wouldn’t be a bad idea. However, Ortiz thinks he can beat Emelianenko if he would move down to light heavyweight.
“Like I said, I’m a light heavyweight. I understand my limits. I’m not going to go out there just to fight for money and to put on a show for people at the risk of my own health. I won’t do that. I know my limits, as I say, and I’m a 205 lb. light heavyweight. I walk around 220, 225, right now. Fedor’s a big cat. I did a press junket with him in England and God, he’s about 6′ 1″ and a good 245, 240. He’s a big cat. Like I said, I know my limits. I respect the guy but at the same time, if he makes 205, let the beatings begin.”
“I think it’s just the weight. That’s the only thing stopping me. I’m getting paid the same amount of money no matter what, don’t matter who it is. Don’t matter if it’s some nobody on the street – which I would never do – but still. Bellator have really given us our own constructive criticism about our own careers so it’s really lucky to have that and to give us the decisions of who we’re going to fight, when we’re going to fight, and give us the opportunity to fight the people we wanna fight.””
Ortiz is eyeing his return to the Bellator cage soon. By the end of the year, so in the next four months. Now, Ortiz is just waiting on getting an opponent to train for.
“Before the year is over. Maybe next couple of months. I’m just waiting on Scott Coker and making the right decision. I’m a business guy and I’m part of the business. Whenever they want me to fight, I’m getting ready now so I’ll be in shape to fight… The business side is already etched out to everything I want to do in my contract. Right now it’s just what the fans want, what they want to see.”
You can watch the interview here:
