Tito Ortiz Reveals Why He Stopped Managing Cris Cyborg
Tito Ortiz no longer helps manage Bellator MMA star and former UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.
Speaking to The Score MMA in a recent interview, Ortiz revealed he stopped working with Cyborg shortly before her 2018 matchup with Amanda Nunes in the UFC, which she lost via first-round knockout. Ortiz notes Cyborg’s boyfriend, also her manager, made some decisions he didn’t quite agree with. (H/T The Body Lock)
“I haven’t worked with Cris Cyborg since before the Amanda fight,” Ortiz said. “Her boyfriend, I guess you can say manager also, made some bad decisions for her and I kind of had to step away. I made a lot of mistakes with the UFC, and I tried to keep her from doing (sic) the same mistakes.
“She’s a big girl, and she can make her decisions, but she was making the wrong decisions. Or I could say her boyfriend was making the wrong decisions for her. But that was just my opinion and I wish all the luck to her. I tried to give as much as I possibly could to her, but she just was willing to listen to someone else who hasn’t been in the same shoes that I have been in.
“I guess everyone learns from mistakes, and hopefully, she’ll learn from the mistakes that she’s made and make a positive reinforcement for the future for her.”
Ortiz, in the meantime, continues his own fighting career. He’ll take on Alberto El Patron this weekend in Texas for the Combate Americas promotion. Cyborg, who recently inked a large contract with Bellator MMA, will challenge Julia Budd for the women’s featherweight title in January.
What do you think about Ortiz deciding to stop managing Cyborg?