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Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:15 am EDT

UFC 100: Pioneer Tito Ortiz not welcome at UFC Fan Expo or the big event

By Steve Cofield

What a great weekend to honor the early days of the UFC. The organization has brought back all of the legends and building blocks that made this 100th pay-per-view possible. Check that, all but one. Because of his prolonged public feud with president Dana White, Tito Ortiz is banned from the premises. He's in Las Vegas this weekend but not welcome at Mandalay Bay. He's hanging with his wife Jenna Jameson at Hooters Casino with a few hundred MMA fans instead 10,000-plus at the UFC Fan Expo.

Ortiz called in to ESPNRadio1100 to talk about the snubbing and he said it's much of the same from UFC. Anything to suppress big names (2:29 mark):

"The biggest problem is the UFC in general. They're all about branding their name. We're the guys who get inside the cage. Strikeforce is working toward making superstars, not worried about their brand."

Ortiz said he's set to sign a four-fight deal with Strikeforce. When asked if he wanted Fedor Emelianenko right out of the gates when he returns from his long layoff from  back surgery, Ortiz said he'd like the world's No. 1 pound-for-pound king in the final fight of the deal at a catch weight of 210 pounds.

Ortiz stay composed for most of the interview and resisted lambasting his nemesis White, but some bitterness seeped through towards the end of the conversation:

"It really comes down to a respect value. They don't respect me. They don't cherish me at all."

Ortiz is doing an autograph signing today at Hooters from 12-4 p.m. PT:

"UFC wouldn't let me go to the Fan Expo. I feel very sorry for all my fans. I'm here for the fans, I'm going to support them no matter what."

Frankly, this whole thing is ridiculous. Ortiz was a vital part of the organization's growth going 14-6-1 with the promotion since his first UFC battle back in 1997 at UFC 13. Ortiz and Dana White should've found a way co-exist. Tito is losing money in the long term and the UFC cost itself a good personality that it could've pushed for the foreseeable future.

Before you scoff and use White's line that Ortiz is no longer a top 10 205-pounder, look at what's happened to the careers of Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Lyoto Machida since they fought "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy." Ortiz's 1-1-1 mark against those three doesn't look so bad now. Ortiz hopes to return in late-2009.

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27 Comments

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  1. Mangler
    1. Posted by Mangler Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:57 am EDT

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    Tito He starting to sound like Pete Rose, hanging around the outside of the event,looking for attention.I know the feud with Dana is 2-way but Tito definetly keeps his part going.Slamming the ufc won't get him anywere. Mangler out
  2. Nikita N
    2. Posted by Nikita N Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:23 am EDT

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    Tito should ko white's fake fighter ass!!he's pimpin the figthers - couple of thousand a fight maybe lol...go strikeforce!!
  3. BOSS
    3. Posted by BOSS Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:26 am EDT

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    wah wah wah wah wah wah wah. get over it tito. if these two couldve put their worthless pride aside he would still be in the ufc. tito wants fedor? good luck with that one bub.
  4. Sdgfasdg F
    4. Posted by Sdgfasdg F Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:36 am EDT

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    great
  5. mike5o
    5. Posted by mike5o Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:48 am EDT

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    Tito, thanks for supporting the troops with your trip to Mosul, Thanksgiving '07. Congrats on the kid. Jenna's fine as....
  6. mathiasmorciglio
    6. Posted by mathiasmorciglio Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:58 am EDT

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    I think White and the UFC really screwed the pooch with the whole Tito thing. Tito beat forrest (barely), he tied Rashad (on a technicality, should've been a win), and almost armbarred Machida in a match that Machinda was far from dominant in. Ortiz had a good accounting of himself against all three of the UFC's recent LHW titleholders. He's good enough to put up a good fight and he's a big draw. White should've put his personal feelings behind him and and kept the guy in the UFC. And I don't even like Tito, I think the guy's a douche, that doesn't change the fact that he's still competitve in the division and a huge PPV draw, White should realize this. And Tito vs. Fedor? Gimmie a break.
  7. Sdgfasdg F
    7. Posted by Sdgfasdg F Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:00 am EDT

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    my friend told me a good place ^"InterracialSingleOnline"^
  8. R C
    8. Posted by R C Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:05 am EDT

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    Why would a guy who's not a part of the UFC be at a UFC convention? Seems like a pretty simple situation to me.
  9. KJ-MMA Armchair
    9. Posted by KJ-MMA Armchair Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:31 am EDT

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    The mistake boxing has made is allowing certain fighters to be bigger and more important then the sport as a whole. They've become the sole focus, and the result has meant Boxing's growth has been stagnant for over a decade.
    Tito thinks he should be bigger then the sport, and the reason he's not at the Expo (which is for the fans and to promote the growth of the UFC) is because he would be there in it for himself and nothing more. He'd try to turn it into the Tito Ortiz Expo. If he was really as important as he thought he was, he could set up his own Expo and we could all sit back and laugh at how unsuccessful that would be.
  10. Mr.Brooks
    10. Posted by Mr.Brooks Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:43 am EDT

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    Tito thought he was as big as the UFC, he thought he WAS the UFC.He was wrong, if Tito had not been there some other guy just as tough would have took his place no body would have ever heard of Tito and the UFC would still be here today..
    I FREAKIN HOPE HE FIGHTS FEDOR, I HOPE AND PREY...
  11. anonymous
    11. Posted by anonymous Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:51 am EDT

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    God am I sick of this attention whore. HE is SO WORRIED that people are starting to care less abotu himself. SO he shows up EVERYWHERE with Tito, Tito, TIto...and the horse [profane] he can spew.
    Why would the UFC want someone that is gonna come and PROMOTE another company and TRASH the UFC at their biggest show????? I would ban him from talking, PERIOD if that was possible.
    He is so delusional, he doesnt even realize what an ass he makes of himslef when he tries to speak. And he doesnt realize that he IS NOT relevant anymore and it is killing him
  12. Allen
    12. Posted by Allen Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:12 pm EDT

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    Tito's a bi-t-ch.
    He's always been a punk, and now he is on the outside looking in.
    I guess it goes to show you, don't mess with Dana or the UFC.
    Tito can take his Hollywood ego and porn star skank and stay in Strikefarce.
  13. Michael W
    13. Posted by Michael W Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:19 pm EDT

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    Why give him a forum to go and trash your company on a weekend that is intended as a celebration? Tito can go to hell. He does all this me-me-me crap and lies to everyone (see his many recent “contract signings”). If he wants to be recognized for his time in the UFC, then appreciate and respect your time in the UFC. Bye tito…your time is up.
    P.S. Fedor won't ever fight you...why would he. He has a Hong Man Choi rematch to ponder.
  14. Allen
    14. Posted by Allen Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:20 pm EDT

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    And turned his back on Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock?
    Shamrock was spent years ago.
    And Dana sill allowed him to fight on.
    It was obvious by the 3rd TO and KS match, Ken was there for a paycheck only.
    His skills were some of the best way back in the day, but age caught up to him, and they were gone by that match.
    And when he fought Franklin, he couldn't even stay on his feet.
    Who else gave Ken the chance?
    EliteXc? Against Kimbo? Please.
    And exactly how did that turn out.
    And Royce was brought back to fight Hughes. And it was a great match.
    Give Dana credit for moving old, tired washed up fighters out of the ranks.
    Kind of like Randy and Chuck and Hughes should be next.
  15. light27
    15. Posted by light27 Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:39 pm EDT

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    Al Gore invented UFC, Ultimate Fighting and Boxing. Tito doesn't conserve green house gasses and because of that, he is relegated to watching from the sidelines. Dana White is actually Al Gore.
  16. mathiasmorciglio
    16. Posted by mathiasmorciglio Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:00 pm EDT

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    While I think White made a mistake in cutting Tito from the UFC I completely agree with keeping him out of the expo. I think "anonymous" summed it up pretty well, "Why would the UFC want someone that is gonna come and PROMOTE another company and TRASH the UFC at their biggest show?????"
  17. Darryl P
    17. Posted by Darryl P Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    Tito is a bum 3 of his wins are from shamrock. He wouldn't fight anyone when he had the belt kept duking liddel. You think gsp, couture, silva would duck fighters. Moses malone 4th fight should be fedor. What a joke. No later then 2nd. By titos rate of fights a year it should take place in 2012 or so. 99% of fighters would take it first back against fedor. What fighter worth his salt would duck fights. Hope someone pummels him at his event tonight then pounds jenna.
  18. crazedcanuck99
    18. Posted by crazedcanuck99 Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    I love what Strikeforce has been doing, and I'm also a huge fan of what the UFC does.
    Keep in mind that it is a risk, and directly against their business model in the UFC to put over another company. That's likely what Tito would have done.. likely announcing his Strikeforce deal much in the same way he just used it to take a slap @ the UFC in the interview.
    Personally, I agree with a lot of Tito's comments abot how the business of the UFC runs itself.. fighter image and sponsor control...etc . Too bad Tito goes about it just as wrong as Dana does on most occassions.
  19. Caligulus
    19. Posted by Caligulus Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:16 pm EDT

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    Tito's in a different brand now. I think what will happen is that once Tito is completely out of the fight game, he'll be in the UFC HOF. It might even be posthumously done.
  20. OBEY
    20. Posted by OBEY Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Tito Ortiz should focus more on his fighting than his marketing ability.
    I really don't understand how someone who hasnt won a fight in over 3 years should be given anything.
    The only thing that comes to mind Is he wants something that he deserves he should have received years ago. basically money.
    If Tito was still beating people up, then alright give the man what he deserves. Unfortunately his sport is a business and if your not working up to the standars of the company then your gonna be fired, and replaced by someone else.
    Ya hes a good fighter, ya hes been in the sport for over 10 years but who cares if your not winning.
    what type of legacy does this guy have anyways ? my guess is a negative one.
    Tito Ortiz should consider a reality check instead of a pay check in my opinion.
  21. Da_Bay_Beast
    21. Posted by Da_Bay_Beast Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:16 pm EDT

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    when did the MMA BLOG get changed to the UFC BLOG. i hope this is only for UFC100 purposes.
  22. AvEnGeRx
    22. Posted by AvEnGeRx Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    Tito is now looking to keep his name alive because hes not relevant any more and wants to sign that contract before his back fails.
    Tito was a big part of the UFC and help keep it a float. He ducked Chuck and became his doormat and got spanked by Couture. Fedor would kill him and he would see what Ken Shamrock felt when he beat him up. Make Fedor smaller he said! Even a 2 foot 120 pound Fedor would destroy him, LoL what a dork.
  23. moush33333
    23. Posted by moush33333 Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:41 am EDT

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    Fedor would kick his A-S-S
    Tito is just a punk trying to make a buck
  24. JerBear50
    24. Posted by JerBear50 Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    Tito has not had a convincing win over anyone solid in years. While he was in his prime he spent how long ducking Liddell, but he claims he wants Fedor? What a sorry little man. Take your money and your little skank and go away. You're no longer relevant.
  25. JJ
    25. Posted by JJ Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:09 am EDT

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    Cofield, are you kidding me with article. Please tell me you are joking. Any MMA "journalist" should know that Tito's time is done. And Tito is just as delirious as Cofield by making mention of fighting Fedor. Who has he beaten in his last several fights?? Shamrock? I didn't see Tito fight Rashad but I think Forrest should have been given the win. Chuck beat him with no problems and we've seen Chuck lose quite a few lately so really, where would that put Tito?? I can name quite a few fighters that would rank higher than Tito...Machida, Rua, Forrest, Rashad, Rampage, Franklin (as a lhw), Wanderlei (as a lhw), Henderson (as a lhw), Thiago Silva, Jardine, Liddell (with his two wins), Jones (the new guy)...should I go on Cofield? Tito is all about himself now and doesn't like it that UFC is about the sport and good fights. We know Dana wasn't happy with Brock and he's not going to put up with fighters embarassing the sport and other fighters when they only try to promote themselves whether or not they are a good fighter. Sure, the fued with Tito and Dana is why Tito is not with the UFC but he isn't a headliner anymore and would probably fight on the undercards of bout due to his decreasing fighting skills.

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