Q & A with Tito Ortiz

If there’s one thing Tito Ortiz does better than fight, it is promote. Since losing his last match to Lyota Machida at UFC 84, Ortiz has not been able to get back into the cage. Back problems and contract issues have been the main culprit, but Ortiz is certainly not going to allow that to keep him down.

Ortiz has been linked to both EliteXC and Affliction over the past few months. With EliteXC going down, that leaves Affliction or possibly Japan as the only true options for the former UFC light heavyweight champion. Without being able to fight, Ortiz has signed on for the next best thing to keep his name out in the public – commentate.

Ortiz will be the color analyst when Affliction produces the “Day of Reckoning” pay-per-view on January 24th. For Ortiz, the venture will be his pay-per-view debut as a commentator. Ortiz also gets a chance to keep his face fresh with all the MMA fans watching the show.

We recently had a chance to catch up with Tito Ortiz to discuss a variety of topics including how he became a commentator with Affliction, what the next step in his career will be, and what he thinks about a possible fight with Fedor Emelianenko.

Question: Now that you’re venturing into the field of color commentating for the Affliction Day of Reckoning pay-per-view, what are your thoughts of the show?

Tito Ortiz: I think the show is a great opportunity for a lot of the fighters to excel and grow. Having Golden Boy Promotions a part of it really solidifies my idea of a great show because they understand the promotion of it. It’s not about the brand of Affliction, but it’s about the styles of the fighters that are competing on the show. I see that Oscar De La Hoya does an awesome job promoting fighters and making superstars. Affliction is stepping forward by making Golden Boy a part of this. Donald Trump is a great businessman. His being a part of it brings a little more strength to the show. The show is about making superstars – the Tito Ortiz’s of the future.

Q: The main event features former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski taking on former Pride Heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. What do you think of the match-up?

TO: I think it’s going to be an awesome fight. I think Fedor may be in a little more trouble than he expects. I talked to Arlovski at the De La Hoya fight (vs. Manny Pacquiao), and I told him he needs to work on his wrestling and defending the takedown. I also told him he needs to work on moving his feet. He said that he understands moving his feet. Fedor is going to know that his striking is not as good as Arlovski’s. Arlovski is an awesome heavyweight. That makes this an awesome card with those two fighting on it.

Q: For yourself coming off the recent back injury, we’ve heard you could be back in the ring or cage in July. What is your current status?

TO: My current status now is rehab. I have rehab for another three more months. Getting back into the ring or octagon – wherever I might go – it’s going to take time. Affliction has taken the opportunity to bring me on as a color commentator. It’s something I’ve always had an interest in, but UFC never let me do it. Once again, the UFC does not want to promote fighters so why let them commentate? I’m very thankful for Tom (Atencio) bringing me on. It’s more of just a friend deal. There’s no contract. It was just Tom saying, “Hey Tito, you want to do some color commentating”, and I said, “Sure.” Tom asked how much, and I said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll do it for free for you.” I just want to get my feet wet with color commentating.

Q: So this is absolutely for free?

TO: This is for free. The show is the day after my birthday so it’ll be a little present for myself. I’m 100% into getting back healthy. I think so many fans that have supported deserve to have a Tito Ortiz at 100%. It’s been five years. It’ll be a scary thing when I’m 100%. I feel sorry for all the light heavyweights around because I’m going to try to walk through each and every one of them.

Q: One guy who is also a pretty good promoter has called you out numerous times for a possible rematch. That guy is Frank Shamrock. Is that rematch now possible?

TO: A fight like that will be possible. It is about 95% likely to happen just because me and Frank talk back and forth. We’re great friends, but we still have a competitive grudge against one another. 2009 will be the ten-year reunion of the last time we fought, and I think the fans would love to see it. I just want to know if Frank wants to do it. I’ve heard time and time again that he would love to do it, but I don’t know. They better have a stretcher very close and paramedics because he surely would be going to the hospital after the fight.

Q: Besides Frank Shamrock, there is another potential huge moneymaking fight out there for you, and that would be against Fedor Emelianenko if he should beat Andrei Arlovski. Would you willing to move up to heavyweight for a fight like that?

TO: I think Fedor has to get past Arlovski before he starts thinking about Tito Ortiz, but Fedor is 220 lbs which is the same weight as me. That would be an awesome fight.

Q: Is that fight in the realm of possibility?

TO: It certainly is in the realm of possibility. I’m always looking for the best fights possible. I like Fedor a lot. I think he’s dangerous fighter, but to give him another loss on his record? If I was a promoter, I wouldn’t want to do that, but you never know. Everyone wants to see the best fight possible, and maybe Affliction will give it to them.

Q: Now as far as the UFC goes, is that dead and done? Dana White continually says how much he hates you and that he doesn’t want to work with you. Then, we hear that you may be talking with the Fertittas as opposed to Dana White. How is all of that shaking out?

TO: I’ve talked to the Fertittas and everything. Me and Lorenzo are close, but this is business. I will no longer be taken advantage of. The Fertittas aren’t billionaires for nothing. They’ve never been taken advantage of, and they are smart businessmen. I’m not a regular fighter. I’m not a fighter to be taken advantage of. I’m not a fighter to have people walk over me and not promote me. That’s the problem I’ve had time and time again with the UFC. To me, it’s about my future, and my future competing. I’ve got another five more years of competition left. I want to take advantage of these times competing, and I want to promote as much as possible - with Affliction, Golden Boy, and the Trump Organization.