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While many saw Tito Ortiz’s crashing of the UFC 84 post-fight press conference an unexpected event, I saw it coming from a mile away. This, after all, is ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’; the man who has built his name by being contraversial every step of the way.

The ongoing saga between UFC President Dana White and Light Heavyweight Fighter Tito Ortiz is approaching a boiling point that may spill over at UFC 84. With heavy media coverage and fine tooth scrutiny being applied to all sides of the story, neither White or Ortiz seem to be holding back their various pot shots, something that is overriding the real bout, between Ortiz and undefeated Brazilian Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida.

This past Thursday on The Fan 590, Ortiz told me the only he would return to the UFC is if Dana White either quit or publicly apologized for what he has said about him and girlfriend Jenna Jameson. Dana’s response during a recent UFC conference call this past week was nothing new or surprising to anyone who has been following this story for years:

“Tito is a f—ing idiot. He’s one of the dumbest human beings I’ve ever met. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes no sense.”  It also appears White has enough of Tito’s act as well. “I put up with his s— when he was a good fighter,” White said. “He’s not anymore. He’s not in anybody’s Top 10.”

While most promoters would never publically display who they favour in a fight, White overlooks this image and could care less about being impartial.  He stated “I have no interest whatsoever in being in the Tito Ortiz business. … I’ve never wanted to see anyone get their ass kicked worse than I want to see Tito get his kicked next Saturday night.” 

Everyone knows that next Saturday night at the MGM Grand, Tito Ortiz will be making his final appearance in the UFC Octagon. With many MMA organziations vieing to become the next ‘big show’, Tito Ortiz’s name and marketability could be the next step for some of the up and coming promotions. Widely regarded as the #2 organization in North America, Elite XC and their frontman Gary Shaw, make no bones about the fact they would love to have Tito Ortiz on their roster.

“Of all my years in the fight game, I know one thing that I could see, touch, smell and feel, and that is a star and a superstar,” he said. “Every time I see Tito Ortiz, he reeks of stardom. I think I can even better his days in the UFC. I think I can reincarnate Ortiz. He is a talented fighter and has all the mechanisms that you need to make someone a superstar.”

“Can you imagine Tito Ortiz and Kimbo (Slice) in the cage together one day?,” Shaw asked. “My door is open. I hope that he’s able to negotiate one day because I would never interfere with a contract. I hope he’s sitting right next to me, not across from my desk, but right with me.”

I firmly believe that Elite XC is where Tito Ortiz will end up, but will Dana White and the UFC try to convince Ortiz otherwise in hopes to work things out with their former Light Heavyweight Champion. “There’s not going to be any bidding war,” White said. “Gary Shaw should offer him $30 a fight, because we’re not going to match it.

Not surpising when you think about it, but business is business and if there is any way the UFC can prevent their competition from increasing their market share, they will do whatever it takes to do so. If that means signing Tito Ortiz, they will. Then again, White also believes that there is no promotion out there that can (or ever will) compete with the UFC.

Bottom line, this scenario will continue to heat up and will definetly reach an all time high at UFC 84: ill will. Win or Lose, Ortiz will be a headlining story for weeks to come and it will be interesting to see what the UFC does to sign or impede the next chapter in Tito Ortiz’s career.

At UFC 84: ill will, Tito Ortiz will most likely make his final appearance in the Octagon. His on-again, (mostly) off-again relationship with UFC President Dana White will reach it’s boiling point on Saturday May 24th. These two have barely minced words when speaking to any media outlet that they know will broadcast whatever they have to say.

The battle between these two parties has been going on for years. As opposed to doing whatever they can to not air their dirty laundry, they take great satisfaction in getting it all out there for public viewing and consumption. Remember, the one hour documentary where they agreed to fight one another to settle a bet they had between them. The fight never happened as Dana said Tito backed off with Tito coming on The Fan 590 calling it ‘The Dana White Show’.

Of course, there is the online bickering all across the internet with various pot shots added in on radio shows, TV spots and Dana White’s sarcasm and jabs about Ortiz in various UFC press conferences.

In just over a week, these two will collide in what promises to be an epic battle of employer and employee…with the irony being Tito Ortiz has already given his two weeks notice of resignation. On May 24th it will be his last day at work and we’ve all been there thinking ‘Should I or shouldn’t I?’. 

With all of these thoughts going on in Tito’s head, there is still Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida, the undefeated Brazilian who will be his opponent in the Octagon that night. But it’s not just the real fight that he’s thinking about’ it’s Dana White who may prove to be his toughest opponent that night.

Sponsorhip Issues

At UFC 84, Bud Light will be debuting it’s logo to mark the beginning of it’s massive marketing campaign to brand the UFC with their product. Tito Ortiz knows this, so rumour has it he has signed on with Mickey’s Brewery, the former beer sponsor of the UFC and now a direct competitor of Bud Light.

The UFC is pretty strict and does not allow any fighter to wear any logos from competing sponsors. On that note, I am very interested to see how Ortiz will be able to pull off being dressed head to toe in not only his own Team Punishment logo, but that of Mickey’s Brewery as well.

We all saw what happened to Matt Lindland, the dominant middleweight wrestler who was consensus #1 (pre-Anderson Silva) when he wore a logo from a competing sponsor. He was banned from the UFC and never fought for them again. We see it now with Affliction, as they have been banned by the UFC forcing guys like GSP to wear all black shorts with just a ‘Fleur DI Li’ logo on his right hip.

This time it’s different. This time it’s Tito Ortiz knowing full well that this will most likely be his last fight for the UFC. He is probably counting the ways that he can ’stick it’ to the them, and wearing a competing sponsor is just one way of doing so. Getting on the mic is another way, so it’s pretty safe to say that the UFC production staff have been told (and will be reminded) to keep Tito Ortiz away from all microphones and any extra camera shots before and after his bout.

While most fighters will stick by the rules, this time its different as this is the renegade employee on his last day on the job with nothing to lose. He doesn’t care what the UFC thinks. He could care less what Bud Light has to say, but above all, he doesn’t really care what Dana White has to say, just as long as he can stick it to him.

It will be interesting to see how the UFC will prevent Tito Ortiz from wearing the Mickey’s logo, seeing as Bud Light is paying big money to sponsor the show with ‘exclusivety’ as part of the agreement. Does Dana White explain to them that Tito is a rebel? Does he explain to Bud Light the checkered past between the two of them? No matter what, Bud Light will not care as their contract with the UFC has nothing to do with Dana White, Tito Ortiz and their soap opera dilemmas.

As mentioned earlier, lest we forget that Tito is fighting the 11-0 Lyoto Machida, a fight many are saying will be an easy victory for Machida. It’s also the same card as Vanderlai Silva (coming off a loss to Chuck Liddell) vs Keith Jardine (coming off a victory over Chuck Liddell) as well as the Lightweight Championship main event between champ BJ Penn and former champ Sean Sherk.

This event will be one for the ages…