Dana White: Tito Ortiz no longer relevant at 205
Ariel Helwani: Are Tito Ortiz’s days done inside the Octagon? Dana White: I think going in to this fight, what…
Ariel Helwani: Are Tito Ortiz’s days done inside the Octagon?
Dana White: I think going in to this fight, what everybody heard me talk about is that, we’re going to find out — this fight is going to see whether Tito Ortiz is still relevant in the 205lb division.
AH: What do you think? Is he?
DFW: Did he win tonight? (Shakes head)
AH: No, but maybe you liked something about him.
DEW: He didn’t win tonight, but did Tito look horrible? Tito didn’t look horrible either. Tito went in there and lost. He’s lost 4 out of his last 5… I don’t hate Tito anymore, but it is what it is.
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Dana went even further in a discussion on ESPN’s MMA Live:
“I think the fight tonight was [about] Tito Ortiz’s relevancy in the light-heavyweight divsion. I don’t know the exact number, but he’s lost like four in a row. And I think we know what happens when you lose four in a row in the UFC. This is the big leagues, man.”
Ortiz has not won a pro fight since October 2006, when he TKOed Ken Shamrock.
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As for Ortiz, he remained upbeat, and unlike after his loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 106, said that he feels healthy coming out of the fight.
“I’m not even close to the end of my career. The decision lies in Dana’s hands, but I’ve gone through some surgeries that people don’t come back. I feel great. Besides my face being a little sore, I feel fine. I need to get back to wrestling. I need to get back to my roots.”