Author Topic: Tito Ortiz to appear at Affliction press conference on Wednesday  (Read 740 times)

SinCitysmallGUY

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Tito Ortiz to appear at Affliction press conference on Wednesday
« on: December 16, 2008, 06:28:15 AM »
Former UFC fighter Tito Ortiz, one of the most notable names currently available on the free-agent market, will be a special guest at Wednesday's press conference for "Affliction: Day of Reckoning."

The California-based Affliction Entertainment today announced the former UFC champion's upcoming appearance.

Ortiz has long been in negotiations with Affliction, and back in August, he even famously announced he was about to sign the largest contract in MMA history with the organization.

That deal never came to fruition, though, and just three months later, he attended "EliteXC: Heat" and told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he expected to sign with the EliteXC within a month.

But, after the event, EliteXC canceled its November show and has since been reduced to a skeleton staff. The organization's fighters remain in a state of limbo as potential buyers consider purchasing the nearly dead company. No fighters have been signed since the collapse of the CBS-backed organization.

In any manner, even if Ortiz announces he's signed with Affliction, don't expect him to compete at the Jan. 24 "Day of Reckoning" event, which takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Ortiz underwent back surgery in October and said he expects to be out approximately six months, though similar injuries in other fighters have resulted in 12- to 18-month layoffs.

Ortiz (15-6-1) remains one of the sport's most recognizable stars and one of the very top pay-per-view draws in MMA history. However, he's winless in his past three fights, and he hasn't fought professionally since a loss to Lyoto Machida in May. Ortiz fulfilled the terms of his UFC contract with the fight, and he recently vowed never to return to the organization, largely because of his public feud with his former manager and current UFC President Dana White.

MMAjunkie.com will be on scene and reporting from Wednesday's press conference, which takes place in Los Angeles, so stay tuned for news about Ortiz's appearance.

In the mean time, for the latest on "Affliction: Day of Reckoning," check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com

SinCitysmallGUY

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Quote of the Day: Tito Ortiz to Affliction?
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2008, 06:28:56 AM »
So says MMA Weekly:
Sources...indicated that Ortiz revealed that he has agreed to sign with Affliction Entertainment.

Tito was still in talks with Zuffa as of two weeks ago, and won't be returning to fight until July at the absolute earliest.  I expect him to do some promotion for them to help out, but I have my doubts about his sincerity.

Here's my cynical take: Ortiz was never going to sign with Pro Elite, and he will never fight for Affliction.  He is pulling this stuff to keep his name in the news, without intention of ever going through with a fight, in order to keep himself relevant and get a bigger offer.