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
