Tito Ortiz Speaks On Retirement

[No More Sorrow]

Next weekend Tito fights Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, in the second to last fight on his current six-fight contract with the UFC. And then he can see his fighting career coming to a close, as he details in a recent interview with MMA Heat's Karyn Bryant.

"Maybe it's time," said Ortiz. "I don't know."

"I guess when I leave on my own terms -- and I look at it as, when I don't have fun coming in the gym anymore, sparring and pushing myself and running every day, maybe it is time. I'm not overstaying my welcome.

"My goal in my whole career was to do 15 years in MMA. May 30th will be my 15th year of fighting in the UFC and in MMA, in general ... This will be fight No. 26 for me, I think. So I'll have 27 and walk away. I think I've done good.

"I don't know. But you never know. You never know if Dana and Lorenzo come to me with some numbers that make sense to me. I'm healthy.

"I just don't want to have another surgery in my neck or my back anymore. My doctor says, "Out of surgery, you'll get three years. And after that, you may have to have surgery again if you keep doing the banging.

"Is it worth it not being able to run with my kids or wrestle with my kids or throw a football with my kids when they get older? A million dollars ain't worth it."

MMAjunkie.com

 

[Troy]

He has hinted at it a few times before but I actually believe that he will go after this contract expires. He had that terrible run with injury a couple of years back and he won't want to suffer through that again.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Yeah and as much as i personally don't like him he's still had a pretty good MMA career.

 

[Slim]

He is looking to leave on his own terms, looking to leave in relatively good health, and not completely ruined his legacy... thats the way to go. That's the way to walk out. Fulfull your contract, fulfill your goal, make the money, make your mark on history, and still have money to retire comfortably and enjoy it with your kids.

I could see Tito retiring after that last fight on his contract but then returning for like a one off marquee fight and then be officially and fully done... unless his last fight is main event.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Yeah I'm trying to think of somebody who they'd put him against if that was going to be his last match and i can't think of many people. But still, good of him to start openly talking about retirement a lot of guys keep going on way past there time looking for one last big break doesn't seem as if he's going to be doing that.

 

[The Cork]

Hes gonna lose to Little Nog anyway so this decision will be taken out of his hands....

 

[No More Sorrow]

I think he'll lose this weekend as well.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Tito Ortiz revealed this week that the end is in sight for him, as he'll most likely be retiring from mixed martial arts competition after two more fights (one of which takes place this weekend against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira) when his UFC contract runs out.

A clear sign that Ortiz has put some thought into this was how quickly he answered when asked in a recent interview with MMAWeekly whom he'd want to face off against in his retirement match.

"I think me and Forrest Griffin, we got some unfinished business, just because they gave him the last fight and I thought that was BS," said the 36-year-old. "That really annoys me a lot about it. But, of course, Rich Franklin calls me out, it's like take a number dude. Stand in line with the rest of the people that've been calling me out. Everybody wants to get famous by fighting Tito Ortiz and I think the people who really deserve it are people who already fought me or are fighting for a title."

lmao "Get famous by fighting Tito Ortiz"

 

[Troy]

Even though he lost today I still think that he will be given that last fight on his contract. Give him a fight after May 30 next year and then it will mean he has fought in the UFC for over 15 years.