Just when we thought that the trilogy bout with Chuck Liddell may have been it, Tito Ortiz goes out and signs another contract.
Yep, that’s right. The former UFC light heavyweight titleholder is now set to embark on a new journey as he has signed a multi-fight deal with Combate Americas at Combate 35: Reinas on Friday night, as confirmed by FanSided. No opponent or debut date is established just yet, but his promotional debut is expected to be in the Fall.
“The Huntington Beach Bad-Boy” currently rides a two-fight winning streak after scoring a first-round knockout in the aforementioned third bout with his old rival, Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell in the main event of Golden Boy MMA’s inaugural event.
Prior to that, Ortiz enjoyed a brief stint with Bellator MMA that saw him go 3-1 with his only loss coming to the then champion, Liam McGeary. In Bellator Ortiz would pick up wins over the likes of Chael Sonnen, fellow UFC Hall of Famer in Stephan Bonnar, and former Bellator middleweight champion, Alexander Shlemenko.
Now 44-years old, the 33-fight veteran in Ortiz will be headed to fight for only the fifth MMA promotion of his career (27 UFC fights, four in Bellator, one in West Coast NHB Championships, and one in Golden Boy MMA).
It will be rather interesting to see how many fights that Ortiz ends up fighting in for Combate Americas with his all things considered. The 205-pound legend has done it all at this point in his career but is obviously still able to hang with the likes of his recent opponents. Three of his last four wins came by finish (two submissions, one knockout).
What are your thoughts on Ortiz continuing to fight? Will he be a good fit in Combate Americas?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 4/26/2019