UFC 133: Complete Fight Card, News and Predictions for Evans vs. Ortiz

While UFC 133 was supposed to be an epic card brought to you from the beautiful city of Philadelphia, the current card is lackluster at best.

It’s these cards, though, that often spawns the biggest knockouts and gives birth to the sports newest stars.

With UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones off the card, the main event is now Rashad Evans taking on the former great turned MMA circus leader Tito Ortiz.

The main event is a far cry from what it should be, but there will be a a raucous crowd in Philadelphia that expects a great show. The pressure from the fans will get the fighters juiced and make this a solid pay-per-view before all is said and done.

Keep it here for all of the UFC 133 predictions, news and updates as we get ready for the big fight night in Philadelphia.

Check back for more on the UFC as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Mixed Martial Arts Page to get your fill of MMA.

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Revisiting Evans vs. Ortiz I

Looking back at Evans vs. Ortiz I.... It’s the rematch no one thought would happen, but after numerous twists and turns in the careers of Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz, the former light heavyweight champions will revisit their rivalry in the main event of UFC 133 on August 6th and look to break the tie they fought to back at UFC 73.

That July 7, 2007 bout in Sacramento’s ARCO Arena was part of a card appropriately named “Stacked,” thanks to the championship bouts between Anderson Silva and Nate Marquardt and Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca that topped the bill. But among fans both casual and hardcore, the meeting between former champion Ortiz and up and comer Evans held the most starpower, and neither shied away from building up anticipation for the bout, even getting into a brief altercation Octagonside at UFC 69 three months earlier.

But despite his lack of experience on the big stage compared to Ortiz, Evans didn’t shy away from a little pre-fight banter with “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”

“I grew up with a lot of brothers and sisters, and we used to shoot the dozens all the time,” said Evans at the time. “We always used to make fun of each other and tease each other, so I’m used to it to an extent. I’ve also got a group of friends that I grew up with and we’re just relentless on each other how we tease and make fun of each other, so it’s all good. I don’t take offense to any of that and I don’t get caught up in wanting to call him names because I know we have to fight. I’m a professional, and when you’re a professional, you act accordingly. You don’t flustered, you don’t get frustrated, and you handle it because it’s your job. I love my job, but it is a job, and you can’t be taken out of your game by anything and you can’t allow anyone to say anything to upset you.”

Ortiz tried his best though, and in the history of the sport, few have been better in selling a fight. But he was also at a pivotal point in his career. Winner of five of his previous six bouts, the sixth was a rematch loss at the hands of Chuck Liddell at UFC 66. If he was going to begin the road back to the title, he had to turn back the challenge of the Ultimate Fighter season two winner, who was hungry to claim his first big name scalp.

At the time, Evans was five bouts into his UFC career, and after a slow start in which he was criticized for not finishing fights, his previous two wins over Jason Lambert and Sean Salmon ended in knockout victories, allowing him to boost his unbeaten record to 15-0 while also establishing him as the next big thing at 205 pounds should he beat Ortiz. Ortiz wasn’t about to play gatekeeper though.

“With an undefeated fighter, they’re holding on to that record so much that they don’t want to have that loss,” said Ortiz of Evans in 2007.  “All of a sudden, all Rashad cares about is not losing, and the biggest thing that’s gonna overwhelm him is hoping he doesn’t lose and making sure he doesn’t lose.  With him trying not to make a mistake and trying to keep from exposing himself, I think I’m gonna capitalize on that.  When I grab a hold of him, everything’s going to kick into reality.  I’m gonna see how strong he is and he’s gonna realize how strong I am, and his speed is gonna be squashed by my strength.”
Evans wasn’t buying it, and he pointed to hunger as the reason why he was going to emerge victorious.

“I really try not to define people, but to be honest, I see Ortiz as a little something different than what he used to be,” said Evans. “To say that he can’t be a champion again, I don’t know – if I’m there he ain’t gonna be champion (Laughs) – but right now he seems to have a little bit of everything else going on and I don’t know if he has the focus and the desire to do what it takes to win. He’s Hollywood right now, he likes the limelight and everything else like that, but where MMA started and where it is right now, it’s not one of those sports where you can be that Hollywood type of personality. It’s not for the pretty boys; it’s for the blue collar guy who goes in there and gets his work done. And if he has time for everything else, then he’ll do it, but he’s not gonna put that ahead of being a champion. I think Ortiz just wants the limelight a little bit more than being a fighter.”

Those were fighting words from both sides, and all that was left was the fight. Here’s how I called it that night:

A second round foul cost Tito Ortiz dearly in his highly anticipated light heavyweight bout against rising star Rashad Evans, as a unanimous decision win instead turned into a three round draw thanks to a point deducted from the former light heavyweight champion for holding the fence as Evans attempted to secure a takedown.

Scores were 28-28 across the board.

“It wasn’t my best performance and Rashad was tough as hell,” said Ortiz.  “Rashad, we can do it again.”

“I thought I had that fight,” said Evans. “Please, Tito-Rashad II.”

Ortiz drew first blood with a takedown in the opening seconds, and the crowd chanted ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s name in response.  Evans did work his way back to his feet and tried to flurry, but Ortiz fired back and again clinched with Evans, pushing him to the fence.  A lost mouthpiece by Evans forced a restart, and while the former Michigan State Spartan circled his foe, Ortiz scored with leg kicks and the occasional jab upstairs.  As the round entered its final minute, the two combatants battled it out against the fence, with Ortiz emerging with a cut under his right eye.

There was little action in the early stages of the second round, with Evans’ first takedown attempt getting tossed aside by Ortiz being the only notable action in the first half of the round.  Again the action moved to the fence, with Ortiz working his Muay Thai clinch as Evans scored with a punch that reopened the cut under Ortiz’ eye.  With blood streaming down his face and with Evans finally looking like his offense was together, Ortiz shot in and went for what he knows best – the takedown and ground and pound.  Evans did work his way back up while getting a takedown of his own in the waning moments of the round, a series punctuated by Ortiz getting a point deducted for holding the fence. Ortiz almost had the last laugh though, as he sunk in a guillotine choke that looked like it could have produced a submission if locked in earlier.

Ortiz again took the bout to the mat in the third and final round, looking to put the finishing touches on his foe, and while Evans didn’t ever seem to be in any serious danger, he was not doing enough offensively to sway the judges in his favor.  With under two minutes to go, referee John McCarthy re-started the stalemated action and Evans let his hands go in an effort to protect his unbeaten record.  But while he was landing, he wasn’t hurting Ortiz, and though Evans finally got the big takedown he was looking for with 10 seconds left in the round, it was apparently too little too late to get the win.

“It took a little while, but I felt him break,” said Evans of the final sequence.

The stalemate put the first blemish on Evans’ record, but it didn’t hurt him in the long run. He went on to headline UFC 78 with a win over Michael Bisping, and then knocked out Liddell and Forrest Griffin, the latter bout earning him the UFC light heavyweight title. He lost the belt in his first defense against Lyoto Machida in May of 2009, but has rebounded with wins over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson that have put him right in line for another shot at the championship should he defeat Ortiz a week from Saturday.

As for Ortiz, his journey to Philadelphia has been a little crazy, a little rocky, and a very inspirational, all at the same time. The draw with Evans was the precursor to a three fight skid that saw Ortiz lose to Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin, and Matt Hamill. All the while, he battled through injuries and surgeries and the usual drama that always seemed to follow him. Add in the Evans draw and the loss to Liddell, and he brought an 0-4-1 record into the Octagon when he faced Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in July. UFC President Dana White didn’t mince words, saying that a loss would mean Ortiz’ UFC career was over. But Ortiz didn’t lose. Instead, he pulled off one of the most memorable wins in recent years, submitting Bader in the first round. A little over a month later, he will be replacing the injured Phil Davis against his old rival Evans.

This time, four years later, Evans is the gatekeeper for Ortiz’ return to the title picture, and it’s not only an intriguing matchup, but a pivotal one for the careers of both men.

Better late than never, right?

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The Blueprint - Evans vs. Ortiz II

Evans vs. Ortiz headlines UFC 133 this Saturday in Philadelphia. Michael DiSanto breaks it down... Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz will dance for the second time this Saturday night.

Forty-nine months ago, Evans and Ortiz squared off in what was a turning point for each of their careers. Evans was taking a major step up in quality of competition. The then-undefeated prospect seemed like he had all the tools to be great, but nobody knew for certain whether he could take his game to the next level. After 15 minutes in the cage with Ortiz, there was no doubt that “Suga” was the real deal.

Ortiz was in a very different place in his career back on July 7, 2007. The former champion was seven months removed from his second technical knockout loss to Chuck Liddell. A bout with Evans was a way of getting back on the championship trail—if he won, of course.

Ortiz neither won nor lost the fight. He suffered an anti-climatic draw, thanks to a point deduction from illegally grabbing the fence in an attempt to prevent a takedown. But for that deduction, the judges would have awarded Ortiz the decision. Yet, it was Evans who likely left the cage that night with the edge in confidence. He knew that he could hang with Ortiz, once he settled down and actually engaged the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” in a fight.

More than four years later, Evans is the former champion still in his fighting prime looking to get back to the top of the mountain. A win over Ortiz likely puts him at the front of the line for the winner of the upcoming battle between two of his arch enemies, Jon Jones and Quinton Jackson.

Ortiz, by contrast, is looking to make one final title push. Keep in mind that Ortiz was in a must-win situation, if he wanted to continue competing in the UFC, heading into his UFC 132 fight last month. His submission win over Ryan Bader was the first mixed martial arts bout that Ortiz has won since defeating Ken Shamrock back in October 2006.

So, what will happen this time around? The rematch between Evans and Ortiz will be decided by one factor: takedowns.

If Ortiz is able to take down Evans with any sort of regularity, he wins the fight.  If Evans is able to avoid being taken down for two of the three rounds or take down Ortiz with some regularity, he wins the fight.  

It really is that simple.

How can I be so sure?  Easy. Evans is much better in the standup realm. He is an expert counterstriker who has the speed and power to knock out just about anyone in the division, assuming he has the confidence to sit down and commit to his punches. In fact, I’ll go so far as to argue that Evans has the fastest hands in the division, bar none.  

Suga’s hand speed gives him a tremendous advantage against just about anyone. Unlike most counterpunchers, Suga doesn’t like to slip punches and fire back. His forte is countering before his opponent completes a strike.  In other words, he fires a counter off of his opponent’s tell sign, and his blazing hand speed allows him to land first in those instances.

The perfect example is when Evans fought Liddell.  Evans noticed during pre-fight film study that Liddell’s expression changed or his face curled up with determination milliseconds before he fired a lead power punch, so he sat back and waited for that moment to arrive.  Evans fired a fully committed right hand the instant Liddell tipped his hand with his tell sign, and the punch landed right on the button, immediately ending the fight.

If Evans had the juice to knock out Liddell when he was still near the prime of his career, he certainly has the juice to stop a 36-year-old Ortiz. If the two engage in a firefight or any sort of contest that unfolds largely on the feet, then Evans winning by knockout seems like the most likely outcome. His standup skills are that much better.

Similarly, if Evans can put his fellow former champion on his back and keep him there for significant portions of the fight, he should be able to walk away with a victory. Granted, Ortiz has excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, including a grossly underrated offensive guard. Yet, there is very little chance that Ortiz scores a submission win over Evans. Not unless he first rocks Evans with some sort of strike, resulting in him making a rudimentary mistake.

Evans probably shouldn’t worry too much about searching for a submission, if he is able to score a takedown.  Fans must remember that Ortiz has not been submitted in more than a decade. The last time it happened he was so exhausted that he could hardly move— a situation that a cardio machine like Ortiz is not likely to face again.  Evans won’t be the one to break that streak. Not on Saturday night anyway.

Yet, if Evans can put Ortiz on his back and grind away with conservative ground and pound, he should be able to score a judges’ decision, just like Couture did against Ortiz back in 2003. Again, Ortiz’s ground skills are much better today than they were in 2003, but he isn’t going to be the first man to score a submission victory over Evans. Not from his guard, at least.  

What if Ortiz is able to turn the table and put Evans on his back?

Well, if he can keep him there, then Ortiz wins the fight. Evans has never shown a great ability to defend from his guard. This guy is a lifelong wrestler, just like Ortiz, only he competed at a much higher level than Ortiz in the amateur ranks. Thus, like with many lifelong wrestlers, Evans is like a cockroach or a large tortoise on his back—basically harmless. And Ortiz is one of the best in the business at grinding out victories from the top position, if he is fortunate enough to score a takedown.  

What about Ortiz scoring a knockout on the feet?  

No chance.  Ortiz has shown better and better striking skills in each of his last several fights, including rocking and dropping Ryan Bader with a punch last month.  I certainly acknowledge that fact.  I will also acknowledge that anything can happen with those little vale tudo gloves.  It’s also accurate that Evans is viewed by many as being a bit “chinny.” Lyoto Machida left him in a heap in their 2009 bout. Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson both rocked him badly in the final round of their losses by judges’ decision. But Ortiz doesn’t have the stand up juice of Machida, Silva or Rampage.

So what about Ortiz outpointing Evans on the feet?

Again, no chance at all.  Evans’ hand speed and technique will be too much for Ortiz, assuming he fights with confidence. In the first round of their last bout, Evans was hesitant in pulling the trigger. Shortly after the draw, Evans turned into one of the game’s elite sluggers. Of course, that came to an end when he got separated from consciousness by Machida. Since that time, Evans has shown less and less faith in his standup game. That may make him susceptible to dropping the first round. But that should be the only thing his tentativeness impacts. If Evans returns to his corner and hears that he lost the first round, he will begin to let his hands go, and that spells disaster for Ortiz.

So, how do I see the action unfolding?  

This fight seems to have Evans written all over it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will win. A perfectly healthy, well-prepared Ortiz performing at the top of his game is pretty darn difficult to defeat.  The fact that Evans is coming off the longest layoff of his career is also extremely significant. Cage rust may be a very real factor in the outcome of the fight. Another question is whether he is finally in a good place about getting knocked out by Machida.

On the other side of the Octagon, Ortiz is a complete unknown at this stage in his career, despite his win over Bader.  How will he perform after a month-long layoff?  Will he still have the same legendary cardiovascular conditioning?  Has he continued to develop his game to compete with the new breed of elite fighters?

Honestly, I don’t know the answers to any of those questions, and neither does anyone else.

I could easily write another 1,500 words stating a case in favor of either man winning.  That is what makes this fight so intriguing.  Instead, I’ll just sit back, relax and enjoy the action as it unfolds.

Quick Facts:

Rashad Evans
•    31 years old
•    5’11, 205 lbs
•    74.5-inch reach
•    20-1-1 overall (10-1-1 UFC)
•    4-1 in last 5 fights
•    8-1-1 in last 10 fights
•    3-1-1 against 5 current or former UFC champions
•    Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
•    147-day reign as champion; no successful title defenses
•    Former heavyweight winner on The Ultimate Fighter
•    Current layoff of 434 days is the longest of his career

Tito Ortiz
•    36 yrs old
•    6’3, 205 lbs
•    74-inch reach
•    17-8-1 overall (15-8-1 UFC)
•    1-3-1 in last 5 fights
•    5-4-1 in last 10
•    5-7-1 against 10 current or former champions, including UFC/PRIDE tournament champions
•    Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
•    Record for longest 205-lb title reign in UFC (1,260 days)
•    Record for most consecutive successful defenses of 205-lb title (5)
•    Current layoff of 35 days is the second shortest layoff of his professional career; shortest in more than a decade
•    557 days is the longest layoff of his career

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UFC August Fight Cards: Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva Predictions

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In His Own Words - Tito Ortiz

One of the most polarizing figures in mixed martial arts history, former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz has turned into a crowd favorite again after his inspiring submission win over Ryan Bader at UFC 132 earlier this month. Now slated to face Rashad Evans in a rematch of their 2007 draw at UFC 133 on August 6th, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” could find himself in the title picture with a win.

As the fight approaches, we look back at one of the sport’s most visible figures in his own words.

FIRST LOOK (2003)
“I watched the Ultimate Fighting Championship and I was like, ‘these guys are crazy.’ I just couldn’t believe the stuff they were doing inside the Octagon. I was a huge fan of the movie ‘Bloodsport’ and thought, ‘wow, it finally came to America.’ It kinda surprised me. I watched a smaller man choke out bigger men left and right, and that was Royce Gracie. He introduced jiu-jitsu to the United States, and it was amazing. I didn’t understand some of the stuff he was doing, but it caught my eye really quick.”

EARLY DAYS (2006)
“At that time I was working at an adult novelty store (laughs), and I had just quit college. I was wondering what I was gonna eat the next day because I was so broke.  I was living in a small apartment, not really sure of what life was gonna bring to me.  I started training and I got the chance to fight in the UFC.  And within a year and a half I became the world champion.  It just seemed that I pushed my life to where I wanted it to be.”

THE DEBUT (2003)
“My first chance was May 30 of 1997, and I fought Wes Albritton. I was scared. I was really intimidated and I wasn’t sure exactly what could happen. He was a second-degree black belt in karate and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. What do I need to do to become the victor in my fight? Well, he was a standup fighter and I’m a ground fighter, so I used my wrestling to my best ability. From then on, I was hooked. That fight lasted 22 seconds and I think it was the building of a star. I set my mind to it, tried to achieve as much as possible, and kept working and working.”

KEN SHAMROCK I (2003)
“There were so many people saying how close the fight was gonna be, and that Ken was really tough and strong. They were just saying so much stuff and giving him so much credit that they didn’t realize how hard I worked and how good I became. At UFC 40 people saw a whole different side of mixed martial arts. They said, ‘man, you really dominated. You picked him apart.’ If he wanted to be the champ, he had to earn it. That night he sure wasn’t going to be the champ and he was not going to earn it because of all the work I put into it.”

THE TRIGGER (2000)
“Once I get locked in that cage, there has to be something in my body to trigger me and make me want to go out and inflict pain on a person. The money and everything, that's fun, but at the same time, the competition, it can work wonders for somebody to win. The feeling of losing, there's no worse feeling than that. There is a difference between Tito Ortiz in the ring and Tito Ortiz outside the ring, because once I get in the ring, the light switch turns on. It's like a red light and it's time to go as hard as I can and try to break this guy. Break him mentally, physically, his arms, his legs. Not literally, just trying to take my opponent out, because that's what his job is, to take me out. But once I step out of the ring, I'm all smiles. My job is over, and hopefully I did my job.”

ON COACHING THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER (2006)
“I’ve been a high school wrestling coach for three years when I was in junior college and I know how to coach kids and push them. I was part of Team Punishment and I was one of the coaches for it.  I helped the guys and I know what it takes to win in the Octagon – I know the different types of submissions to defend, how to use elbows, how to use knees on the feet, striking positions, clinches.  There are a lot of things that I’ve worked on that I bring to the table as a coach.  It’s kinda scary because they’re gonna be a lot better than me. (Laughs)  They’re gonna know all my secrets, but I’ll give them all my secrets.”

ON COACHING II (2006)
“I think they see the real Tito Ortiz when I am a coach and I’m around them, and not when I’m in the Octagon competing.  Those are two separate people – there’s the person that’s in there fighting for his career inside the Octagon and there’s the person who’s fighting for his life outside the Octagon who’s willing to help people out, and who’s always giving.  I’m an Aquarius to the tee – I’m always willing to give to those people who are around me; I would pretty much give my left arm for them, and I really want to see the guys on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ excel, I want to see the guys become good fighters and great people.  I want to see them excel in life.”

RESPECT (2006)
“People have been paying more attention to all the smack talk I talk and they don’t really watch my fight game. They pay more attention to the stuff I do after the fight compared to the fights themselves.  I beat some really good guys, and it seems like every time I beat somebody, I either end their career or they don’t fight the same after the fight. Wanderlei Silva may be the only one who went on to excel.  Having fights like that and winning fights like that, I’m still young, I’m 31 years old and I feel I’ve got a solid five years left in me to compete.  The book is barely on its fifth page, and I’ve still got about another 100 pages to go.”

THE ROAR OF THE CROWD (2007)
“I don’t think there’s a word to describe it.  You’ve got to be the person in the Octagon fighting when it happens.  It’s overwhelming almost.”

THE APPEAL OF TITO ORTIZ (2007)
“I think it really comes down to the fact that I try to entertain.  That’s my job.  When I first started fighting in the UFC, it really came down to entertainment.  A fight was a fight, but there was entertainment value.  When I stepped into the Octagon, I gave my whole heart and soul and it’s very personal to me.  I take training very seriously, so when the fight comes about, I have no doubts in my step.  I make sure that I’m fighting 100%, and when Tito Ortiz fights, it’s an event in itself, so I try to entertain and try to beat down my opponent.  I try to make it exciting for the fans that buy pay-per-views and the fans that are sitting in the front row, all the way up to the fans in the nose bleed seats.  They’re always gonna get a great fight out of Tito Ortiz, no matter what.  I just don’t take this as a payday – this is very personal to me.”

GETTING “IT” (2007)
“Those guys who are just here to fight, they’re the ones that are gonna be forgotten. I’m building a foundation, I’m here to build a castle, and I want to make sure I’m the king standing in that castle.  You see a lot of fighters, all they care about is fighting.  They’re gonna come in and say ‘oh, I’m gonna knock the guy out and that’s my job.’  That’s all they care about.  To me, there’s entertainment value involved.  You’ve got to make sure you’re known beyond just the fighting.  You have to do the extra stuff.  I do a lot of charity work, and to me, it’s not just fighting.  If it was just about fighting, I would have kept my mouth shut and just fought.  But I want to go on to other things.  Being a personality and being an inspiration to a lot of kids who want to find role models to look up to is important to me.  Maybe a lot of the things I do aren’t role model-type stuff, but I speak my mind no matter what.  I came up from nothing, I’ve tasted dirt before and I never want to taste dirt again, so I have to make sure I’m a name that’s recognized always and forever in the sport of mixed martial arts.”

FIGHT NIGHT (2003)
“Mindwise, as soon as I get in the arena, that’s when it sets the tone of ‘all right, now it’s time to fight.  Now it’s time to get serious.’ I put my running shoes on and do a light jog.  I’m warming up, hitting pads, and then it comes to the point of 10-15 minutes before the fight and I always vomit and tears will come out of my eyes.  I don’t know what the reason is. It’s just emotion.  People see me fight and I fight like no other fighter in the UFC.  I have so much emotion and so much aggression.  I never stop moving.  In my mind, it’s just don’t stop moving until the match is over and you’ll have no problem with it.  That’s the whole idea.  So when I step in there and you see the ferocity I go in there with, no one’s gonna stop me.  Whoever’s standing on the other side of the Octagon, I have to go through that person because I’m fighting for my family, my fans, and that’s what really matters.”

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Tito Ortiz: What Will a Win at UFC 133 Mean to His Career?

Ah, the curious case of Tito Ortiz—what a beautiful case it is, MMA world.

You see, at about this time last year, we all questioned if Ortiz still had it after a somewhat controversial split decision loss to Forrest Griffin, one in which we all forgot he actually didn't look atrociously horrendous.

A similar case can be posed for his UFC 121 loss to Matt Hamill, one in which Hamill did prove superior to Ortiz but in no way did any shame come out of losing to Hamill.

It was Ryan Bader who was to insert the ultimate nail in Ortiz's career coffin at UFC 132 earlier this month, but that's where this case becomes curious enough to be deemed worth a glance.

Tito's back was against the wall, and regardless of whether he truly earned the win or not, he needed to nab a victory or kiss his storied career goodbye.

Knowing Tito, he wanted to earn his victory, but Royce Gracie was given more of a shot to beat Nick Diaz than Ortiz was given to beat Bader—that's how much of an underdog Tito was against Bader.

If Tito was to win, it was supposed to be by a controversial (read: incompetent) decision.

One hard shot, one assortment of strikes and a guillotine choke later, Ortiz was back.

No arguments could justify Bader's loss other than, "Tito turned it up," and when the UFC scrambled for opponents to face "Suga" Rashad Evans after Phil Davis pulled out of his UFC 133 bout and Lyoto Machida's management admitted to requesting "Anderson Silva money" in order to set up the UFC 98 rematch, Ortiz had a change of heart.

Initially, he wasn't going to take the fight, but he clearly sees a flaw in Evans' game that Davis may have wanted to expose and he'll look to exploit it at UFC 133.

That said, does a second straight win mean that much for Ortiz at this point in his career?

I mean, is Tito at the point in his career where he'll never again be a serious threat at 205, no matter who he beats or how he beats them?

No, Tito is absolutely not at that point in his career, especially considering his bout with Bader.

A win at UFC 133 doesn't mean an automatic title crack, but a decisive "W" against Evans should put Tito on the path to the belt once again, as two highly touted light heavyweights will have been defeated by the legend.

After a win, who knows who will make sense for Ortiz?

The only thing for certain is that a win for Ortiz could be the final bit of proof that if Ortiz was not back before, Ortiz will be back now.

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Tito Ortiz - Defining "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy"

Counting down UFC 133 headliner Tito Ortiz' defining moments... With an over 14 year stint in MMA that has seen him compete in a host of Superfights while also defending the UFC light heavyweight crown more than any fighter in history, it’s hard to whittle down Tito Ortiz’ career to just nine memorable fights, but as his UFC 133 main event bout against Rashad Evans approaches, we’ll give it our best shot as we look back at the defining moments of the career of “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”

Guy Mezger – May 30, 1997 – UFC 13
Result – Ortiz TKO1
One of the most memorable fights from the early UFC era, Ortiz avenged his only loss against the talented and highly regarded Mezger via a stoppage at the 9:56 mark. More importantly though, he ignited one of the greatest rivalries ever seen in combat sports after the bout, as a post-fight trash talk session with Mezger’s Lions Den coach, Ken Shamrock, started a feud that would lead to three high-profile bouts with “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” over the next nine years which would make Ortiz a superstar.   

Frank Shamrock – September 24, 1999 – UFC 22
Result – Shamrock WSub 4
One of the most memorable fights from the early UFC era, Ortiz and Shamrock went to war for three rounds where it was safe to say that either man had a good chance of eventually pulling the fight out. By the fourth round though, Ortiz was losing steam and his conditioning betrayed him as Shamrock pounced and finished him. Ortiz learned a valuable lesson that night though, and never again would conditioning be an issue for “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” who instead adopted a Spartan philosophy when it comes to preparing for a fight.

Wanderlei Silva – April 14, 2000 – UFC 25
Result – Ortiz W5
Before Silva would go on to establish himself as one of the sport’s most feared competitors during his memorable run in PRIDE, the Brazilian fought Ortiz for the vacant UFC title and got soundly decisioned over five rounds. While not the most exciting UFC bout of all-time, Ortiz stuck to his gameplan and more importantly, absorbed anything “The Axe Murderer” threw at him and stifled the offensive fury of his opponent en route to the victory.

Ken Shamrock I – November 22, 2002 – UFC 40
Result – Ortiz TKO3
Though Ortiz was already firmly entrenched as UFC champion, Shamrock’s return to the UFC brought a whole new legion of fight fans into the fold in what was to that point the biggest event in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. And what those new fans saw was a one-sided thrashing of Shamrock by Ortiz, who became, without question, the undisputed poster boy for the UFC that night. Two more fights would follow with Shamrock, with even more decisive results, as Ortiz would score back-to-back first round stoppages.

Randy Couture – September 26, 2003 – UFC 44
Result – Couture W5
Couture, in his second fight at 205 pounds after back-to-back stoppage losses in the heavyweight division, was seen as just another notch in the belt of Ortiz, who was riding high and had the ego to go along with it. Couture took Ortiz back down to earth though with a relatively easy five round decision that shattered Ortiz’ new aura of invincibility and forced him to re-evaluate his game. Couture’s playful spanking of Ortiz late in the fight only added insult to injury for the Californian.

Chuck Liddell I – April 2, 2004 – UFC 47
Result – Liddell KO2
Looking back, the result of this fight was inevitable. With controversy and allegations of ducking his former buddy Liddell swirling around him, Ortiz took this megafight and then made the fatal mistake of trying to punch with the puncher. Liddell, in control from the start, finished matters in the second, bloodying and stopping his foe in emphatic fashion.

Vitor Belfort – February 5, 2005 – UFC 51
Result – Ortiz W3
Originally scheduled for UFC 33, the off-again, on again bout between Ortiz and Belfort had lost some luster over the years due to the declining fortunes of both men at the time, but it finally came off at UFC 51, and Ortiz, in the last bout of his contract at the time, proved he could truly win ‘the big one’ as he survived an early onslaught from “The Phenom” to roar back and take a stirring three round split decision over the talented Brazilian. Ortiz would subsequently leave the UFC and sit out the next 14 months in an acrimonious dispute with the organization.

Forrest Griffin I – April 15, 2006 – UFC 59
Result – Ortiz W3
Ortiz returned to the UFC after a bitter contract dispute and began the second phase of his career with not only a stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter reality show, but with this bout against one of the fighters who filled the popularity void in Ortiz’ 14 month absence, Forrest Griffin. The question was, would Ortiz be able to capture the fans back in his return, which coincided with the UFC’s initial foray into California? The answer was a resounding ‘yes’, as Ortiz pounded out a close three round decision over Griffin, and did it in a packed house at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim that cheered his every move. The Bad Boy was truly back that night, but after scoring the last two of his three wins over Shamrock, he would not get his hand raised in the Octagon for nearly five years.

Ryan Bader – July 2, 2011 – UFC 132
Result – Ortiz Wsub1
After a series of injuries and surgeries and a nearly five year stretch where he went 0-4-1 (albeit against Liddell, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Griffin, and Matt Hamill), it appeared that the end of the line had come for the 36-year old Ortiz when he signed to face rising star Ryan Bader at UFC 132. But Ortiz, now healthy, reached deep and pulled off a prime performance earlier this month, as he rocked and dropped Bader with a right hand before finishing him with a guillotine choke. It was an emotional and career-saving victory for the former champion, who will now step right back into the Octagon just one month later to face Evans in a rematch of their 2007 draw. It almost feels like 2002 all over again.

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Davis Injured, Ortiz Gets Call to Face Evans in UFC 133 rematch

The stakes have just gotten higher for UFC 133 main eventer Rashad Evans, as the former light heavyweight champion will now face an old rival, Tito Ortiz, on the August 6th card in Philadelphia after his original opponent, Phil Davis, was forced out of the bout due to injury.

The two originally met in July of 2007, battling to a three round draw. Ortiz is coming off a UFC 132 win over Ryan Bader, and now he’s back to battle Evans just one month later.
Tickets are on sale now for this exciting clash of former champions looking to get a shot at the title once again.

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UFC 133 Fight Card: Evans vs. Ortiz News and Predictions on the Night's Results

UFC 133 is set to take place on August 6 from the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Pa. The event will be held at the Wells Fargo Center. 

The fight card will be headlined by a bout between former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans and the resurgent Tito Ortiz. It was originally thought that current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones would be meeting Evans on this card, but a hand injury to the champion prevented that fight from being booked.

Evans was then slated to meet the up-and-coming Phil Davis, but a training camp knee injury caused Davis to be scratched from the card.

Ortiz (16-8-1) will enter the Octagon after earning Submission of the Night honors by submitting Ryan Bader at UFC 132, which took place on July 2.

Evans (15-1-1) has not fought since May 29, 2010.  Evans' sole loss was at the hands of Lyoto Machida in a fight that saw Machida wrest the UFC title from Evans' grasp.

Ortiz and Evans have fought before, battling to a draw at UFC 73 in July 2007.

UFC 133 recently saw the co-main event of Rich Franklin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira dropped from the event when Nogueira sustained a training camp injury. The new co-main event will now be a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama.

The complete UFC 133 fight card is listed below:

Pay-Per-View
 

Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Vitor Belfort

Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara

Mike Pyle vs. Rory MacDonald

Dennis Hallman vs. Brian Ebersole

Spike TV Preliminary Bouts

Matt Hamill vs. Alexander Gustafsson

Chad Mendes vs. Rani Yahya

UFC Facebook Stream Preliminary Bouts

Johny Hendricks vs. Mike Pierce

Ivan Menjivar vs. Nick Pace

Costantinos Phillippou vs. Rafael Natal

Mike Brown vs. Nam Phan  

Bleacher Report will be your source for news, analysis and opinions on the upcoming fight card.

Check back often as the fight card nears for all the UFC 133 information you need.

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Bader's All Business Before Pivotal Ortiz Bout

“Tito is still a tough, tough fight. People are expecting me to go out there and just walk through him, when they don’t know that he’s only lost to top five type guys...I’m looking at him like this guy is gonna come out here and try to take me out.” - Ryan Bader All it took was one answer to see where Ryan Bader’s head was at after the first loss of his pro MMA career against Jon Jones in February. The question was a simple one; ask him when he started to get itchy to get back into the Octagon and put the defeat behind him.

“A week,” he responded, and he meant it. If UFC matchmaker Joe Silva called the former Arizona State University wrestling standout if he was available for any of the organization’s March shows, he was ready to go.

That’s a true competitor, and while his years of wrestling taught him that when you’re in there against the best night in and night out a loss is inevitable, it doesn’t make dealing with one any easier.

“It bothered me for a good week and I couldn’t stop thinking about it, mainly because I felt like I didn’t show up and fight,” said Bader of his second round submission loss to the man who now owns the light heavyweight title. “But that’s in the past. It was a bad night, I felt like I didn’t show up, and that happens in your career. I’ve had enough competition in my life to know that sometimes it’s a combination of that guy’s great, and sometimes you don’t show up either. So I put that in the past a long time ago and I reversed it and used it as fuel for the fire to get back in training, learn, and keep doing what I’ve been doing as far as my mentality to put the work in and get the results.”

Does it help at all that Jones went on to beat “Shogun” Rua for the title six weeks later?

“Watching him go out there and destroy Shogun, it doesn’t make you feel better, but it doesn’t make you feel any worse,” he laughs. “You’ve got to just erase it from your memory and start over, and I did. It happens, it’s competition.”

With that first loss done and out of the way, it was time for Bader to get back to the gym and start looking forward again. Despite winning The Ultimate Fighter season eight title and roaring out to four more UFC wins, including victories over Keith Jardine and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Bader wanted a big fight but probably expected one that wasn’t as high profile. He got the big fight, third on the UFC 132 bill this Saturday night in Las Vegas against former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. For “Darth” Bader, you can’t get much bigger than that.

“I’m a fighter and I’m also an MMA fan,” said the 28-year old. “I grew up watching Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and all those guys, and I’m taking this fight very seriously. A win over Tito is great for my career and getting back on the winning track. But it’s also a personal thing for me as far as fighting somebody like that. Being a fan of the sport and being in the same Octagon as a guy like Tito, who paved the way and has been a champion, and to have that name under my belt, it’s an honor. I’m looking forward to it. He’s coming off a few losses, but by no means am I underestimating him at all.”

And that’s the catch. Ortiz still has the name and the reputation, but in recent years, he hasn’t been the unstoppable “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” that he was in his prime. Bader remembers the Ortiz who, in many ways, paved the road for today’s fighters.
“He was a brash guy, in your face, and at that time, he was doing it perfectly because he was backing it up, smashing people and defending his belt,” said Bader. “He had the personality and the charisma, and he was the whole package when he was out there winning when he was the champion. But for me, I’m not fighting Tito Ortiz or his past opponents or anything like that; it’s just another opponent standing on the other side of the Octagon. Later on, I can look back and see Tito Ortiz’ name in my win column, but now it’s just another guy, another opponent.”

That mentality comes from his years on the mat, where you could very often be wrestling someone who had a huge name on the national scene or who you had looked up to as one of the best in the sport. Needless to say, as a two-time All-American and a three-time Pac-10 champion, Bader found the formula to reduce opponents to just that – opponents. No names, no faces, no reputations. In MMA, he did the same thing with Jardine and Nogueira, both of whom dwarfed him in experience. Now he has to do it against Ortiz.

“You can’t put people on a pedestal and say ‘Oh man, I’m fighting Tito Ortiz or Chuck Liddell,’” he said. “You just have to break it down to another opponent, another man. You have to get your training in, train hard and at the end of the day you’re just gonna fight another opponent in the Octagon. You can’t look at their names and you can’t look at who they beat or what accolades they have. Then you lose sight of what got you there.”

What got Bader to this point is a dominant wrestling game enhanced with fight-ending power in his fists, and he’s worked that game to perfection in all but one pro fight. Ortiz never had the one-punch power that Bader has, but when it comes to ground and pound, the 36-year old is a master. And Bader has done his homework on his foe, well aware that 0-4-1 record since his last win against Ken Shamrock in 2006 is deceptive. So for all the comments being made that the Arizonan is going to walk over the aging former champ, Bader is not taking him lightly.

“Tito is still a tough, tough fight,” he said. “People are expecting me to go out there and just walk through him, when they don’t know that he’s only lost to top five type guys. I’m not looking at his last four losses. I’m looking at him like this guy is gonna come out here and try to take me out, and I’m gonna do the same against him.”

Just another fight. That’s the way Ryan Bader is approaching it, and when the bell rings, it will be. But before and after, what may be odd for him is that despite being one of the game’s good guys, he could get booed for fighting a fighter who has become a sentimental favorite in recent weeks. But if Bader is the one forced to be the victor in Tito Ortiz’ last stand, so be it. It’s just business.

“Love him or hate him, he has done a lot for the sport and the fans know that too,” said Bader. “So at the end of the night, if it is his last night in the Octagon fighting for the UFC, I could definitely play that role (as the bad guy). But it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve got a job to do, and my job is to go out there to win. It’s about me going out there and looking my best. I want to get better every time I go out there, and I’m also coming off a loss. I want to erase that loss from everybody’s mind and look a ton better.”

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Tito Ortiz wants Griffin next

10:14 AM ET 07.03 | Tito Ortiz did what most assumed was next to impossible last night by not only defeating, but finishing Ryan Bader in the first round of their main card bout. "I gave Dana [White] his opportunity to find someone to beat me, and it didn't work," Ortiz said in a postfight interview with UFC.com. As for what's next for Ortiz, he noted that it was out of his hands, but would like a rubber match with an old rival. "Give me my shot at one of the guys I thought that I beat already in Forrest Griffin," he said. "[The judges] gave him a split decision, so give me another chance at him."

Fight Line

Tito Ortiz, Icon SMI

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For Tito Ortiz, Long-Awaited Win Is Worth Its Weight In Gold

No writer can properly quantify the emotion of a win. How happy are you? We often ask that of pro athletes after a big success, hoping they do it for us. Sometimes they're "thrilled" or "elated" or "excited" but in reality, words don't do feelings justice when they've put in week after week, month after month in hopes of reaching a moment when they get to celebrate.

Losing is even worse. Fighters are known to fall into bouts of depression after suffering a defeat, locking themselves in darkened spaces, only to relive their bad memories again and again. Imagine then, how Tito Ortiz had suffered before last night. A proud former champion, he had gone winless in five fights over four-and-a-half years, been asked to retire by UFC brass, been forced to beg for another chance.

Imagine then what Tito Ortiz was feeling last night. He didn't just win a fight; he won back his career. To steal a phrase from the president (Obama, not White), he won the future. He walked into the octagon for what was supposed to be the last time at UFC 132, counted out by the oddsmakers, considered washed-up by the fans, and yes, discounted by the media. Lose, and it was over. And let's face it, after going winless for nearly five years, his career obituary had been pre-written.

And then on the way to his forced retirement, a surprise. Ortiz stunned Ryan Bader, a borderline top 10 fighter who was considered by many a younger, better version of him.

By the time the fight began, money was pouring in on Bader, who had gone off as a huge favorite, as high as -800 on some sports books. The closest line you could find was about -500.

You couldn't blame the doubters. It had been 1,726 days between wins for Ortiz. One-thousand-seven-hundred and twenty-six days! When he last won, it was October 10, 2006. Since then, the Los Angeles Lakers won two NBA championships. Randy Couture unretired, won the heavyweight championship, resigned, returned, fought six more times, and retired again. Barry Bonds broke the all-time baseball home run record.

In sports, four-and-a-half years can be an eternity. It is for football players; an average NFL career is just 3.5 years. Even in regular life, it's a long time. During Ortiz's stretch, kids went into college and graduated as adults with degrees.

Think about failing for that long, and what that does to the psyche of someone not used to it. It's easy to fold up shop and fade away quietly, especially when you have money to fall back on, and by all accounts, Ortiz does. When you're surrounded by nice things, by a comfortable life, it's hard to make yourself uncomfortable by putting in the extra time that helped you get there. Forrest Griffin once told me, "The extraordinary becomes ordinary pretty quickly." I suspect he's not any different than most famous people with money in that belief. Life makes you adapt to what's around you. That's especially true when things are good, but it's also true in times of turmoil.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=1003870&pid=1003869&uts=1309672434http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swfThe referee checks on Wanderlei Silva after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber exchanges with Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz misses a punch against Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz tries to avoid a kick from Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz punches Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz throws a right hand at Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber takes a breather at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber punches Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz throws a flying knee at Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

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That's why it would have been easy for Ortiz to keep losing. It wasn't like he was getting blown out. Aside from a TKO loss to Chuck Liddell, he fought Rashad Evans to a draw, went to decisions with Griffin, Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill. But the injuries seemed to rob him of his explosion and firepower. And we had to wonder what exactly Ortiz could be if he couldn't be a bully?

Ortiz caught Bader with an uppercut that floored him, then followed him to the mat, where he has always had underrated submission skills. He wasted no time in snatching Bader's neck when he left it open. As he squeezed, you could see the determination on his face; he held on to that neck like it was his career. And it was. When he got Bader to tap, he ensured his return. There will be at least one more payday, one more time in the spotlight.

Who knows what to make of this win aside from that? Ortiz deserves all the credit in the world for it, but at 36 years old and in a division full of killers, it's hard to envision him putting together any extended stretch of victories. But in some ways that does not matter. Even in the midst of fading away, every legend deserves one last moment of glory.

Once upon a time, Ortiz was the most predictable fighter in the UFC. Takedown, ground and pound, stoppage, celebration. Losing took that away from him, and time seemed to steal everything else. But it couldn't take this moment. We watch sports for the unexpected. And long after we figured we could write the ending on his page of history, Ortiz gave us a surprise worth its weight in gold.

For a long time, Ortiz has attracted an audience due to what he said as much as for how he performed. On Saturday night, the win was its own statement. Afterward, he did his gravedigger routine. It was the kind of post-fight show that used to be the norm a few years ago. After so long between wins, it might have been overkill, but after so long between wins, who could blame him? He ran towards the octagon and jumped atop it, straddling the fence as he let out a primal scream of exhilaration. Not a word was necessary.

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UFC 132 Fighter Salaries: Tito Ortiz Saves Job, Earns $450,000

The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday released the salary figures for UFC 132, which took place Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz led all fighters with a $450,000 pay day for his first-round upset submission of Ryan Bader. UFC president Dana White said leading up to the fight that a loss from Ortiz, who hadn't won in nearly five years, would mean a quick exit from the UFC.

Wanderlei Silva made $200,000 for his 27-second knockout loss to Chris Leben, who made $92,000 – or more than $3,400 per second of fight time. Ortiz and Silva's combined salaries made up more than half of the disclosed $1.277 million purse total for the card.

Main event bantamweights Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber may have proved they can carry a pay-per-view, but their salaries might have some catching up to do. Cruz made $40,000 to retain his title, including a $20,000 win bonus; Faber, the former WEC featherweight champ, made $32,000 in the loss.

Ortiz's check is the largest disclosed UFC payday since boxer James Toney made $500,000 last August in a first-round loss at UFC 118 to Randy Couture, who made $250,000. (Not all athletic commissions release salary figures following fights.) At UFC 121 in October 2010, then-heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar made $400,000 in a loss to Cain Velasquez. Lesnar also made $400,000 – with no win bonus – in his previous two fights. When he beat Couture to win the heavyweight title at UFC 91, he made $450,000, including a $200,000 win bonus.

Ortiz told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani in a pre-fight interview last week that he hoped a win would return him to the bigger pay days he had grown accustomed to. But in fact, his $450,000 purse for UFC 132 is his largest disclosed paycheck to date. He made $250,000 in losses to Matt Hamill at UFC 121 and Forrest Griffin at UFC 106, and $210,000 in losses to Lyoto Machida and Chuck Liddell, and a draw with Rashad Evans, during his five-fight winless streak.

In addition to the contracted fight purse amounts, four fighters were given $75,000 bonuses by White for their performances – including Ortiz for Submission of the Night. Carlos Condit made $68,000 for his knockout of Dong Hyun Kim and pocketed an additional $75,000 for Knockout of the Night. And main event fighters Cruz and Faber each made more with their $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus than they did in contracted fight purse.

The purses (show money/win bonus) are listed below. They do not include post-fight bonus totals, non-disclosed "locker room" bonuses or any sponsorship monies.

Dominick Cruz: $20,000 ($20,000 win bonus) def. Urijah Faber: $32,000
Chris Leben: $46,000 ($46,000 win bonus) def. Wanderlei Silva: $200,000
Dennis Siver: $25,000 ($25,000 win bonus) def. Matt Wiman: $18,000
Tito Ortiz: $450,000 (no win bonus) def. Ryan Bader: $20,000
Carlos Condit: $34,000 ($34,000 win bonus) def. Dong Hyun Kim: $41,000
Melvin Guillard: $32,000 ($32,000 win bonus) def. Shane Roller: $21,000
Rafael dos Anjos: $14,000 ($14,000 win bonus) def. George Sotiropoulos: $15,000
Brian Bowles: $17,000 ($17,000 win bonus) def. Takeya Mizugaki: $12,000
Aaron Simpson: $17,000 ($17,000 win bonus) def. Brad Tavares: $10,000
Anthony Njokuani: $8,000 ($8,000 win bonus) def. Andre Winner: $14,000
Jeff Hougland: $6,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Donny Walker: $6,000

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=1003870&pid=1003869&uts=1309672434http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swfThe referee checks on Wanderlei Silva after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber exchanges with Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz misses a punch against Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz tries to avoid a kick from Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz punches Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz throws a right hand at Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber takes a breather at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber punches Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz throws a flying knee at Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

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Ortiz, Silva lead UFC 132 payroll

MMA Junkie reports the payroll for UFC 132. Notably, UFC veterans Tito Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva were the top earners on Saturday night.

Via MMA Junkie:

Dominick Cruz: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Urijah Faber: $32,000

Chris Leben: $92,000 ($46,000 win bonus)
def. Wanderlei Silva: $200,000

Dennis Siver: $50,000 ($25,000 win bonus)
def. Matt Wiman: $18,000

Tito Ortiz: $450,000 (no win bonus)
def. Ryan Bader: $20,000

Carlos Condit: $68,000 ($34,000 win bonus)
def. Dong Hyun Kim: $41,000

Melvin Guillard: $64,000 ($32,000 win bonus)
def. Shane Roller: $21,000

Rafael Dos Anjos: $28,000 ($14,000 win bonus)
def. George Sotiropoulos: $15,000

Brian Bowles: $34,000 ($17,000 win bonus)
def. Takeya Mizugaki: $12,000

Aaron Simpson: $34,000 ($17,000 win bonus)
def. Brad Tavares: $10,000

Anthony Njokuani: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
def. Andre Winner: $14,000

Jeff Hougland: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. Donny Walker: $6,000

The information was received from the Nevada State Athletic Commission and excludes “locker room” bonuses.

Payout Perspective:

Its interesting to note that Ortiz received a flat flee with no win bonus. But, Ortiz did receive an extra $75K for his Submission of the Night. Not too bad considering Ortiz stated he “took a big, big, big paycut.” Its always weird to see the winner of a match earning less than the person they defeat. Comparing Chris Leben’s salary to Silva’s is the example for this event.

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