UFC 148 – Tito Ortiz: “Maybe Forrest Griffin should retire too”
Former UFC light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz has poured salt into the wounds ahead of his UFC 148 clash with Forrest Griffin early next month in Las Vegas, Nevada, suggesting the reality show pioneer should perhaps consider hanging up his gloves as well following their rubber match.
Speaking via MMAWeekly.com, Ortiz said:
“I’m excited for the fight. Forrest is a tough guy and I know he’s training really hard. I just heard a little thing saying that if he loses to me he’s going to retire. Well, it looks like he better put on his retirement shoes cause it’s going to be an exciting fight and I plan on having my hand raised. It may be something new that happens during the fight, may be something old that happens in the fight, but it’s going to be exciting. I respect Forrest and I think he’s a great competitor, but I’m putting in the work so I get my hand raised. I think this fight will be Fight of the Night.”
“I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I want to leave on my own terms. If I blast through Forrest, and get it over quick, there’s always going to be that guess, like yeah I still have it, but people got to understand it’s not the fight I prepare for. It’s the training I prepare for. It’s the grueling six days a week, 5 or 6 hours a day, of over and over getting up every day and going, ‘Oh god, what am I doing to my body. I’m hurting, my legs hurt, my neck hurts.’ It’s a mental strain on you. I think it’s time to move onto a different chapter of my life.”
“Maybe it’s time for Forrest to retire; maybe he wants to retire. Maybe he’s just letting everybody know that he’s going to retire. For me, I know I’m retiring, but it’s an idea, I’m going out and I’m winning the fight.”
Ortiz picked up a rare win over the summer months last year, defeating “Ultimate Fighter” season eight winner, Ryan Bader with a first round guillotine submission. He lost a short notice bout against Rashad Evans in his next fight putting him back at square one. This was further compounded by a first round TKO loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira month later.
By Michael Pepper. (Follow me on Twitter)
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