Tito Ortiz Should Stay In The UFC; Five Matchups Elite XC Can't Make For Him

Fresh off my UFC 84 tears, the self proclaimed "Leader of the Tito Ortiz fan club" is back with a new spin on things.

After watching the pay-per-view several times, scouring the internet for all stories on the subject, and watching the post fight interviews, the wheels starting turning.  Tito Ortiz may not be leaving the UFC after all.

First off, The UFC was not as anti-Tito as I thought they would be.  Joe Rogan spoke with high regard about Tito.  Tito was also allowed to be interviewed post fight and didnt go on a Dana White hate rant.

Secondly, Tito got, by far, the loudest ovation from the fans for his fight.  Dana White even admitted so during the post fight interviews.  Tito was cheered loudly after the fight, even though he lost.

Here is where things get interesting.  At the post fight interviews, Tito remained open to the idea of renegotiating with the UFC, even with Dana White personally.  Dana White even said, "Tito and I need to sit down behind closed doors and talk like men."

The majority of the 40 minute or so post fight news conference were questions about Tito and his future.  Aside from some pot shots from Dana towards Tito and vice versa, the two hinted at the possibility of a reconciliation.

With that said, here are five potential matchups for Tito should he decide to stay in the UFC, in no particular order.

1. Wanderlei Silva

Their first fight was actually before either of them were in their prime, in my opinion.  With that being said, Tito won by decision where Wanderlei got the better of the standup, but Tito took him down and worked his ground and pound enough to win.

In this rematch, I favor Tito slightly, as I believe the two still fight essentially the same.  Wanderlei is less reckless than in his Pride days, but also seems to have less tread on the tires.  Tito is slower and less explosive, but is showing signs of actually acknowledging that jiu jitsu is a part of mixed martial arts.

2. Chuck Liddell

Ok, so Tito has lost to Chuck already, twice.  Why would we want to see it a third time?

Well, first the rematch was the highest grossing UFC pay per view of all time. Second, Tito did better in the second fight than in the first, boxing better, and actually taking Chuck down at one point.  While I favor Chuck in a rubbermatch, every day that Chuck gets older I think gives Tito a better chance in this fight.

3. Rashad Evans

Their first fight ended in a draw.  Tito would have won if not for the point deduction for grabbing the fence.  Rashad had Tito down and was pounding on him at the end of the fight.  Tito was hurt coming in and had to get cortizone injections just to fight.  They dont like each other.  Enough said.

4. Forrest Griffin

Tito won their first match.  In the first round Tito looked like the dominant force that ran through the 205 lbs division at the turn of the century.  Later in the fight he didn't look as dominant.  If Forrest should beat Rampage and become the champ, this would be interesting as Tito holds a recent win over him.  If Forrest loses, it would still be interesting, as both fighters would be looking to get back into the win column.

5. Mauricio Rua

This is the first fighter on the list that Tito hasnt fought already.  Tito actually asked the UFC for this fight when it appeared he and Rashad wouldn't be fighting again.  Maybe he knew Rua would be nervous in his first fight in the octagon or saw something in his style he hoped to exploit.  Pending Shogun Rua can get healthy and get a win, this would be an exciting clash of styles, as Shogun is a Chute Boxe trained fighter, and is a good striker with good jiu jitsu.

I favor Tito in all of these matchups, with the exception of Chuck.  If he were to re-sign with the UFC, the rematch with Rashad may be first on the list.  From there look for Chuck or Wanderlei, until Rua can get some wins first. The Griffin fight may be the least likely to happen, at least in the short term.

Lets all hope for the good of the division that Tito stays, and these potential matchups can be made.