UFC 132: Is Tito Ortiz Overstaying His Welcome in the UFC?

Tito Ortiz Only Adds to his Win Drought, with UFC 132 Light-Heavyweight Fight Against Ryan Bader

To be the best, you have to beat the best. Tito Ortiz has fought the UFC's elite, but doesn't exactly have the "beating the best" thing down.

Ortiz hasn't won since 2006. He still serves as a big name in the UFC, but beating Ortiz doesn't exactly mean what it once did for promising up and comers.

Ortiz has served valiantly as a stepping stone for big-time fighters to work their way up UFC ranks. He's a name fighters want to have under their belt, but his five-year drought doesn't exactly speak well for where his career is headed.

Ortiz helped build the UFC. He's done a lot for the UFC and MMA in general in terms of growth and popularity. At one time, Ortiz was a dominant force to be reckoned with. He was an innovator and a living legend.

Now, the talent is better than Ken Shamrock. Ortiz is now a bystander in the sport and he's making a mockery of his career.

Still, he consistently makes his way into fights. Though injuries have bogged down his career, he has had plenty of opportunities to end his winless drought.

At UFC 132, he's set to take on Ryan Bader, who has only one career loss. Bader was a three-time Pac-10 wrestling champion and two-time All-American.

He may not have gotten the best of Jon Jones, but his fight against Ortiz shouldn't be close. This should be seen as more of a self-esteem boost for Bader rather than a close fight between an aging legend and an up-and-comer.

Bader will undoubtedly dominate Ortiz in the octagon. Perhaps then Ortiz will elect to step down or Dana White will stop allowing him to make a mockery of his weight class and the UFC in general.

Ortiz used to get by because he served a purpose as a stepping stone in the fighting world. He has since regressed into a doormat.