UFC 132 Results: Tear Up the Walking Papers, Tito Ortiz is Here To Stay

Tito Ortiz came into UFC 132 on Saturday night with his back against the wall.

A loss would've ended one of the most storied careers in all of MMA. Ryan Bader strolled in against Ortiz as the heavy favorite.

As a top-10 light heavyweight, Bader had already bested respected veterans like Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Keith Jardine and Eric Schafer.

Ortiz hadn't won a fight in nearly five years, and he was coming off a convincing decision loss to Matt Hamill. The majority of his fans even picked Bader to walk out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena with his hand raised.

Instead, fans saw Ortiz dominate Bader in vintage fashion. There was even a grave digging taunt at the end to play on some old-school nostalgia.

UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg were notorious for hyping up Chuck Liddell's fight entrance by commenting on the intense look in his eyes. The hearts of eager fans would elate in hopes that "The Iceman" would finally return to top form.

Unfortunately, the fights would usually end with Liddell face first on the canvas.

For at least one night, fans were spared the same letdown with Ortiz. It didn't take a Rogan comment for people to see the emotion pouring out of Ortiz during his ring walk. Over the years, people have always questioned his antics, but no one has ever questioned Ortiz's love and dedication to the sport.

He came into the bout facing a multitude of personal problems and the possibility of being cut from the promotion he's called home throughout his entire career. Entering to Eminem's song "I'm Not Afraid," Ortiz wasn't afraid to step into the cage and put everything on the line against a world class opponent.

Despite all of the skeptics and criticism, it took the former light heavyweight champion less than two minutes to reclaim his fading career. Fans watched in shock as Ortiz dropped Bader with a solid right hook and latched on the guillotine choke for the finish.

What does a win over Bader mean?

It means that Ortiz is far from being the washed up bum some would have you believe. He is often criticized for losing, but people fail to commend Ortiz for continuously stepping up against upper-echelon opposition.

It isn't like Ortiz is getting completely staunched by lower-tier light heavyweights. In his past six fights, four of those bouts were against former UFC champions.

A win over Bader won't put Ortiz in position to challenge for any titles, but it confirms one lone fact that most fans have refused to believe...

Ortiz is a very good fighter.

While the MMA world has seen the fall of many legends over the past couple of years, Ortiz's candle continues to burn bright with his UFC 132 victory. Surely, the vast majority expected to see "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy's" swan song and UFC President Dana White announce his UFC exit.

Didn't anyone ever tell you to expect the unexpected?