UFC 133: Breakdown of the Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz Main Event

Tito Ortiz has accepted the challenge against Rashad Evans at UFC 133. A bold move, considering he is only weeks away from the fight, and is coming off a win against Ryan Bader. This is a breakdown of the fight and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”

What faces Tito at UFC 133 is one of the most important fights of his MMA career. Why? Because for someone who started competing in 1997, this fight could put him amongst the top contenders in the light heavyweight division, and therefore this is not just Tito’s next fight. 

Dana White has stated that if Tito loses against Evans, his job is still secure. This is a result of Tito stepping up and taking it on short notice. After declining the offer, Tito called up Dana and told him he would talk to his team, think about it, and get back to him. Soon after, the marketing flooded the MMA world.

Dana may not say this is “do or die” for him, but in reality, it is in a way. With a huge upset win over Ryan Bader, Ortiz is riding on a high that he hasn’t felt since 2006. What is yet to be determined is if he uses this momentum to his advantage.

Even though Rashad has not fought in a while, Rashad is no walk in the park for anyone. Ring rust is always a factor, but the odds go to Rashad. Ortiz may not lose his job if he walks away defeated, but his career may revert, as well as any hope to have a title shot in the near future. Time is running out for Tito, and to many, it has already run out, but he somehow was able to get through Bader.

Call it a fluke, or a result of a “new” Tito Ortiz, but the veteran is coming to his last legs in competition. Around his age (36), many fighters start to dwindle in the fire they had, and Tito has already shown that he is on a downward slope. His win over Bader was like a hospital visit for his career, it only served to prolong the inevitable.

But who knows? Tito Ortiz may very well be the best Tito Ortiz of his life, and could beat Rashad Evans. In MMA, you cannot rule anything out. All it takes is one punch, one mistake, or one opening to end it all. But even if he were to attain the title, how long would he really last?

Once again, this is not "do or die," but Tito is making a gamble. If he loses, it will be harder for him to resuscitate his past fame. If he wins, he will make a huge statement in the division and move himself up into contendership. This is one, if not the last, gamble Tito will be able to take in the sport.

Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad  Evans may not have been the originally scheduled main fight, or the one fans wanted to see. However, this fight is very significant. For both Tito and Rashad, they are looking to tell the MMA world that they are still relevant to this division’s top competitors. Rashad has had a long layoff, and before Bader, Tito had a long layoff from winning. 

You also have Rashad Evans who is looking to get his title shot against his former training partner Jon Jones, which is a fight many fans wanted to see. Rashad has been training for a different fighter, and Tito was just trying to sit back and enjoy the taste of victory. Tito Oritz is a fighter that in recent years has fought about once a year, to now fighting twice within just over a month. Altogether this fight is very intriguing.

They have fought before in 2007, and they will fight again at UFC 133 to settle the only Draw of their careers.

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