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Column: "Tito Ortiz- The most overrated fighter in the world"

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#1 ·
Ouch!

http://mvn.com/mma/2008/05/05/tito-ortiz-the-most-overrated-fighter-in-the-world/


Tito Ortiz may look like a million dollars but is lacking the heart of a champion. Photo Courtesy: Zuffa, LLC

Tito Ortiz- The most overrated fighter in the World
By Jesse Motiff | May 5th, 2008

In the pre-fight hype for UFC 83, Charles McCarthy called Michael Bisping the most overrated big name fighter in the world. I did not agree with McCarthy labeling of Bisping, but it did get me thinking about who I think the most overrated fighter in the world is. I kept coming back to one man, Tito Ortiz.

I’d like to say I make this assertion with complete objection but I’m not. I don’t like Tito at all. To me he cares more about marketing himself than he does about being a great fighter. He’s more worried about being seen with porn star queen/girlfriend Jenna Jameson than he is about training in the gym for big fights.

Ortiz hasn’t had a decisive win over a big name fighter who was in his prime since he beat Ken Shamrock at UFC 40 in 2002. Since that time Ortiz has lost twice to Chuck Liddell, once to Randy Couture and fought to a draw against Rashad Evans last July.

He did beat Shamrock two more times but by the time of those two fights, Shamrock was a shell of his former self. A victory in February of 2005 over Vitor Belfort also didn’t mean as much as it might have a few years earlier. A win over a young Patrick Cote in 2004 and a split decision win over Forrest Griffin in 2006 just didn’t impress fans or UFC President Dana White very much.

Ortiz will now face Lyoto Machida at UFC 84 in what will likely be his last match with the UFC. Rumor has it he is looking for fighters to have his own reality TV show. EliteXC is always a possibility unless they draw less than a 2.5 rating for their special at the end of May on CBS.

Tito is still young enough to be a dominant force for whoever he fights for. He just turned 33 in January and has only 21 professional fights under his belt. He has the looks, personality and charisma to be the biggest star in the sport but without a fighter’s heart, he’s just another guy.
 
#3 · (Edited)
ouch.

damn, what a way to put it...i mean Tito isn't THAT bad. He's a businessman, he wants to promote his brand. If you look at all the other fighters out there, they all promote their sponsers. I don't see why Tito can't do the same.:dunno:

Personally, i think Tito was a great coach on TUF, probably one of the best coaches on the show. He really isn't that bad of a guy. Before watching the show, I thought tito was just a shit talking, arrogant prick. But that show changed my view of him both as a fighter, and as a person. I hope he wins his next fight, it'll probably be his last one in the UFC.
 
#4 ·
To be honest no one with mma knowledge really thinks Tito is great anymore anyway. To call him the most over rated fighter in the world is a bit late I think as he hasnt won a fight in nearly 2 years and take away his two last wins against a past his prime Shamrock then his record kinda sucks.

No one rates Ortiz highly and if they do then I want to know why. :dunno:
 
#14 ·
This is a great post ^
Tito may be one of the more overrated fighters out there to the casual fans but to people who really follow the sport he is not overrated at all. He is a tough, game 205 pounder. I havent seen him in any top 10 lists in a while and I dont know many people he think he belongs there. He is in one of those 11-15 spots IMO. He isnt bad and IMO not overrated except by guys who just tuned in for Tito/Ortiz 3 or whatever.
 
#7 ·
Tito was a great fighter but that time has passed. In no way though do I think he is/was overrated.
 
#10 ·
Repped,

Are people forgetting what Tito did to Forrest in the first round of there fight?? DOMINATION, the reason I believe he slowed down in that fight, and in some others - like the 3rd round against Rashad, is because of his back. Tito's back was very bad. Couldn't train what he normally does for sure. Now he's been in big bear and he says that his back is great, and with a great tito for 3 rounds rather than 1, that is an awesome Tito.

I really hope Tito is back to 100% because if he is, he beats Machida imo. Then this man will be eating his words. He don't know shit about Tito like he's acting he does.
 
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#15 ·
Says the CroCop fan.


Anyway, how is a guy that beat the number 1 contender in the LHW division and should have had a win against undefeated Rashad Evans overrated? Tito is not an overated fighter, his only losses are to Frank Shamrock, Randy, Chuck and Guy Mezger (who he beat badly in their second fight). Tito isn't as good as he once was but part of the reason is that the LHW division is stacked with talent right now. I think there are still good fights for Tito in the UFC and I hope he'll stay. Tito vs. Wandy, Tito vs Shogun, Tito vs Jardine could all be really good fights. BTW, I don't like Tito, but he isn't the most overated fighter in the world.
 
#13 ·
How can anyone call Tito overrated? I dont think anyone rates him in there top 10 at the moment and rightly so, because he hasnt done much for years.
but to say he is overrated is ridiculous.

I am a fan of Ortiz and i think he still has what it takes to be a top 10 fighter and i just cant wait until he shuts all these haters up on may 24th.
 
#16 ·
It's hard for me to call Ortiz an overrated fighter when the entire MMA world seems to acknowledge that his skills are obselete. He's definitely over the hill, I don't think anyone's going to argue that, but it's not like he's still getting the hype he was when he was the champ.

My problem with this article is the simple fact that it forgets to mention that Ortiz is one of the winningest UFC champs in history. He just sidesteps the history, ignores why Tito's hype exists (and there's a good reason, he used to be one helluva a fighter).

I really can't stand MMA columnists who don't actually know about the sport they're talking about. Honestly, this guy's idea is fine, if he wants to think that Ortiz is a washed up chump, that's fine. There are plenty of people, myself included, who will agree with him on that.

Still, he takes it a little far when he calls a guy seriously overrated because his skills have faded. I mean, Ken Shamrock got more attention fighting in the UK then Tito is getting fighting a top tier opponent in Lyoto Machida.

Honestly, I could make a list of the guys I think are the top ten most overrated fighters in the world, and Ortiz wouldn't be on it, because I don't think people are saying he's good.

Who's overrating Tito? We all seem to be in mutual agreement that his time has long since passed, and his cardio right now is consistent with his favorite pass-time, throwing a hotdog down a hallway.
 
#17 ·
It's hard for me to call Ortiz an overrated fighter when the entire MMA world seems to acknowledge that his skills are obselete. He's definitely over the hill, I don't think anyone's going to argue that, but it's not like he's still getting the hype he was when he was the champ.

My problem with this article is the simple fact that it forgets to mention that Ortiz is one of the winningest UFC champs in history. He just sidesteps the history, ignores why Tito's hype exists (and there's a good reason, he used to be one helluva a fighter).

I really can't stand MMA columnists who don't actually know about the sport they're talking about. Honestly, this guy's idea is fine, if he wants to think that Ortiz is a washed up chump, that's fine. There are plenty of people, myself included, who will agree with him on that.

Still, he takes it a little far when he calls a guy seriously overrated because his skills have faded. I mean, Ken Shamrock got more attention fighting in the UK then Tito is getting fighting a top tier opponent in Lyoto Machida.

Honestly, I could make a list of the guys I think are the top ten most overrated fighters in the world, and Ortiz wouldn't be on it, because I don't think people are saying he's good.

Who's overrating Tito? We all seem to be in mutual agreement that his time has long since passed, and his cardio right now is consistent with his favorite pass-time, throwing a hotdog down a hallway.
Are you going to do that? I'd like to read it.

Anyways, I know people don't like Tito but overrated fighters only losses don't come from Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture this decade, and like others have said most think he isn't that good anymore or won't be, hopefully Tito can prove those people wrong on May 24th.
 
#19 ·
A lot of what he writes is completely accurate. Is Tito the most overrated? I doubt it. It's hard to call a guy who dominated the "dark age" of MMA the most overrated fighter ever. I applaud the column, it is very well written and offers valid points, but even as much as I dislike Tito I can't call him THE MOST overrated.
 
#21 ·
I could see people diminishing Tito's victory if he won, but in my eyes it would just prove he isn't washed up. That said, I would bet 100 grand on Machida to beat Tito in that fight if I had it to burn.
 
#23 ·
tito isn't overrated at all...if anything he's underrated....

it's alot like george bush's presidency....you were smarter to say "George Bush is an idiot" than to given any reasoned argument....same goes for Tito...people seem to think it's cool to say "Tito sucks so bad" when he actually has a pretty solid skillset....

Is he over the hill? yes
Does he really take fighting seriously now? probably not
Did the UFC hype him up huge previously? yes

but is he still a solid top 15 LHW whose really only been finished by Chuck? yes
 
#24 ·
The part that makes me mad is this.

Does he deserve to get paid more? Probably.

But did he become a fighter for the money? No!

He fought because it's a lifestyle where you get to train, and fight, something you LOVE to do. And he was lucky enough to be able to make a solid living at it.

I know people who work their ASSES off doing things they don't like, making $35,000 a year who don't complain.

He said he's made 8 Million with the UFC, so it's incredibly hard for me to sympathize with the guy.

If you want more money GO become a boxer then. Don't whine to us who make a sliver of what you make and try and make us feel BAD for you.

If I want more money, I'll go get a profession known to pay well. Not try and convince people I'm worth more and I'll complain until I get it.

And THAT is what grinds my gears!
 
#25 ·
Tito is not the most overrated fighter, but he is overrated for what he currently brings to the table and what people think of him. You can still be overrated and not be in the top 10 if you're in the deepest division in the UFC. From where things currently stand, Machida will win the fight, but maybe Tito will prove the haters wrong and win the fight. And if he does, then it will be a whole new debate based upon how the fight went.
 
#28 ·
Tito Ortiz definently isnt overrated, because he actually is not rated very high. For what he has accomplished he actually might be a bit underrated.

He has wins over mezger, Wanderlei, Tanner, Elvis, Shamrock, Cote, Belfort, Forrest and many more.

In his last 4 years he has went 5-1-1 with his loss being to ""Chuck Liddel"".

To call this man overrated just means that his journalist has no knowledge about mma what so ever.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Love him or hate him, he will be a UFC hall of famer, sorry Dana but there's no arguing against his record there. I don't think he's the most over-rated fighter now since I rarely see him even being mentioned when the top LHWs are discussed, so in that sense he may be under-rated.

Personally, I don't like his personality or his fighting style. I'm not a big fan of guys who can only win on the ground and do nothing standing up. IMO controlling and holding a guy on the ground without doing any damage should not be scored.

But Tito has taken advantage of that, and I expect him to do the same against Machida with a ground and hold victory. Considering his style, I'm not sure if Tito is the type of fighter that EliteXC is looking for.
 
#30 ·
Love him or hate him, he will be a UFC hall of famer, sorry Dana but there's no arguing against his record there. I don't think he's the most over-rated fighter now since I rarely see him even being mentioned when the top LHWs are discussed, so in that sense he may be under-rated.

Personally, I don't like his personality or his fighting style. I'm not a big fan of guys who can only win on the ground and do nothing standing up. IMO controlling and holding a guy on the ground without doing any damage should not scored.

But Tito has taken advantage of that, and I expect him to do the same against Machida with a ground and hold victory. Considering his style, I'm not sure if Tito is the type of fighter that EliteXC is looking for.


Tito Ortiz definently works while his on the floor.
 
#33 ·
Yeah, pretty much, just because Ortiz lost to Liddell and went to a draw with a solid fighter in Rashad, he's overrated? I think people are overlooking Ortiz big time in the Machida fight, and this is coming from a huge Machida fan. Ortiz poses problems for the guy.

Also, I've seen many say that Tito LnP's, and that's simply not true. Ortiz actually works while he's on top, delivering nice GnP to his opponents. His top positioning is solid, as is his sub defense.
 
#35 · (Edited)
I feel as if the hypocracy in this article, and in many posts throughout this thread, is overwhelming. Many individuals state "Tito has not beaten any good fighter decisively", "he's not winning", etc., etc., etc.

Take your same argument, comparing the results of Tito's fights, and then make an argument that Tito is overrated. He lost to Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. Your not going to find many guys in any weight class who will beat either of these guys. That is it. Those are the only individuals he lost to. In the same era, he has beaten, albeit not necessarily destroyed but beat them nonetheless, Vitor Belfort, Patrick Cote LHW number one contender Forrest Griffin and Ken Shamrock. Further, in my opinion and many MMA analysts' opinions, he should have won the fight against Rashad.

Simply put, all your arguments for Tito being overrated are based on the idea that he has not beat anyone decisively since his return. You guys are failing to realize that he hasn't LOST to anyone with the exception of Liddell and Couture. Saying Ortiz is overrated is unsubstantiated at this point. A few decisive losses in a row can change that, until then, have fun on your Tito Hate Bandwagon you newbs.
 
#38 ·
As for Tito, I think he's both overrated and underrated right now, if that makes any sense.

I'd say some casual fans overrate him, because he's such a public figure. A lot of their esteem is warranted, but I don't think some of them realize how far from the title he is these days.

On the other hand, I think many of the fans that post here tend to underrate the guy, based on his poor performances against Liddell and Randy along with his rather uninspiring wins over Forrest, Ken, Cote and Vitor.

That, and all the stupid things he says.

Does he have the heart of a champion? I don't know. But he's a legit, skilled fighter and he'll be a handful for Machida, win or lose.
 
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