Tito Ortiz On Chuck Liddell Fight, Former UFC Fighter Retires, Cro Cop Out Of Bellator Main Event
- How big would a third meeting between former UFC champions Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell be? It would be the "hugest fight in MMA history," according to Ortiz. The bout is being rumored for later this year under the Golden Boy Promotions banner for former boxing champion Oscar de La Hoya.
"This is going to build and be the hugest fight in MMA history," Ortiz told TMZ Sports recently. "Mark my words.
"Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell 3: the fight that all the fans wanted to see. I never got a fair shake when I was with UFC against Chuck. Any of the times I've ever fought against him."
Liddell recently confirmed that he is ending an eight-year retirement. He holds a pair of wins vs. Ortiz inside the Octagon years ago.
"I feel healthy," Ortiz said. "I have a great surgeon out of Las Vegas that put me together. I'm the Million Dollar Man. Now let's make a couple more million kicking Chuck Liddell's ass."
- Former UFC flyweight contender Ian McCall is hanging it up. "Uncle Creepy" announced on Monday's The MMA Hour that he is officially retiring from the sport after a 15-year career that included two fights with UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, Dustin Ortiz, Jussier Formiga and most recently, Kyoji Horiguchi in Japan.
"I'm retiring finally, I think people have been waiting for this for a long time," McCall said. "I've had a good run, it's been fun, but at the same time, it's over. After enough shenanigans that I've been through, I think physically I could still do it. Physically I go in the gym, I train hard. I beat people up, I have a good time, I love doing it, but with my luck and I hate to be the guy that's like, 'It always happens to me, the bad things always happen to me,' well they kind of do in this sport. I'm not gaining ground, I'm not getting closer to being the best in the world. The steps are getting farther and farther away and I'm not in this to be anything but the best in the world. And if I cannot compete at that level of the best in the world, then it's just not worth it for me."
McCall fought Johnson to a majority draw back in 2012 in the opening round of the UFC flyweight tournament. The two had a rematch later that year, which "Mighty Mouse" won via decision on his way to claiming the inaugural title.
- Friday's Bellator 200 card has received a change, as Mirko Cro Cop is injured and will not be able to meet Roy Nelson in the main event. The bout was scheduled to be part of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix, with the winner serving as an alternate.
Instead, middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho's title defense vs. Gegard Mousasi will return to the headline role it once held before the addition of Cro Cop vs. Nelson. The card takes place from England and airs via delay on Paramount Network.
Along with Carvahlo vs. Mousasi, Michael Page meets David Rickels, Phil Davis takes on Linton Vassell and Aaron Chalmers makes his promotional debut.