Hughes says Tito might be finished
Matt Hughes knows how Tito Ortiz feels. At 37 years old, the former welterweight champ has made enough money to walk away from the sport just like Tito. And the body certainly can't feel like it did when they were 25. The difference is Hughes, free of major surgeries, is still competitive while Ortiz, 35, is having trouble getting a win. Hughes commented on Tito's latest loss at UFC 121:
"I consider myself an old guy and when some of the older fighters fight, I find myself interested. Tito was on the card, against (Matt) Hamill and I didn’t think there was any way for Tito to win," said Hughes on Matt-Hughes.com.
Keep in mind, Hughes and Ortiz have never really been chummy.
"Tito’s got that clothing line out, Team Punishment, and when I see people wearing the shirts, I always tease them that it should be "Team Punished;" but I would even go out on a limb and say that’s the last time we see Tito in the UFC," said Hughes.
The UFC cut veteran Patrick Cote today. Is Tito next?
There's a few factors to consider. He could fight for another promotion and help raise their profile. But at $250,000 a fight is it worth it to keep Ortiz around so he can't fight elsewhere? He's still one of the bigger names to casual fans and does a nice job promotionally. With what looks a new network television deal on the way for the UFC and new audiences on the horizon in India and China, the promotion certainly has the resources to reward Ortiz for being one of the guys who carried the whole deal in the early 2000's.
On a side note, Hughes deserves the same sort of treatment. He'd be great spokesperson before events. He made a good point in his UFC 121 commentary about the UFC broadcast team needing some balance. Hughes called out analyst Joe Rogan for going overboard on how dominant Jake Shields' grappling was versus Martin Kampmann.
What if Hughes was the third man in the booth from time-to-time and actually took over the postfight role of Rogan in the cage? HBO thrives with a three-man, it might be time for the UFC to consider doing the same.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewr ... &width=850