Tito Ortiz and Fedor Emelianenko killed your weekend

This weekend sucked for MMA fans. Here’s why…

Let’s face it. A lot of us out there are HUGE closet Tito Ortiz fans. In fact, I was a co-author for a book with Tito back in my MaXfighting.com days. It was at a time when Tito had a reputation for still being a trash talking bad boy with the one exception – he could back it up.

It was like he was Obi-Wan Kenobi. Tito was off the radar in some remote location waiting to come back and bring balance to MMA. Alas, we all know what happened when Ortiz did come back. He wasn’t the same and his skills were so far behind anyone else at light heavyweight in the top 20 that it was just plain sad.

Ortiz beat Ken Shamrock a few times, narrowly defeated a lesser Forrest Griffin, and gave Chuck Liddell a somewhat entertaining rematch. Other than that and having Ryan Bader put his head neatly in guillotine for Tito to submit him that’s pretty much it. Which, brings us to Bellator 142.

Ortiz had us believing he was on a comeback. He was going to win the title, albeit a lesser title in Bellator to give us all a wonderful nostalgic feeling. Sadly, Liam McGeary submitted Tito in the first round and in my opinion inked the signature on Tito’s retirement letter. He cannot compete anymore at anywhere close to top twenty, maybe thirty, level at light heavyweight. He is at the point now where the only fights he could draw a dime in are freakshow fights with other past their prime MMA legends.

Unfortunately, my book with Tito was ditched at the point of publication because new business partners demanded everything be cleared by them, and that royalties were to favor them heavily. It never saw the light of day and after a year of hard work it went by the wayside. Still, I carry a hope that one day he will win a title – somewhere. At this rate it may end up being at a local show near you.

Fedor Emilianenko fought in the PrideFC organization at a time when MMA was blossoming. His fights were with then invincible legends like Big Nog, Cro Cop, and others. Later when he fought in America it was clear his hype was a bit exaggerated and soon he was irrelevant in any talks of legitimate title shots. Like Ortiz, we thought he was hiding, regrouping for a return to greatness. We supported him. We carried a torch for his return, How are we rewarded?

Emilianenko continues to duck, dodge, and dive his way out of the Octagon. He continues to disappoint fans by running away from the top tier challenges of the UFC. His legend continues to be diminished and should he begin to lose to semi-legitimate opponents again he will fade from the discussions of best pound for pound fighters of all time. Part of that legendary record of his is fighting freak show and lesser skilled fighters padding it like a pillow. Without the UFC he was just another Pride fighter who disappointed when he hit American soil.

Why all of the hate? He did it again. It was announced this weekend that he will fight outside of the Octagon… Fedor is in danger of disenfranchising fans if he does not agree to fight in the world’s premier MMA organization soon. His window of opportunity is closing to leave his mark once and for all on the MMA world. If he does not sign with the UFC for his last tenure it’s over and done with, done deal, that’s it for his legacy.

This weekend disappointed hardcore fans beyond measure and casual fans saw a shell of a former UFC legend in Ortiz be defeated by someone he should have beaten according to myth.

Come on Fedor. Be a man, sign with the UFC or go away.