Sonnen and Ortiz fighting for redemption and legacy at Bellator 170
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
When longtime MMA stars Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz step inside the cage for the Bellator 170 main event on Saturday it’s about more than simply getting the win. It’s about redemption and legacy.
MMA followers might remember the legendary clashes these two fighters have given us over the years. Sonnen and his classic bouts with the greatest fighter of all-time Anderson Silva, and Ortiz going toe-to-toe with the likes of Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, to name a few.
Sonnen and Ortiz have a history that dates back to their college wrestling days, making this matchup all the more interesting for wrestling fans.
The two met when Oregon hosted CSU Bakersfield in a college dual meet in 1998, Sonnen representing the Ducks and Ortiz the Roadrunners. The match lasted all of 44 seconds with Sonnen pinning Ortiz in a headlock.
“I remember Tito from a college dual meet when we wrestled, and I just remember he was very strong and he was a very big guy,” Sonnen said of the match. “Those were my only two takeaways. As far as what happened in the match, I caught him in a head and arm, so I never really got to feel him.”
Sonnen went on to finish in eighth place at the NCAA Championships that year. He finished his collegiate wrestling career with All-American honors, two trips to the NCAA Championships and two Pac-10 finals appearances.
For Ortiz, his career at CSU Bakersfield was not as illustrious, but this fight provides a chance to redeem himself from the Sonnen loss that occurred nearly 20 years ago.
“It hurt me emotionally. I remember as soon as that match was over I put on my running shoes and I ran stairs until the whole dual was over. This is going to be a reunion where I’m going to get my hand raised, and now I have an opportunity to get my redemption,” Ortiz said.
After college, Sonnen went on to win a silver medal in Greco-Roman at the 2000 World University Championships held in Tokyo, Japan, prior to getting his big break and launching his MMA career.
“It was really hard for me to get my break. It didn’t come for me until late in life, but I knew right where I stood. I knew from the practice room. I was fighting really hard guys in the fights I was getting. I was fighting former UFC fighters, top-ranked guys, former world champions, but I couldn’t get my break in a big show,” Sonnen said.
Sonnen really hit his stride starting in 2009 when he won three-straight UFC middleweight bouts to earn a title shot against Silva in 2010. He controlled the Silva fight for the first 23 minutes and was on the brink of pulling off one of the greatest upsets in MMA history before succumbing to a triangle choke in the final moments of round five.
He has posted a 3-3 record since that time against many of the top names in MMA. It has been over three years since Sonnen entered the cage.
Conversely, Ortiz was crowned UFC light heavyweight champion in 2000, a title he defended successfully five times and held for nearly three years. He last fought for the Bellator light heavyweight title in September of 2015, but was unable to pull out the win.
Competing in different divisions throughout their careers, it never appeared this matchup was in the cards for either man.
“I never really thought about Tito. Our paths just weren’t going to cross. I was a middleweight. He was a light heavyweight. It just wasn’t in my future,” Sonnen noted.
As much as this fight is about redemption for Ortiz, it also holds the same value for Sonnen, who fully believes he could have held the reigns during Ortiz’s tenure atop the UFC, if only he was afforded the opportunity.
“I have contended from day one that I would have been the champion back in the 90’s if I could have just got in,” Sonnen remarked. “When I finally got in I did prove my point, but I could have done it an entire generation earlier.
“For me that’s what this is about. I’ve told my friends and family and anybody that would listen that I could have beat all those guys. Tito did beat them all. Tito was the guy. I never thought I’d get my chance to go back and prove it. That’s what the motivation is for me.”
It is clear from pre-fight remarks that both men want to come out and deliver. Sonnen is seeking a win over Ortiz to reignite his MMA career, and Ortiz, who has stated this will be his last fight, is looking to cement one of the top MMA careers of all time in style.
Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen will be held at The Forum in Los Angeles, California this Saturday at 9 p.m. (ET) and can be viewed live on SPIKE.
Chael Sonnen (Oregon) vs. Tito Ortiz (CSU Bakersfield)
Quotables
Chael Sonnen on fight strategy
“As soon as the referee says fight, I will. I will go out, I will jump right on him and get into a fight. Whatever happens after that, I’m as curious to see as anybody else. I had great preparation for this fight. I’m in very good shape. 15 minutes has never been a problem for me, and it’s not going to be here either. I don’t know if he can say the same.”
Chael Sonnen on fight philosophy
“From the time they set that cage up until now, and you can look at all the technique and the flashiness you want, but one guy is tougher than the other. One guy can go longer than the other guy. That is one rule that has never changed over the course of mma’s career. I argue that it is me.”
Chael Sonnen on focus
“I come from a world where I’ve always had to sell pay-per-views. I’ve sold more tickets, more t-shirts, and more pay-per-views than anybody else to have ever done it. This is the first time in my life I’ve been in a main event fight where I don’t have anything to sell. This fight is live, it’s free, and it’s only on Spike TV.”
Tito Ortiz on preparation
“People don’t understand the sacrifice, the suffering I do to get ready for a fight. This is not a game. I’m going out there to survive… This fight is my life. This fight is my legacy, and I want to do it the right way.”
Tito Ortiz on fight strategy
“I know that I’m going to come in and give 15 minutes of hell. If Chael’s not ready he’s not going to last that long…I’m going to try to knock him out. I’m going to try to hurt him.”
MMA followers might remember the legendary clashes these two fighters have given us over the years. Sonnen and his classic bouts with the greatest fighter of all-time Anderson Silva, and Ortiz going toe-to-toe with the likes of Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, to name a few.
Sonnen and Ortiz have a history that dates back to their college wrestling days, making this matchup all the more interesting for wrestling fans.
The two met when Oregon hosted CSU Bakersfield in a college dual meet in 1998, Sonnen representing the Ducks and Ortiz the Roadrunners. The match lasted all of 44 seconds with Sonnen pinning Ortiz in a headlock.
“I remember Tito from a college dual meet when we wrestled, and I just remember he was very strong and he was a very big guy,” Sonnen said of the match. “Those were my only two takeaways. As far as what happened in the match, I caught him in a head and arm, so I never really got to feel him.”
Sonnen went on to finish in eighth place at the NCAA Championships that year. He finished his collegiate wrestling career with All-American honors, two trips to the NCAA Championships and two Pac-10 finals appearances.
For Ortiz, his career at CSU Bakersfield was not as illustrious, but this fight provides a chance to redeem himself from the Sonnen loss that occurred nearly 20 years ago.
“It hurt me emotionally. I remember as soon as that match was over I put on my running shoes and I ran stairs until the whole dual was over. This is going to be a reunion where I’m going to get my hand raised, and now I have an opportunity to get my redemption,” Ortiz said.
After college, Sonnen went on to win a silver medal in Greco-Roman at the 2000 World University Championships held in Tokyo, Japan, prior to getting his big break and launching his MMA career.
“It was really hard for me to get my break. It didn’t come for me until late in life, but I knew right where I stood. I knew from the practice room. I was fighting really hard guys in the fights I was getting. I was fighting former UFC fighters, top-ranked guys, former world champions, but I couldn’t get my break in a big show,” Sonnen said.
Sonnen really hit his stride starting in 2009 when he won three-straight UFC middleweight bouts to earn a title shot against Silva in 2010. He controlled the Silva fight for the first 23 minutes and was on the brink of pulling off one of the greatest upsets in MMA history before succumbing to a triangle choke in the final moments of round five.
He has posted a 3-3 record since that time against many of the top names in MMA. It has been over three years since Sonnen entered the cage.
Conversely, Ortiz was crowned UFC light heavyweight champion in 2000, a title he defended successfully five times and held for nearly three years. He last fought for the Bellator light heavyweight title in September of 2015, but was unable to pull out the win.
Competing in different divisions throughout their careers, it never appeared this matchup was in the cards for either man.
“I never really thought about Tito. Our paths just weren’t going to cross. I was a middleweight. He was a light heavyweight. It just wasn’t in my future,” Sonnen noted.
As much as this fight is about redemption for Ortiz, it also holds the same value for Sonnen, who fully believes he could have held the reigns during Ortiz’s tenure atop the UFC, if only he was afforded the opportunity.
“I have contended from day one that I would have been the champion back in the 90’s if I could have just got in,” Sonnen remarked. “When I finally got in I did prove my point, but I could have done it an entire generation earlier.
“For me that’s what this is about. I’ve told my friends and family and anybody that would listen that I could have beat all those guys. Tito did beat them all. Tito was the guy. I never thought I’d get my chance to go back and prove it. That’s what the motivation is for me.”
It is clear from pre-fight remarks that both men want to come out and deliver. Sonnen is seeking a win over Ortiz to reignite his MMA career, and Ortiz, who has stated this will be his last fight, is looking to cement one of the top MMA careers of all time in style.
Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen will be held at The Forum in Los Angeles, California this Saturday at 9 p.m. (ET) and can be viewed live on SPIKE.
Chael Sonnen (Oregon) vs. Tito Ortiz (CSU Bakersfield)
Quotables
Chael Sonnen on fight strategy
“As soon as the referee says fight, I will. I will go out, I will jump right on him and get into a fight. Whatever happens after that, I’m as curious to see as anybody else. I had great preparation for this fight. I’m in very good shape. 15 minutes has never been a problem for me, and it’s not going to be here either. I don’t know if he can say the same.”
Chael Sonnen on fight philosophy
“From the time they set that cage up until now, and you can look at all the technique and the flashiness you want, but one guy is tougher than the other. One guy can go longer than the other guy. That is one rule that has never changed over the course of mma’s career. I argue that it is me.”
Chael Sonnen on focus
“I come from a world where I’ve always had to sell pay-per-views. I’ve sold more tickets, more t-shirts, and more pay-per-views than anybody else to have ever done it. This is the first time in my life I’ve been in a main event fight where I don’t have anything to sell. This fight is live, it’s free, and it’s only on Spike TV.”
Tito Ortiz on preparation
“People don’t understand the sacrifice, the suffering I do to get ready for a fight. This is not a game. I’m going out there to survive… This fight is my life. This fight is my legacy, and I want to do it the right way.”
Tito Ortiz on fight strategy
“I know that I’m going to come in and give 15 minutes of hell. If Chael’s not ready he’s not going to last that long…I’m going to try to knock him out. I’m going to try to hurt him.”
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