[UFC 121] Tito Ortiz is Making a Mistake

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Tito Ortiz confirmed on his Twitter account that he will be fighting at UFC 121. He didn't say who his opponent would be but MMAFighting.com is reporting that he will face off with Matt Hamill. There are plenty of reasons I can think of as to why this fight makes sense. Tito coached Hamill on season 3 of TUF so we'll get the student vs the teacher. Both guys are strong wrestlers with a smothering top game. They are both, arguably, around the same spot in the food chain. It should be an even matchup. So why is Tito Ortiz making a huge mistake? He is coming back from his neck surgery way too fast.

Kjh, right here on Cageside Seats, had a story about Tito's neck surgery shortly after news broke about him going under the knife. He thinks Tito should just retire outright because he is clearly physically shot. How much can he really offer anymore? He hasn't won a fight since beating Ken Shamrock back in 2006 and that's not exactly something to hang your hat on. His relevancy in the UFC is seriously in question here. We know he will never make another run at the title, no matter how many times he says he wants to. He still has drawing power but not anywhere near like he used to. Now he will be trying to come back from spinal fusion surgery after only 6 months of healing.

Here at Cageside we fans of wrestling know all to well about neck issues with athletes. Pro wrestlers have been having these problems for a long time. We all remember Owen Hart botching a piledriver on Stone Cold Steve Austin at Summerslam '97 which would require neck surgery that sidelined Austin for an entire year. Even after his return he was a shell of his former self and was forced to retire because of ongoing issues with his neck. Kurt Angle has had a long history of problems with his neck, including nearly killing himself at WrestleMania 19, before he went with surgery. He returned faster then normal and he pays the price for it to this day. Edge, Lita and Chris Benoit are all notable wrestlers who have also had neck problems. Edge has seemingly come back okay from his, but Lita is no longer in the business and we all know of the fate of Chris Benoit.

Coming back too soon from such a serious surgery like this is just not a good idea. I can imagine the reasons Tito must have for wanting to come back so soon. It's unlikely that they differ from any of the reasons all those wrestlers wanted to come back too. Because it's all he knows how to do. It's his passion. It's ingrained into him, a part of who he is. Money likely plays a huge part of it as well. It's not a surprise to me that the card he chooses to come back on is headlined by Brock Lesnar. I don't know if Tito gets a cut of the PPV buys but if he does then he knows he is in to make some serious coin. But at what cost? Paralysis?

It's questionable how reliable any of the athletic commissions are. This card will be held in California, and the long list of issues that athletic commission has had are well known. I don't think he'll be denied a license to fight. We know Dana won't have any problem putting him on this card. Tito has always complained about injuries. After each loss he would bring up another ailment he was suffering from and use that as an explanation for his poor performance. It's easy to just think he is trying to avoid responsibility for his shortcomings in the Octagon. However in this instance we know this injury is all too real. We've seen what it can do, especially if a guy tries to rush back to action too fast. I hope Tito doesn't seriously get hurt.

In wrestling they can book you in many ways to protect you. In MMA you are out there on your own. Your opponent will show no mercy. He wants that win bonus just as bad as you do. Say what you will about Tito Ortiz, the fighter, but Tito Ortiz, the man, will have to live with whatever happens for the rest of his life. Let's hope he comes out of this okay.