• UFC 133

Ortiz eyes Hendo, scoffs at Fedor-the-greatest talk

ESPN staff
August 4, 2011
Tito Ortiz worked out with Bernard Hopkins ahead of UFC 133 © Getty Images
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Tito Ortiz admits he would be "very interested" in a fight with Dan Henderson, although he disagrees with claims Hendo beat the greatest mixed martial artist of all time in Fedor Emelianenko.

Ortiz knows victory over Rashad Evans at UFC 133 this weekend would put him right near the top of the UFC's 205lb food chain, possibly even earning him the next title shot against the winner of Jon Jones v Rampage Jackson.

A different option would be to take on Strikeforce light-heavyweight champ Henderson, who is currently a free agent. Henderson recently revealed he would like the winner of Jones v Rampage, but a mouthwatering bout with Ortiz would arguably prove just as tempting.

"Henderson is one of the best light-heavyweights out there," Ortiz wrote in his ESPN blog . "He's survived at the top of the food chain for a long time and that's a fight I'd be very interested in. I've said I'm the last of the Mohicans lately but I guess Hendo is a Mohican too and it would be a great fight for me in the future."

Henderson's reputation as a legend of the sport was cemented by victory over Emelianenko, a man who went almost a decade without losing. Fedor's name will forever be mentioned in the debate over the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, but Ortiz won't even consider the Russian because he has never fought in the UFC.

"I am not a huge supporter or anything, but it was hard to see someone like Fedor basically retire himself like that," Ortiz said. "He's been finished in his last three fights and it is never good seeing any fighter who has been around for a long time finish on his face.

"He's not one of the greatest ever; he did great in Pride but he chose not to come to the UFC and he never fought in the UFC. You can't be considered one of the best - much less the greatest ever - if you didn't fight in the UFC.

"Pride isn't the UFC and the places he's been since Pride aren't the UFC. Everyone who came from Pride to the UFC got stomped."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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