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Obsessed Ortiz questions Bader's backbone

Tito Ortiz is focused on defending the takedown © UFC

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Tito Ortiz has questioned Ryan Bader's bottle ahead of UFC 132, claiming he loses all self-belief if he can't take his rival down.

Ortiz and Bader clash in a hugely important light-heavyweight bout in Las Vegas. A win for Ortiz rescues his UFC career, confirming he can still perform at the top level, while a victory for Bader propels him towards a potential fight with Lyoto Machida.

Bader has questions to answer after suffering the first defeat of his career to Jon Jones, in a bout that saw the TUF 8 winner beaten at his own game.

Like Bader, Ortiz's strength is his wrestling, and the former UFC champion insists he will scare Bader by stuffing his takedowns early.

"If he thinks I'm going to stand there and punch, then he's got another thing coming," Ortiz told USA Today. "Takedowns will come when I see there's an opening, as Jon Jones did. I watched that tape over and over again, and I see the little mistakes that Bader has.

"His confidence goes literally through the floor when he can't get a takedown; he starts pulling guard. I would love to see him pull guard on me; he's going to see what punishment's all about.

"I've just got to keep my game plan. I've got to keep in his face and I've got to push the tempo. This is 15 minutes. I've got to go as hard as I possibly can. Don't leave anything to the judges and try to finish him."

There was one concerning quote for Ortiz fans though, with the Huntington Beach Bad Boy seemingly in danger of focusing so much on takedown defence that he leaves Bader open to the booming right hand at his disposal.

"Defend the shot, defend the shot -- that's all in my mind," said Ortiz. "Defend the takedown. Cover the hips and the takedown. Make him pull guard. Put him on his back.

"Can I shut his takedown down? That's the most important thing. That'll be the key element of the whole game. If he can take me down, I'm going to have to get off the bottom, or I'm going to strike him from bottom.

"That's what it's all going to come down to: Can I defend his shot, and can I punch him in his face?"

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