The Huntington Beach Bad Boy is back in the Octagon to try his luck against Lyoto Machida in UFC 84: I’ll Will. Ortiz hasn’t had a fight since UFC 73, instead trying his luck at Celebrity Apprentice and dating porn stars, while Lyoto Machida is the next rising star in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division. Oddsmakers at BetUS.com have Lyoto Machata as -210 moneyline favorite over Tito Ortiz who is listed as +165 underdog. Get your Tito Ortiz vs Lyoto Machida Prediction in now at BetUS.com
Tito looked like an out of shape fighter during his last fight against Rasheed Evans in UFC 73. Evans and Ortiz fought to a unanimous draw after three rounds. In the first round Ortiz was warned by the referee to not grab the fence. In the second round Ortiz grabbed the fence again to prevent himself from being taken down and was penalized a point. Tito could not handle Evans at all, ultimately leading to a unanimous 28-28 draw. The fans in the seats were booing as Evans should have won. Before the Evans fight Tito went toe to toe with Chuck Lidell in UFC 66, which he lost by TKO in the third round. Before that Tito had back to back wins over senior citizen Frank Shamrock, which was no big deal as it was a setup fight card. Tito was asked about his thoughts on his opponent, “Machida is a great matchup. He's ranked 4th in the world. So I have my work cut out for me. This will be a tough match for me but my hand will be raised in victory.” Regardless Tito should just call it quits, he’s dreaming if he thinks he still has what it takes.
Brazil’s Lyoto Machida is unbeaten in 11 pro fights, Lyoto is one of the most accurate and technical strikers in the game today. Lyoto is considered by many to be a rising star in MMA. He has wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, and Stephan Bonnar. Machida entered the UFC Octagon for the first time in February of 2007 and he has since scored wins over Sam Hoger, David Heath, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Rameau Sokoudjou. In September, Machida fought the most impressive fight of his UFC career when he soundly choked out Rameau Sokoudjou in UFC 79. Machida is noted for his semi-orthodox fighting style. As a karate practitioner, Machida uses an unorthodox (or southpaw) stance. Machida was asked about his thoughts on his opponent, “I am honored to fight Tito Ortiz, he’s a veteran and one of the biggest names in the sport. I can’t wait to fight him and I’m really motivated. There is no way I’m going to let this go to a decision, I’m going to finish him in this fight.”
UFC 84: Tito Ortiz vs Lyoto Machida
When: Sat, May 24, 2008 10:00 PM ET
Line: BetUS.com
Pick: Lyoto Machida -210
The Bottom Line: Tito is done like Thanksgiving Day Diner, he no longer has the will to fight or the skills to compete in the new UFC. This will be a easy fight for Machida and he will move on to bigger better opponents. Get your Tito Ortiz vs Lyoto Machida Prediction in now at BetUS.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit.
