Ortiz on Track for October or November Return
Mike Sloan Jun 30, 2010
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz said
he’s well on the road to recovery and is still planning an October
or November return after undergoing neck surgery on March 15.
Ortiz said a bulging disc between the C6 and C7 vertebrae at the base of his neck hampered his performance against Forrest Griffin at UFC 106 last November and got so uncomfortable that Ortiz withdrew from a May bout against Chuck Liddell. Ortiz’s decision to pull out of the UFC 115 bout, his third matchup against Liddell, led to his dismissal in the final days of taping for “The Ultimate Fighter 11” reality series, where he and Liddell reprised their roles as rivaling coaches. Liddell went on to fight another former UFC champion in Rich Franklin and was knocked out in the first round.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Ortiz has slowly returned to the
gym.
“I just got the (doctor’s) release and for two weeks now I’ve been lifting weights,” Ortiz told Sherdog.com this week. “My weight is back up to 220 pounds. I went from 200 to 220 in a little bit over two weeks. I’m eating a bunch, finally, and my neck’s healing.”
“I get a little tingling sensation down my arms and the back of my neck but I guess that’s normal because of all the nerves are reconnecting,” he said. “I feel really good, though. The soreness I have now is from lifting weights. I haven’t had this kind of soreness in a while.
“July will really be the test for me because I’ll be wrestling and stuff and starting to get into it,” he added. “On July 1, I’ll start doing jiu-jitsu and start drilling. Nothing live -- just drilling to get my body back into shape.”
Ortiz, who became one of the promotion’s first bona fide stars at the start of the decade, said his attitude will be a key factor in his recovery.
“I think staying positive is the biggest influence for my future,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t get the surgeries that I got. My lower back (surgery) happened and (the doctors) were like my career’s done. I didn’t think that. I thought in my mind (I could come back). I asked my doc how quickly can I heal and when can I get back into the cage? He said to give myself eight to ten months to fully heal and a year later I came back and I fought.
“(With the second surgery) once again, I thought (positively) and I was like, ‘Doc when am I getting back into the cage?’” continued Ortiz. “He said, ‘Tito, you’re crazy! But give it six to seven months and you’ll be fine.’ So I’ve just been staying positive and haven’t really been worried that that’s going to stop me. I think it’s just a challenge that God has given me and getting back into the cage is just another test of what type of personality I have and my heart and mind. I’m a champion and I want to get back into the cage with a chance to get my world title back.”
Whether a third fight with Liddell is in the cards or not, Ortiz said his remaining days as an active fighter will play out in the place where he began his career in 1997.
“I have five fights left with the UFC,” said Ortiz. “I started my career with the UFC and I’m going to end my career with the UFC. After these next five fights are over, maybe I’ll take a step back and see what I’m going to do after I defend my world title after I win it.”
You can also contact Mike Sloan at www.facebook/com/mikesloan19 or follow him on Twitter @mikesloan19
Ortiz said a bulging disc between the C6 and C7 vertebrae at the base of his neck hampered his performance against Forrest Griffin at UFC 106 last November and got so uncomfortable that Ortiz withdrew from a May bout against Chuck Liddell. Ortiz’s decision to pull out of the UFC 115 bout, his third matchup against Liddell, led to his dismissal in the final days of taping for “The Ultimate Fighter 11” reality series, where he and Liddell reprised their roles as rivaling coaches. Liddell went on to fight another former UFC champion in Rich Franklin and was knocked out in the first round.
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“I just got the (doctor’s) release and for two weeks now I’ve been lifting weights,” Ortiz told Sherdog.com this week. “My weight is back up to 220 pounds. I went from 200 to 220 in a little bit over two weeks. I’m eating a bunch, finally, and my neck’s healing.”
Ortiz isn’t out of the woods just yet, though and the coming months
will be a true test of his rehabilitation.
“I get a little tingling sensation down my arms and the back of my neck but I guess that’s normal because of all the nerves are reconnecting,” he said. “I feel really good, though. The soreness I have now is from lifting weights. I haven’t had this kind of soreness in a while.
“July will really be the test for me because I’ll be wrestling and stuff and starting to get into it,” he added. “On July 1, I’ll start doing jiu-jitsu and start drilling. Nothing live -- just drilling to get my body back into shape.”
Ortiz, who became one of the promotion’s first bona fide stars at the start of the decade, said his attitude will be a key factor in his recovery.
“I think staying positive is the biggest influence for my future,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t get the surgeries that I got. My lower back (surgery) happened and (the doctors) were like my career’s done. I didn’t think that. I thought in my mind (I could come back). I asked my doc how quickly can I heal and when can I get back into the cage? He said to give myself eight to ten months to fully heal and a year later I came back and I fought.
“(With the second surgery) once again, I thought (positively) and I was like, ‘Doc when am I getting back into the cage?’” continued Ortiz. “He said, ‘Tito, you’re crazy! But give it six to seven months and you’ll be fine.’ So I’ve just been staying positive and haven’t really been worried that that’s going to stop me. I think it’s just a challenge that God has given me and getting back into the cage is just another test of what type of personality I have and my heart and mind. I’m a champion and I want to get back into the cage with a chance to get my world title back.”
Whether a third fight with Liddell is in the cards or not, Ortiz said his remaining days as an active fighter will play out in the place where he began his career in 1997.
“I have five fights left with the UFC,” said Ortiz. “I started my career with the UFC and I’m going to end my career with the UFC. After these next five fights are over, maybe I’ll take a step back and see what I’m going to do after I defend my world title after I win it.”
You can also contact Mike Sloan at www.facebook/com/mikesloan19 or follow him on Twitter @mikesloan19
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