UFC Hall of Famer and former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz appeared on UFC Tonight this week to talk about his transition of going from a fighter to now a manager for MMA fighters:
Ortiz on if he's considering rejoining the UFC: "I don't know, [I might take] the job that he [Florian] has. I am a month out of surgery. I had the disc replaced in my neck. I would like to bounce back as quick as possible and I'm very thankful for it."
Ortiz's thoughts on managing Cris "Cyborg" Santos: "I have almost managed my whole career, except when Dana White managed me early in my career. And he taught me a lot of things and walked me through things. It made me smarter and now as a manger I can make better decisions for my fighters that I didn't make in my career."
Ortiz's thoughts on Cyborg cutting weight to fight Ronda Rousey: "When I first signed her she told me ‘I can't go down to 135 because I walk around at 170 – 172. As a women it's hard to cut down. And, it sounds like a disadvantage for me to cut down so much since I am a champion fighter.' I think it is way too soon to say and I don't want to hurt my fighters and she is still the champion. Last year she took some substances given to her by her trainers that she didn't know about that got her in trouble, but I am going to put my stamp and my name on her and make sure she doesn't get involved in those things again and make her a better fighter. It is going to be tough for her to get down to 135. At 145, she is shredded and to get ten extra pounds off is difficult. If she can cut the weight in a healthy way and the doctor can approve it, then let's see the fight happen."
His thoughts on the fight with Liz Carmouche and Ronda Rousey: "Ronda is a great champion. She has a great name. Her attitude completely changed. And I guess when the spotlight is on you, you shine a little more and she deserves all the fame she has right now because when she fights Cyborg, she will no longer have the title."
What Ortiz is looking for in the fighters he signs: "What I am really looking for is people who have a draw, who know what marketing it is and have the drive to do interviews after a fight when they are tired so they can become a household name, like I was able to achieve on a main stage due to promotions. It's not just about fighting, it's about promotion too because if not, people forget about you. You have to make yourself a name and a brand. I did it the right way, with lots of integrity, the way I wanted to do it and that is what I try to show my fighters in my management, that integrity is a big thing for us."
