Tito Ortiz Turned Down Fight with Frank Shamrock, ‘Fans Don’t Want to Watch That’

Bellator released a major announcement that they plan to run a joint show with GLORY Kickboxing in September which will air on Spike TV. Featured on the card will be a bout between Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz. The bout will be for the championship, but Ortiz almost took a different fight before he signed the ink with McGeary.

Frank Shamrock defeated Tito Ortiz at UFC 22 and Ortiz was offered a chance to redeem that loss by Bellator CEO Scott Coker.

“Why take the easy way out?” Ortiz asked MMA Fighting. “I’ve done so much in the sport, I want to be champion again. They offered me Frank Shamrock— I said ‘No’. The fans don’t want to see that, the fans want to see me as champion.”

Ortiz has fallen on some hard times in the past, but he is currently riding a two fight win-streak and is ready to complete his comeback story. “[Fans] love comeback stories and I want to be a comeback story. Liam is tailor-made for me, I think. Great stand up, his jiu-jitsu is great, his wrestling is okay. Let’s see if he can handle getting manhandled.”

Would you have rather seen Tito Ortiz fight Frank Shamrock or Liam McGeary? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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