Over the past few weeks, Bellator MMA, former boxing champion Roy Jones Jr and Bellator signee Quinton Jackson sold the world on a potential PPV bout between the two. Though the idea got lukewarm reviews, Bellator was only setting a smokescreen for their real announcement, made earlier this week – that Bellator has signed former UFC champion Tito Ortiz to fight Jackson on PPV. On paper, it is a close match of two fighters at the end of their careers, but both have loads of name recognition, and that is what Bellator was looking for. In the actual fight in the ring, ‘Rampage’ Jackson will likely be the favorite for the fight. Jackson has credited the signing with Bellator as reinvigorating his career. Jackson is going to be enjoying his training and preparation for Pro Wrestling, and he probably enjoyed the deception with Jones, so I look for ‘Rampage’ to come in top form. As for Ortiz, there are a lot of questions to be asked. One immediate repercussion to the MMA world that this will affect is the case of ‘Cyborg’ Santos, who is looking to fight UFC Bantamweight ladies champion Ronda Rousey. Ortiz, in his post retirement attempts to stay relevant, had signed ‘Cyborg’ to a management contract and is ostensibly guiding here career. Let’s see how negotiations for “cyborg’ go with the UFC and Dana White now that Ortiz signed with Bellator. Ortiz has put his own ego and career ahead of the well being of his most high profile client, because it isn’t like Ortiz represents a stable of world class guys, he has nothing but ‘Cyborg’. Then there is the question of Tito’s deal with Bellator. Is it a one time comeback for Ortiz, or is it a multi-fight deal where we will see Ortiz fight on Bellator and possibly cross over into the TNA Wrestling cross promotion they have been trying. After multiple surgeries some time off from the ring, you assume that Ortiz will be healthy as well. His well documented separation from the mother of his children hasn’t left him hurting for money, has it? If it is only a one fight deal, that is your tip off, Ortiz is with Bellator to do a job – get ‘Rampage’ over. Even if Ortiz is at 100 percent for this match, what is 100 percent for an Ortiz at plus 35 years of age? The truth is, that if it weren’t for a lucky catch on Ryan Bader, he has not won a fight in more than half a decade. This match starts and ends on his feet, as either man going for a takedown is likely to result in a stalemate. So we are left with watching two plus 35 year olds box. Jackson is probably going to have a slight edge, as he has more KO power than Ortiz, and he has been in more firefights when it comes to the standup game. The match is likely to be heavily criticized by the hardcore MMA fan, but Bellator is willing to bet that people will still pay to watch two aging stars that are no longer relevant, and there is a portion of curious who will plunk down the cash. But for a Bellator card, even with an Ortiz-Jackson main event. $11.95 is top end for what I would pay for a Bellator PPV.
