Tito Ortiz is one of the most decorated light heavyweight champions in UFC history, and he’s confident the best version of himself is good enough to beat Alex Pereira.
“Poatan” is currently in his second reign as 205-pound champion, having recently won the belt back from Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320. In his first reign, Pereira successfully defended his title three consecutive times, two short of Ortiz, who defended that same belt five times from 2000-2002.
During an appearance on the JAXXON podcast, Ortiz, 50, was asked how a prime version of him would fare against Pereira, and he answered with no shortage of confidence.
“I would double-leg the shit out of him,” Ortiz said. “He ain’t stopping, and he ain’t getting away from me. Hell no.”
Wrestling and ground-and-pound were Ortiz’s calling cards in his heyday, with legendary names like Wanderlei Silva, Evan Tanner, and Ken Shamrock falling to “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” during his run at the top. Pereira, a former two-division Glory Kickboxing champion that has also won titles in two divisions in the UFC, is more known for his striking and one-punch knockout power, as evidenced in wins over Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Ankalaev.
Ortiz thinks the UFC moves in trends, and while strikers like Pereira might rule over the light heavyweight division right now, grappling-heavy fighters are still ever-present and could take over the heavier divisions again.
“It always goes back and forth,” Ortiz said. “It goes back to ground guys, goes back to standup guys. Back to ground guys, back to standup guys.
“I think the one that actually has done really well that I’ve watched is Khabib Nurmagomedov and then [Khamzat] Chimaev. Those guys were the style that I fought. That’s how I fought. That type of style will win every single fight. Yes, it’s boring, but you’re not getting away from somebody.”
Looking at the current UFC top-5, which includes names like Pereira, Ankalaev, and Jiri Prochazka, Ortiz is confident that on his best day, he would give any of them a run for their money.
“Any of the top 5 guys,” Ortiz said. “Any of the top guys. A hundred percent, I would fight anybody, anytime.”
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