THE CLINCH REPORT

The Clinch Report Founder Jonathan King with UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz at OC Fight Club, Costa Mesa California. Photo by: John Walsh

By: Jonathan King The Clinch Report

Bellator MMA announced during the live fight card on Spike TV, that their first ever Pay Per View will take place this year headlined by newly signed UFC and Pride veteran Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Jackson was rumored to have been matched against boxer Roy Jones jr, however after a brief speech he said he wanted his first fight for Bellator to be against an MMA fighter.

Then through a cloud of smoke, appeared ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ Tito Ortiz. Ortiz, draped in his classic Peoples Champ flag trotted to the cage and told the world his intentions. “I’ve been fighting for a long, long time. We’ve been friends with each other, but it’s time to put the friendship aside and it’s time to give the fans what they want here in Bellator,” Ortiz said.

Immediately internet pundits opined about the legitimacy of such a fight. However, it makes perfect sense. Will either of these fighters ever be considered a legitimate title contender? Probably not. However, the match up on paper seems to be an interesting one. Rampage traditionally had issues with tenacious wrestlers (See fights with Bader, Evans, and Teixiera), and Ortiz’s chin has been questioned in his last few fights, which is right up Rampage’s alley.

Both fighters play into each others weakness, and in the fight game the match up makes the fight. The names help, but they never trump the match up. Despite what Dana White or any other Bellator critic will say, as an MMA fan its an interesting fight. Weather or not someone will pay for it, and ‘how much’, may be the real question.

The fight will take place in Orange County California, but no other specifics have been given. Stay tuned for more information!