Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira set for March 2011
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White verified that a fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira would take place in 2011.
White confirmed the fight during Friday 12 November’s question and answer session prior to UFC 121, suggesting that the fight would take place in March of 2011.
The UFC is planning an event for 19 March 2011 in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The main event on that card will see UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua defend
his title against “Suga” Rashad Evans.
Ortiz has not won a mixed martial arts fight since October 2006 when he defeated Ken Shamrock via first round technical knockout. Since that time he has gone 0-4-1, most recently suffering
a unanimous decision loss to Matt Hamill in October of this year.
After the loss to Hamill, White suggested that Ortiz’s UFC career might be over, saying, 'We all know what happens when guys lose four fights in the UFC.” A loss to Nogueira may seal Ortiz’s
fate with the organization.
Ortiz is a veteran of the UFC, fighting all but one of his 24 MMA matches with the organization. Since his debut at UFC 13 in May 1997 he has a record of 15-8-1. Ortiz captured the UFC
light heavyweight championship in April 2000 by defeating Wanderlei Silva and successfully defended the title five times before losing the belt to Randy Couture in September 2003.
Nogueira’s last fight was a unanimous decision loss to the up and coming Ryan Bader in September of this year. Before the loss, he was on a seven fight-winning streak.
Nogueira is a relative newcomer to the UFC, holding a record of 2-1 with the promotion. Prior to his first fight in the UFC in November 2009, he competed in Pride fights among other smaller
promotions, compiling a record of 17-3.
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