Ortiz vs. Griffin 2
The main event of UFC 106 is a light heavyweight contest between Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.
The two fighters met three years ago with Ortiz winning a split decision and this time around, both are in dire need of a win.
Bet UFC 106
Forrest
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Last Five Fights:
First round KO loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 101 on Aug. 8, 2009
Third round TKO loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 on Dec. 27, 2008
Unanimous decision win over Quinton Jackson at UFC 86 on July 5, 2008
Third round submission win over Mauricio Rua at UFC 76 on Sept. 22, 2007
Unanimous decision win over Hector Ramirez at UFC 72 on June 16, 2007
Tito Ortiz (15-6-1):
Strengths: Ortiz is a true grappler, relying on his wrestling skills to gain an edge in position where he then uses powerful strikes to finish fights. Ortiz has some of the best explosion in his takedowns in MMA and his conditioning is often thought to be among the best in the UFC. Ortiz also has a solid chin, as he has never been knocked unconscious in a fight, despite suffering a few TKO losses.
Weaknesses: Ortiz was a dominant champion in the late 90’s and early 2000’s for the UFC, but like most aging fighters, Ortiz has not evolved with the sport and still tries to win fights like he did when he was champion. Ortiz has not looked good when trying to strike with opponents, and his takedown speed has not been fast enough for him to get younger fighters to the ground. Ortiz has not won a fight since 2006, and has arguably not won over a noteworthy opponent since beating an inexperienced
Last Five Fights:
Unanimous decision loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 84 on May 24, 2008
Draw against Rashad Evans at UFC 73 on July 7, 2007
Third round TKO loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 66 on Dec. 30, 2006
First round TKO win over Ken Shamrock at UFC The Final Chapter on Oct. 10, 2006
First Round TKO win over Ken Shamrock at UFC 61 on July 8, 2006
Who will win: Ortiz has claimed that nagging injuries have been the reason for his three-year drought without a win, but I believe it is his inability to improve in other areas of his game like striking and submissions.
Additional Line: Over/Under 12 minutes for fight length. Over (-160) Under (+120).
Bet UFC 106
Posted: 11/17/09 9:34PM ET