UFC President Dana White echoed similar sentiments last week in a conversation with MMAFighting where he discussed the HoF credentials of each iconic athlete.

“Despite my personal problems with Tito, he belongs in,” said White who nearly boxed Ortiz for charity one time at the peak of their rivalry. “He was the champion when we first bought this thing. The fact that Tito is still here, Tito and I have had our moments, but it doesn’t change what he did for the company. The beef between me and Tito, Chuck (Liddell) and Tito, the fact is, that played a huge role in helping making this thing as big as it is.”

Turning to Penn, White pointed out the impact “The Prodigy” had being along the lines of Royce Gracie’s from the standpoint of showing an impressive level of technique and tenacity despite his stature.

“There was a point in time when we first bought this company when people thought guys in the lighter weight divisions couldn’t be stars and couldn’t see pay-per-views and couldn’t cross over. Penn was definitely that first crossover guy for us,” admitted White of Penn’s role in the UFC’s development into a billion-dollar business.

White didn’t reveal specific plans to induct Penn and Ortiz into the Hall of Fame though an opportunity to do so is set for this summer at UFC 148. In addition to featuring Ortiz’s final fight on the lineup, the card is the deepest in recent memory with a ton of other notable tilts including title-fights between Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen and Urijah Faber-Dominick Cruz, plus comes with the added bonus of a Fan Expo similar to those where other Hall of Fame announcements have been made in the past.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, it appears a convincing win over Griffin at UFC 148 could convince Ortiz otherwise.

“I may have another one… you never know,” said Ortiz in an interview with ESPN before pointing out other avenues he’s considered including on a fellow former UFC title-holder has recently returned to. “I’ve got a lot of options. I’ve seen Brock Lesnar go back to the WWE, that’s something I may entertain, do some ‘theatrical entertainment’ as they call it. I’ve got my clothing company, my supplement line Punishment Nutrition, it’s business to me. I’m not going to be able to fight for the rest of my life and I want to leave on my terms.”

While the allure of “one more fight” may intrigue Ortiz, until otherwise inspired, “The People’s Champion” is still planning on retiring after his July 7 meeting with Griffin regardless of outcome. Though he’s been in other big fights against rival competitors, Ortiz is approaching the bout in a different way based on how much the fight means to him.

Win and he closes out his storied career on a memorable high note, lose and he finishes his career on a three-fight slide (not to mention a 2-7-1 record in his final ten tussles).

“It’s my final hurrah, Forrest brings the best out of me and vice-versa,” explained Ortiz, adding a prediction for fireworks befitting of the holiday weekend. “This one ranks right at the top. This is over Chuck Liddell or Ken Shamrock because this is my last fight,”

Ortiz-Griffin is part of a huge UFC 148 card including other bouts like Rich Franklin-Cung Le, Michael Bisping-Tim Boetsch, Dong Hyun Kim-Demian Maia, and Dominick Cruz-Urijah Faber.

The event comes slightly more than fifteen years after “The People’s Champion” made his debut at UFC 13. 27 appearances later and Ortiz has compiled a 16-10-1 record including a handful of memorable wins and roles in some of the biggest fights in MMA history such as those against Ken Shamrock and Chuck Liddell. In addition to Griffin, Ortiz has also found success inside the Octagon against Shamrock, Ryan Bader, Guy Mezger, Evan Tanner, Wanderlei Silva, and Vitor Belfort.

However, Ortiz suffered TKO losses in his previous two appearances and has fallen in five of his last six fights, prompting his pending retirement.

The 18-7 Griffin has also experienced a number of extreme highs in the UFC including his stint on the Ultimate Fighter 1 and wins over Mauricio Rua as well as in a title-fight against Quinton Jackson. He is coming off a loss in the rematch against Rua, stopping what would have been his third consecutive victory after finding back-to-back success in outings against Ortiz and Rich Franklin.

UFC 148 is scheduled for July 7 and will feature Dominick Cruz against Urijah Faber for the bantamweight belt in headlining action. Other fights being featured on the PPV portion of the card include Tim Boetsch-Michael Bisping and Franklin-Cung Le.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Griffin was a guest this week on Inside MMA where he discussed the possibility of a rubber-match with Ortiz, admitting it was an enticing possibility but not necessarily one with enough momentum to actually materialize.

“The truth is we each consider the other an easy fight,” joked the former 205-pound champion. “For me that’s the perfect ‘get right’ fight. Coming off a bad loss, beat Tito Ortiz up no problem. For Tito he’s thinking, ‘Forrest ain’t that good. He’s good old prematurely. This is a great way to go out, with a win over Forrest.’ So it’s a beautiful match-up because we both think of the other as an easy fight.”

However, according to Griffin, it would take more than their interest for the UFC to book the bout, with him adding, “If enough people get on Twitter, it’ll happen.”

Griffin and Ortiz have fought twice before with each taking away a Split Decision victory. They last faced off in 2009 where Griffin got the nod. Ortiz has gone 1-3 since the fight while Griffin is 1-1 in the span.

Check out the full interview with Griffin below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Ortiz will look to rebound from a loss to Rashad Evans when he meets Antonio Rogerio Nogueira this Saturday night at UFC 140 from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For Ortiz, this fight marks the 26th time he will step foot inside the Octagon, a UFC record. Overall, Ortiz is 16-9-1 in his career, including eight victories via knockout

“The finish line’s there for me. I’ve done everything underneath the sun in MMA, and it’s time for me to change this chapter of my life,” said Ortiz, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website. “I’ve got this fight and I got one more after it to finish my contract out. I’ve been competing for 15 years and that’s been my goal – to compete as a UFC fighter for 15 years.”

Ortiz is training as hard as ever for the Nogueira bout, but by the tone of his voice, you can tell he knows the end is just around the corner.

“I think I’ll miss the competition the most and competing against the best guys in the world,” Ortiz said. “I’m still young, I’m just going to be turning 37, but I don’t want to overstay my welcome and I don’t want to torture my body.”

UFC 140 will feature a main event between UFC 205-pound champion Jon Jones defending his title against former title-holder Lyoto Machida in addition to a bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Ortiz snapped a four-year losing streak in 2011 by submitting Ryan Bader at UFC 132. The 36-year-old suffered a loss to Rashad Evans a few months ago, but that has not stopped him from pushing forward with his career.

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” responded to comments made by fellow former UFC champion Rich Franklin while appearing on a recent episode of Inside MMA. “Ace,” who is rehabbing from a surgery, called out Ortiz recently.

“One hundred percent, yes. I would love to (Franklin). I’ll take any fights. Put’em in front of me, I’ll fight,” Ortiz said. “UFC wants me to fight’em? I’ll fight. Dana wants me to fight’em? I’ll fight. Rich Franklin, you wanna get broken off some? I’ll break you off some.”

UFC 140 takes place December 10 from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The main event will be Jon Jones defending the UFC 205-pound belt against Lyoto Machida.

Check out the full video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The late night nugget of information was announced through the UFC’s website.

Comparably, Nogueira hasn’t stepped foot in the Octagon other than to support his teammates since dropping a decision to Phil Davis in March. He had been scheduled to face Rich Franklin at UFC 133 but was forced out of the bout with an undisclosed injury and has been on a doctor-mandated vacation since then. Nogueira holds an overall record of 19-5 with past victories over Vladimir Matyushenko, Dan Henderson, and Alistair Overeem.

Also interesting is the fact Nogueira’s twin brother, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, will see action later in the evening with it being revealed earlier this week that “Minotauro” would be facing Frank Mir on the same card.

The match-up will mark the first time Ortiz has fought three times in a year, let alone half of one, since 2006. The polarizing former champ is 16-9-1 in his career with highlights featuring Ken Shamrock, Wanderlei Silva, and Vitor Belfort.

Other bouts at UFC 140 include Rich Attonito vs. Claude Patrick and Rory MacDonald vs. Brian Ebersole.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC Bad Blood: Liddell vs. Ortiz takes a look at the rivalry between the two men who helped the UFC grow to where it is today.

Right off the bat you can tell the difference between the two men and why they’ve had their differences over the years. Appearing on camera, Ortiz is surrounded by his championship belts and trophies, 500 “Punishment Athletics” banners and signs, in his SUV, and even does part of his interview from a nice boat while fishing. Liddell on the other hand sits nears a fire pit, in the barbershop, and on a massage table for his segments.

Ortiz likes to live the lavish life and loves to promote himself and his brand. Liddell likes to live the simple life.

That’s the common theme throughout the DVD and a big reason why Liddell and Ortiz had a falling out. Ortiz wanted to be an entertainer and Liddell wanted to be a fighter. Then UFC light heavyweight champion, Ortiz didn’t duck top contender Liddell after UFC 40 because he was afraid of him, he didn’t want the fight to happen because he wanted to make more money than what was being offered at the time. Liddell didn’t care about the money, he just wanted to fight and win the title.

When they fought the first time at UFC 47, after Liddell finished Ortiz with strikes, it seemed like the bad blood was over. The two embraced after the fight and buried the hatchet for the time being. But with Ortiz riding a win streak and Liddell holding the title, it was only a matter of time before the two men met again.

UFC 66 was the big money fight Ortiz wanted “Iceman” vs. “Bad Boy” to be. The event was the first ever UFC PPV to crack the one million buy mark and both men walked away with deeper pockets than ever. It wasn’t the performance Ortiz wanted though, as he once again succumbed to the power of Liddell’s fists.

Scheduled to meet a third time following their coaching stints on The Ultimate Fighter, Ortiz pulled out of the fight, which Liddell but expected, but was still pissed off that it happened. The third fight never happened as Liddell retired following a UFC 115 loss to Rich Franklin.

Watching this DVD as a huge Liddell fan, I couldn’t help but be entertained and excited throughout the entire documentary. Tito is Chuck’s greatest rival because of all the trash talking that went on between the two and yet in both fights, Liddell made it look somewhat easy with his sprawl and brawl technique. It was a great reminder of what Chuck looked like when he was in his prime and on his game.

It’s sort of funny watching the DVD now, because the interviews were taped just after Liddell’s retirement. So Tito was still in a bit of a downward spiral career-wise and Chuck was at peace with his career. The funniest thing about it was just hearing the comments from Dana White, who is now on “Team Tito” thanks to him stepping up and saving the UFC 133 main event. It’s also odd hearing Dana speak about when he was an agent for Liddell and Ortiz, dealing with previous UFC management, to know, when he’s UFC management, dealing with so many agents.

Along with the documentary, which includes plenty of behind the scenes footage and interviews, the DVD also includes both of their fights and the UFC 66 Countdown show, which was probably the best countdown show the company had done at the time.

I can’t say there’s anything groundbreaking on this DVD because longtime fans have heard the stories of and about both men over the years, probably more than once. But if you’re looking for a definitive look at the rivalry, you’re not going to find a better source.

UFC Bad Blood: Liddell vs. Ortiz is in stores today, August 30 on DVD and Blu-Ray.

When asked about his UFC 133 loss to Rashad Evans in the post-event press conference, Ortiz not only showed a great deal of respect to his fellow former light heavyweight champion but also avoided making a single excuse in relation to his performance.

“I’ve gotta take my hat off to Rashad. He fought a great fight, he took his time, and he didn’t run away. He stood there and he fought with me. And I fought back. I gave it my all,” Ortiz began before talk turned to his health and having stepped in on short notice to face Evans even though he’d fought Ryan Bader a month earlier.

“I can say for the first time in two fights I haven’t been injured, I hadn’t had any problems at all. I felt strong, I felt in shape. My training partners, we all pushed hard,” Ortiz explained. “Taking a fight that close…eh, I can sit there and go, ‘I shouldn’t have done it,’ but I was happy with doing it. Dana asked me if I would step up and I stepped up. I stepped up for the UFC.”

An icon of the Octagon, Ortiz also made it clear he has no intention of hanging up his gloves anytime soon.

“I’ve been here since 1997 and I’m still fighting – I’m still hungry and I still want to fight. I fought a #1 contender tonight on two weeks’ notice and I fought my ass off. And like I said, Rashad was the better man tonight.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Ortiz and Evans were on hand today for a conference call with media and Five Ounces of Pain was on the line. Read ahead to see the numerous interesting soundbytes and nuggets of information the talented 205ers offered up…

Tito Ortiz:

- Refers to East Coast fans as “die hard”
- “I’m gonna fight with my heart and soul and do what I do.”
- Was “on top of the world” after beating Bader and initially declined the Evans fight because he missed his family, was enjoying being around them
- Reconsidered the match-up after giving it more thought in terms of how healthy he felt and what an incredible opportunity it was to help Dana White / “I wanted to show what a businessman I was and I stepped up.”
- Was never in jeopardy of pulling out after his recent fender bender, that the only thing that scared him was the fact his son was in the car at the time
- Says Evans has matured a lot and improved tremendously in the cage since the first time they fought
- Mentions numerous times how much better he feels in terms of health now in comparison to the past
- Loves fighting in Philly as a “huge Rocky fan”
- Doesn’t concern himself with “win-win” or “lose-lose” situations; that he’s a fighter, it’s his job to fight, and he’s going to do his job at UFC 133
- “I’m ready for a war. I’m ready for the best Rashad has ever been.”
- “My advantage is my heart. I’m prepared for anything and everything. I’m going in focused, mentally positive, and knowing that my hands will be raised.”
- Plans to retire before 40 but will keep fighting until then with a goal in mind of getting another title around his waist again
- Looks at his career as though he’s paved the way for guys like Evans who know how to sell fights to media and throw down in the cage
- Is thankful for the commitment Dana White and the Fertitta Brothers have shown towards the UFC
- “Jon Jones is great. I hung out with him at the UFC Summit and he’s a cool guy. He’s a big threat. That’s why he’s the world champion.”
- Was 100% confident in his ability to beat Bader regardless of the odds, felt the TUF winner didn’t want to fight him / “I didn’t know I was gonna knock him down and submit him but I knew I was gonna stop him.”
- Never planned to be a MMA fighter / Intended to be a HS wrestling coach
- “Frank Shamrock is a great fighter and a great champion.” / Says he’s a lot better than Ken Shamrock, that “he’s the one who has got skills”
- Says the Bader fight feels like it was a year ago
- Was thinking “Finally! Thank God! All the hard work paid off!” after beating Bader / “My heart was so touched just knowing I was still one of the guys on top.”
- Is learning to adapt to the new generation of fighters

Rashad Evans:

- Very anxious to get back in the cage / “Being out for 14 months was hard for me to do. I had no idea I would be out this long but things happen.”
- Expects to see a very good, energized Ortiz
- Credits Ortiz with improved striking over his past few fights but isn’t worried / “For the most part what I need to worry about is my own execution. As long as I execute it doesn’t matter what Tito Ortiz does.”
- Wants to take his time, be patient, and not rush so he can re-acclimate himself to the ring after such a long layoff
- Calls this bout “one of those fights you want to get back”
- Says training has been great and he “couldn’t be happier” with his new camp. “Coming from Greg Jackson’s camp I was not thinking there was another situation in line with that one and was pleased to find out things here are good.” / The gym has “great energy, great training practices, and is fun to be in.”
- Doesn’t believe there is a reason for him to ever go back to Jackson’s MMA
- Hasn’t ever been to Philadelphia but also loves “Rocky” and also a fan of Philly fighters like Bernard Hopkins / “It’s great to fight in a city that has great fighting history.” / The energy he gets from fans that knowledgeable lifts him up
- Being in a new camp has allowed him to not only experience new techniques than he did at Jackson’s but also gives him more one-on-one time with trainers
- “To be part of the Ultimate Fighter was truly a great experience” and says it essentially made his career
- Looked up to guys like Ortiz and Liddell when he was first getting into MMA while in college
- “This sport has grown a lot but it isn’t done yet.”
- Doesn’t want to talk about the LHW champ / “I don’t like Jon Jones. There’s really nothing more I can say about him.”
- Having as much time off as he has allowed him to get his body healthy and shake some nagging injuries beyond the knee issue
- Fourteen months out of the cage has made him hungry / “I’ve been having dreams about it – I just want to get back in there and fight!”
- “There’s nothing like having that fight, having that win, and then going back to regular life like nothing happened.” / Refers to the “out of body” experience of listening to people talk to you about your performance / “It’s just something I can’t wait to get back and have again.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Dana White confirmed the fight on his twitter feed.

Ortiz was rumored to be the replacement for Davis just after news broke last night that he was out of the fight but turned it down stating that he didn’t feel the timing was right and that he wasn’t sure his body could peak again so soon after just fighting less than two weeks ago. Once Ortiz’ name was out of the race, UFC turned to Lyoto Machida to step in and face Evans but Machida turned down the bout as well, citing that he wouldn’t have enough time to prepare for the bout.

It appears that Dana and company made it worth Tito’s time as he’s done an about face since last night, accepting the fight and saving the UFC 133 main event. Ortiz will be returning to action on August 6, 35 days after submitting Ryan Bader on July 2.

The opponent likely made no difference for Evans, who was just eager to get back in the cage after being out of action since May 2010, when he defeated Quinton Jackson. Evans had the chance to fight last fall but declined in order to wait for his promised title fight and then when he was scheduled to face then UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua in March, Evans had to bow out of the fight with an injury. Now Evans looks to get back in the title picture with a win in August.

*PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

The two men had initially hinted at an in-ring encounter through brief exchanges of online trash-talk with news of the bout being confirmed with sources close to the match-up by MMAWeekly.

Though both light heavyweights are coming off losses they are each at very different points in their careers. The 15-8-1 Ortiz hasn’t tasted victory since October 2006 with four losses and a draw in his last five fights. However, he has also gone the distance against a trio of former 205-pound champs during the stretch including Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, and Lyoto Machida, and only recently claimed to be 100% healthy after dealing with chronic back/neck injuries.

Comparably, Bader’s defeat marked the first of his career and came against current title-holder Jon Jones. The second-round submission at UFC 126 broke a twelve-fight winning streak for the Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner including victories over Keith Jardine and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Other fights announced for the July 2 card thus far include a headlining rematch between Jon Fitch and B.J. Penn as well as three tilts featuring notable lightweights in the form of Matt Wiman vs. Dennis Siver, Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller, and George Sotiropoulos vs. Evan Dunham.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Dana White made the announcement earlier today.

Davis has seen his opponent switch three times in the past couple of weeks, originally schedeled to fight Matt Hamill at UFC 129 before Hamill was moved to UFC 130 to fight Quinton Jackson. Jason Brilz, replacing Hamill, was Davis’ next opponent before Davis was moved to replace Ortiz against Nogueira. Davis, 8-0, looks to remain unbeaten in MMA while Nogueira, 19-4, is looking to bounce back from a decision loss to Ryan Bader.

UFC Fight Night 24 is scheduled for March 26 at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. Along with the Davis vs. Nogueira main event, a welterweight showdown between KO artists Anthony Johnson and Dan Hardy will serve as the co-main event. The event will air live on SpikeTV.

News of the change was reported by MMAJunkie and was confirmed by Ortiz via Twitter.

Though Ortiz and Nogueira are similar in age, have found a great deal of success in the past, and are looking to rebound from a loss in their most-recent fights, the two ring-veterans are presently at a very different points in their career. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has lost four of his last five fights with a draw in the other and hasn’t beaten anyone other than Ken Shamrock in more than four years. Comparably, Nogueira had won seven straight before being outpointed by undefeated 205er Ryan Bader at UFC 119 in September and is 19-4 overall.

However, while each has endured some form of adversity as of late, their accomplishments in MMA cannot be denied. In addition to being one of the most popular champions in UFC history, the 15-8-1 Ortiz holds victories over a number of notable adversaries including Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, and Forrest Griffin. Nogueira has also walked away with his hands raised against elite-level opposition such as Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem.

The rumored match-up was reported by Canadian media outlet SportsNet who also broke word of the event’s occurrence.

Ortiz’s struggles as of late are well-documented in the media, as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has four losses and a draw in his last five fights without a win over anyone other than Ken Shamrock since the first half of 2006. However, the former light heavyweight champion appears to still have gas in his tank, as he nearly defeated Forrest Griffin in November 2009, though he ultimately lost by way of split-decision, and also went fifteen full minutes against Lyoto Machida with a near-submission at the end a little more than a year prior. Still, after the run of misfortune in the ring including a clear-cut point-based loss to Matt Hamill after a year off from action at UFC 121 in October, Ortiz still has questions to answer about his future in MMA

Enter Nogueira, a 19-4 PRIDE veteran with finishing performances against Luis Cane, Vlad Matyushenko, Dan Henderson, and Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem. He is 2-1 since signing with the UFC and will be looking to bounce back from a solid showing against undefeated 205-pound contender Ryan Bader last September in Indianapolis at UFC 119.

In addition to Nogueira vs. Ortiz, as well as the first defense of “Shogun” Rua’s run as light heavyweight champ, the card (labeled UFC 129) is also set to feature a lightweight match-up between New Jersey native Kurt Pellegrino and Gleison Tibau. Their forthcoming fight was announced by Pellegrino yesterday via Twitter.

Tito Ortiz is on Last-Leg in the UFC (MMAFighting.com)

An Extremely Detailed Breakdown of “Rampage” Jackson’s Headlining Scrap with Lyoto Machida (CagePotato.com)

Five Lessons Learned from UFC 122 / WEC 52 (Versus.com)

Anthony Pettis Talks Title-Shot (FIGHT! Magazine)

Van Damme Stepping Into the Ring for Real, Chair-Based Splits Not Guaranteed (MiddleEasy.com)

In a Shocking Revelation, EA Sports Has Sold Less Units than UFC Undisputed (MMAConvert.com)

Shine Fights Signs a Gracie (HeavyMMA.com)

Aaron Simpson Thinks Josh Koscheck Isn’t Necessarily Acting on TUF (WatchKalibRub.com)

Referee Attacked After Bout in Japan (MMAScraps.com)

News of the potential match-up was first reported by Tatame and later confirmed by White during pre-UFC 122 festivities.

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” hasn’t won since beating Ken Shamrock four years ago, compiling a record of 0-4-1 over the span with losses against the likes of Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin, and most recently Matt Hamill at UFC 121 last month. Ortiz is 15-8-1 overall and was considered at one point to be among the best 205-pounders in the sport.

Nogueira, who is 19-4 in his career, will also be looking to bounce back from a loss sustained during his previous in-ring appearance. The twin brother of UFC heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira fell by way of unanimous decision to undefeated light heavyweight Ryan Bader at UFC 119 this past September. Prior to the defeat “Little Nog” had won seven straight fights.

Ortiz will be appearing on the show as a coach for the second time on the heels of his recent defeat at the hands of Forrest Griffin at UFC 106, while Liddell will be returning to the show and the UFC from a hiatus that followed his TKO defeat to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Liddell has been keeping himself busy during his time away from the Octagon with numerous media appearances including a stint on the hit television show “Dancing With The Stars”.

With the “Iceman” returning to The Ultimate Fighter alongside Tito to coach, it seems like a third match between the two is an inevitability.

While there were few that could agree with one of the judges’ 30-27 (Forrest) scoring of the bout, it’s the entire decision that Tito has the biggest problem with.

“I thought I won the fight. I got fuckin’ robbed man,” exclaimed Ortiz during a recent conversation with Fighters Only Magazine. “But hey, it is what it is. I gave my heart and soul and after coming off of the injury that I had and getting surgery and coming back and fighting… I’ll be back man.

“Maybe it was a draw, but I don’t see how you can score it a 30-27 when I dominated the way I did in the first and second rounds.”

However you slice it, the fact that Griffin got the nod in the rematch creates that much more drama for a potential rubber match to settle the score once and for all. If Tito has his way, the rubber match would be coming on the heels of a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter for both himself and Forrest.

“Oh well, it will make it better for match number three,” said Ortiz. “And like I’ve been saying, maybe Dana will make me and Forrest into The Ultimate Fighter coaches and we will get a great season out of the whole thing.”

According to UFC President Dana White in a report on Yahoo! Sports, Griffin recently agreed to the match-up on just six weeks notice.

UFC 106 is set for November 21 from Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a main event for the heavyweight championship between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.

Far from strangers, the pair previously locked horns during UFC 59 back in April of 2006. Ortiz wound up edging out Griffin that evening via split decision utilizing his trademark ground and pound during the course of the back and forth tussle to come out on top.

The bout will mark Tito’s first return to action since dropping a decision to current UFC 205 pound champion, Lyoto Machida, in May of 2008. Immediately prior to the loss to Machida at UFC 84, Ortiz fought to a draw with former UFC light heavyweight title holder Rashad Evans during UFC 73.

Griffin is also looking to get himself back in the winners circle following a blow out knockout defeat at the hands of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva after surrendering his 205 pound crown to Rashad Evans at UFC 92.