Ortiz reflects on career

TORONTO -- Tito Ortiz is a legend in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, his name is as synonymous with the likes of Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, each of whom carved a place in mixed martial arts history before realizing the time had come to gracefully exit the octagon.

And soon it will be Ortiz's turn. He has marked May 30, 2012, which will be 15 years off and on in the UFC, as his finale.

"It's set in stone in my own mind," he said on Wednesday in advance of his Toronto debut at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday at UFC 140, in which he battles Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a non-title light heavyweight bout. "Fifteen years has been my goal. Fifteen years I've done my deal."

After winning the light-heavyweight belt the first time, he defended it a record five times over a span of some three and a half years. But as he approaches his 37th birthday on Jan. 23, Ortiz has decided to follow Couture and Liddell into retirement.

He is as popular as ever, as evidenced by the hearty applause he received from the fans who came to see him at a public workout at a Toronto west end gym that bears Couture's name. Nicknamed the Huntington Beach Bad Boy, Ortiz is like a popular heel in wrestling, admired far more than the good guy. If he were a grappler, his name would be Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Ortiz's bout against Nogueira will be his third fight in slightly more than five months, which is a busy schedule for anyone, let alone someone who is on the back half of his 30s and has battled with some of the best to ever step into the cage.

His career came to a halt in 2008 because of a neck surgery that limited his fight schedule going forward. In 2006, he fought four times in only an eight-month span. He was younger and not as worn down by injuries, although he is healthy now and feeling good.

His stunning victory over the younger Ryan (Darth) Bader by a guillotine choke only 1:56 into the first round of their scheduled three-round bout in July proved he could still hold his own, even if his career appeared to be over -- at least in the opinion of UFC president Dana White, who had concerns, just as he did with Liddell and Couture.

Ortiz stepped in on short notice to fight Rashad Evans only a month later and lost via technical knockout after repeated blows to his body with knees and fists that left him bloodied.

But he is back and still cocky, shrugging off any suggestion from the media he might not win on Saturday and get another chance at a payday.

"If I win this fight, I'm winning this fight," he said emphatically.

But he is a realist, knowing he can't maintain this schedule, because while his heart is willing, other body parts are telling him it's time to move closer to retirement.

"I guess you're only as old as you think you are, but my body is a lot older than that," he said. "I've been through some battles through my years, almost 15 years of competition, and I've been putting my body through a grindstone, man. It's just one of those things that I've got to be make sure I perform like I always do."

He took tremendous satisfaction when he beat the younger Bader with relative ease and verbally expressed that with exuberant expletive. Hey, once you've KO'ed somebody with your fists, what's a few F-bombs going to matter considering the president of the company has been known to thrown them around in public?

"I still have the heart of a lion, man," Ortiz said. "I still love fighting and competing, and I want to be the best I can possibly be and be an inspiration in people's lives -- from where I came from as a young kid in the streets, my parents being drug addicts and achieving the level I have, I'm a success story.

"I'm an American who lives the American dream. I work hard for it. There's two angels on my shoulders. You guys just don't see them. I believe in it and God's got my back. I'm not a religious person, but I just believe in being a good person, and good things happen to good people."

But he has three boys and financial comfortability. He doesn't want to end up a physical and mental mess just for another payday. He wants to enjoy a quality of life with his sons while he has his physical and mental health intact.

"I can still be articulate as I possibly can and not be punch drunk, walk away healthy and walk away on my own terms," he said. "What else do I have to prove? I don't have to prove anything else in this MMA world. People love to see me fight. Watch YouTube or UFC.com and get the old fights."

He admits it won't be easy to walk away because he loves the sport, but he doesn't want to disrespect it.

"I don't want to overstay my welcome," he said. "I want to make sure I walk away healthy, and it's a family decision for me.

"You have to understand I came from a family and had no father. All my kids understand they have a father there no matter what, and that's really important to me. Family is worth way more than money to me and way more than competition to me."

And so next May will end the career of one of the most popular fighters in MMA history. Win or lose on Saturday, Tito Ortiz will be the people's champion.

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.