Bellator's Tito Ortiz cleared by doctor to fight, granted continuance on DUI

Bellator MMA fighter and UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz was this past Friday cleared to fight, clearing the way for what his camp hopes is a late spring/early summer return.

Ortiz’s manager and personal attorney, George Prajin, today told MMAjunkie that the fighter was cleared by his doctor after a CT scan, adding his long-term outlook is better than indicated in previous reports.

“In my opinion, the severity was taken a little out of proportion,” said Prajin, who also co-manages MMA fighter Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino with Ortiz. “He wasn’t cleared to fight because he had a fracture in his neck, but no one in that position would have been cleared to fight.

“But outside the fracture, it wasn’t really a life-threatening or career-threatening injury.”

Prajin said Ortiz injured his neck while training at his Huntington Beach, Calif., gym, Punishment Training Center. While defending a takedown attempt from UFC heavyweight Fabricio Werdum, he “basically ended up falling the wrong way.”

“When it first happened, he was scared,” Prajin said. “He has a fusion in his back; he thought somehow that the repair had broken. But once he got the CT scan, it showed that it was a fracture that was unrelated to any previous injuries. It was just an unfortunate thing to happen.

“The issue with not being able to fight was simply anyone with that particular injury at that particular time would not be cleared to fight because of the risk associated with a fracture in the neck. It wasn’t like he was on the verge of paralysis. It was just the risk of something like that happening. The doctor could not with a clear mind clear him to fight.”

Prajin said he and Ortiz (16-11-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) now plan to sit down with Bellator to decide on a return date and find “an opponent that makes sense” for a bout on pay-per-view, which the fighter’s contract with the Viacom-owned promotion requires.

“Tito wants to get back in the cage, and we’re open to discuss any possibility,” he said.

Bellator officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This past week, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said Ortiz’s timeline for return was unknown and said the promotion was erring on the side of caution given the severity of the injury.

Prajin said he and Ortiz had a “positive meeting” this past week with Bellator prior to news of his clearance.

“[Bjorn] just wants to make sure he’s healthy, which with the doctor’s clearance, we can assure him of that, and go forward,” Prajin said. “He should be fighting in April or early May.”

Prajin also welcomed the idea of Ortiz competing on Bellator’s inaugural pay-per-view event, which is expected for this spring. Ortiz was scheduled to headline the Bellator 106 pay-per-view opposite fellow ex-champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson before the neck injury forced the cancellation of the fight. The promotion then moved the event to Spike TV.

“Tito would be ready for [Bellator's first pay-per-view] if they found an opponent for him,” Prajin said. “But I leave it up to Bjorn. He’s the guy that runs things there, and we respect his judgement, and we’ll see what he brings forward.”

A pair of DUI charges recently filed against Ortiz would have no effect on his timetable for return, the manager said.

Louis Shapiro, a lawyer hired to represent the fighter in a case stemming from his arrest in Los Angeles earlier this month on suspicion of driving under the influence, was today granted a continuance on the case to Feb. 13, Prajin and the city attorney’s office confirmed. Prajin declined additional comment on the case.

For more on Bellator’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.