Tito Ortiz on Alexander Shlemenko: 'He's going to beat his face up with my fists'

Tito Ortiz thinks Bellator MMA middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko wouldn’t have called him out if he had beaten Quinton “Rampage” Jackson this past fall.

Shlemenko, Ortiz today told MMAjunkie Radio, is attempting to take advantage of his return to the cage, which comes after a serious neck injury scratched the Jackson fight and put Ortiz on yet another road to recovery.

In characteristic fashion, the 39-year-old UFC Hall of Famer said the Russian champ is getting a rude awakening when the two meet in a non-title light-heavyweight bout on Saturday at Bellator 120, which takes place at Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. The event’s main card airs live on pay-per-view following prelims on Spike TV and Spike.com.

“I guess when you’re famous, people want to be famous, and if he wants to be famous, I’m going to make him famous on Saturday,” Ortiz said of his lighter opponent. “Because he’s going to beat his face up with my fists and my elbow.”

Bellator had doubts whether Ortiz would ever be able to fight in the promotion after the injury, which chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said threatened paralysis if the fighter was dropped on his head. Ortiz, though, said stem-cell injections have brought him back to health, and he put in a four-week training camp in which he trained six days a week for three to four hours a day.

“I haven’t felt like this since the (Ryan) Bader fight,” said Ortiz, referencing the first-round submission win that snapped a four-year losing skid and temporarily revitalized his UFC career.

Ortiz now said he wants to finish his four-fight contract with Bellator and isn’t opposed to booking another bout with Jackson, who was forced to sit out when the promotion moved this past November’s Bellator 106 event from pay-per-view to Spike TV without the light-heavyweight headliner.

“My goal is to be a world champion again,” Ortiz said. “Whoever else they give me, I can’t say who I want to fight now, because you never know who it’s going to be. I was supposed to be fighting ‘Rampage,’ and they said, ‘We’ll give you a tuneup fight at 205,’ and all of a sudden I get called out by Shlemenko.

“Quinton is a good friend of mine. We’re very close friends. But this is about giving the fans what they want to see, and that’s one of the best fights in Bellator for me.”

While Shlemenko is a transplant of Ortiz’s native Huntington Beach, Calif., Ortiz said his only previous dealings with the Russian were through a manager and common friend who set up a sponsorship deal with his clothing brand, Punishment Athletics.

Ortiz also batted down the suggestion that the unusual pairing, which pairs his light heavyweight bulk against Shlemenko’s middleweight frame, is in the end about cashing in on his name.

“Straight about the competition,” he said. “I don’t need the money. It’s about competition; it’s something I love to do. I love to fight.”

Many fans will look at Ortiz’s declarations as another round of empty promises that segue into excuses following a lackluster showing or a loss. Following the Bader win, the former UFC champ lost three straight and retired from active competition. This past fall, he reversed course and talked up a comeback before signing with Bellator.

But Ortiz said his professional and personal lives are better than ever, and that means a rough night for Shlemenko.

“His weaknesses are my strengths, and I think he really is overlooking me,” Ortiz said. “I think a lot of fans are buying into his BS that he’s going to destroy me. If he thinks he’s going to walk through me like that, he’s going to get a big surprise.”

Since his injury, Ortiz has been in the headlines largely as a target of his former manager and promoter, Dana White. The UFC president repeatedly attacked the fighter and his role in negotiations to bring former Strikeforce champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino into the industry-leading promotion.

Ortiz also made headlines when he arrested on suspicion of DUI earlier this year. He ultimately pled no-contest and was sentenced to probation.

Ortiz said Bellator is in its “growing stages” as an MMA organization, but added it was “nice not to be bullied” by his employer. He said his role in Justino’s negotiations ultimately gave the female featherweight more press that she could leverage into a future deal.

He cited UFC lightweight Nate Diaz’s current freeze-out with the promotion as an example of the difficulty in negotiating better contracts.

“Either you want to fight in the UFC, or you don’t fight,” he said. “If you already signed a contract and you try to negotiate, look at Nate Diaz. That’s what happens.

“I’ve got to respect myself. I’ve got to respect what I think I’m worth, and I’ve seen a few interviews with Nate, and he said it perfectly: If a guy is promoting my name as the biggest name, and I only make a certain amount of money, what am I doing differently than the other guy that are getting paid triple what I’m getting?”

The four-fight Bellator deal that is likely Ortiz’s last will undoubtedly compensate the fighter well. Of course, he has spent more a decade building his name and fighting on the world’s biggest stage as a champion and headliner, so it’s right that he should command a more sizable purse.

Although Shlemenko is far from new to MMA, he is still fighting to win over fans. By fighting Ortiz, he undoubtedly hopes to deliver a knockout blow. Ortiz, though, believes the Russian made a mistake in choosing him.

For the latest on Bellator 120, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.