"Although it's a step down in competition from Jon Jones and (Antonio Rogerio) Nogueira, I got a chance fight a guy like Tito, a legend of the sport, and we took it. It's almost like a novelty fight for me going in there and (fighting) a guy I grew up watching. I'm a fan and a fighter. I want to be a part of his legacy and vice versa. I want to have Tito Ortiz in my win column."
-- UFC light heavyweight prospect
Ryan Bader is not so hot after his second-round submission beatdown at the hands of 205-pound kingpin Jon Jones back on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas. It was a battle of rising contenders and "Darth" came up short ... way short. He was handled for two rounds before succumbing to the strength and superior skills of his larger and more athletic foe. The blow of that loss was softened a bit when "Bones" went on to shellack "Shogun" Rua just six weeks later but nothing cures an ailing heart like punching another man in the face. Bader will get the chance to do just that, in what he calls a novelty fight (via
MMAWeekly), against a legend of the sport when he locks up with Tito Ortiz at UFC 132 on July 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" is also looking to erase the memory of his last few fights by getting back in the win column for the first time in nearly five years. Something has to give in "Sin City." Who's taking home the proverbial "W" -- Bader or Ortiz?
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