I think I’m just going to finish this last fight and sit back. You know I’ll be a free agent for the first time in my career and there’s a lot of other bigger companies that are out and about and I want someone that’s going to push me in front, you know, in the very beginning of the UFC, I was the flag bearer. I was the person out doing the interviews and showing how good of a sport it is. Now all of a sudden, I’m not. I watched the, not last UFC, but the UFC prior and there was no pictures of me at all. They said that Light Heavyweight title range of all these competitors and my picture wasn’t shown with any of the light heavyweights. So it kind of showed that they’re just trying to phase me out.
Meltzer had a good analysis of this in the observer this week. Under Tito’s current contract, he made a million for the Rashad fight, which was not a big event, although it’s hard to blame him for that. If Tito can’t get a win, he won’t draw at the level he did in 2006. However, coming off “The Apprentice”, if he beats Machida, he will definitely be in the title picture, and his value will be high.
In the end, I think UFC will pay him enough to keep him if he wins. If he loses, Ortiz will be fighting somewhere else.