Triller

After knockout loss in boxing debut, Tito Ortiz wants Logan Paul

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This past Saturday at Triller’s boxing event, Tito Ortiz (21-12-1 MMA) made his debut in the squared circle. The former UFC light heavyweight champion was taking on former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (34-11, 1 NC).

The matchup was Silva’s second boxing match of 2021 while Ortiz had never been in the boxing ring before. Ortiz had been vocal about his frustrations with Silva regarding the weight of the bout.

Silva forced Ortiz to make 195 pounds which Ortiz had never done in his professional career. Ultimately, Ortiz was unable to make the weight and came in at 200 pounds which is still lighter than he had been for the majority of his MMA career.

There were not a ton of expectations for Ortiz in the boxing match as he’s never been known for his striking. The Huntington Beach Bad Boy made a career out of taking his opponents to the ground and using his elbows.

While his boxing was never considered bad, it wasn’t considered great either. Ortiz opened the bout with immediate pressure and you could tell his strategy was to try and bully Silva. However, it didn’t work as Silva ducked/dodges all Ortiz’s shots and knocked him out with a right hand in the first round.

Ortiz wants another boxing match

Tito Ortiz didn’t look good at all in his boxing debut. His punches looked incredibly slow and he literally ate the canvas after a huge right hand from Anderson Silva. After Ortiz talked about hurting Silva, he was truly embarrassed by The Spider.

That said, Ortiz isn’t done with the boxing world. In fact, he made a callout on Twitter following his loss. Ortiz said that he wants Triller to setup a boxing match between himself and Logan Paul.

Have to admire Tito for wanting to stay in the news, but there’s little incentive here for Logan Paul. First and foremost, I’m not sure I could bet on Tito Ortiz to beat Logan Paul based on what I saw on Saturday night.

I’m sure the boxing match could do some decent numbers, and maybe that would be enough to entice Logan Paul. On one hand, it could make sense for Paul who could take on a former UFC champion and likely be the favorite against.

On the other hand, is Tito Ortiz even relevant enough nowadays for Logan Paul to have interest. Time will tell on this one, but one thing is for sure, we haven’t seen the last of Tito Ortiz.

Boxing Preview: Tito Ortiz – Anderson Silva

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Tomorrow night, Triller is back with a boxing event that will feature legends from the combat sports world. In the co-main event, two of the more decorated UFC champions in history will battle it out as Tito Ortiz (21-12-1 MMA) takes on Anderson Silva (34-11, 1 NC).

The two former champions will be competing in boxing which will be a first for Ortiz. While Silva has experience in this arena, Tito Ortiz will be stepping into the boxing ring for the first time in his combat sports career.

The last time we saw Ortiz compete was back in 2019 when he defeated former WWE star Alberto Del Rio in a MMA match. Prior to that, Ortiz knocked out a very old Chuck Liddell in their trilogy fight. Ortiz’s last legit win was his fight before that against Chael Sonnen.

Ortiz has been vocal with his frustrations with Silva regarding this boxing match. Silva made Ortiz commit to a weight of 195 pounds. While Ortiz ultimately agreed, he missed the mark by five pounds today. That said, the match will go on.

Anderson Silva was last seen just a few months ago when he took on former boxing world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Silva was a huge underdog but ended up outclassing Chavez Jr and cruising to a decision. Overall, Silva is now 2-1 in professional boxing.

Boxing Preview

This is such an interesting and somewhat bizarre matchup. On one hand, you can say that both men have competed in the light heavyweight division during their careers. They are both former UFC champions and they are the same age.

At the same time, Ortiz has never been known for his boxing skills. Ortiz made a career out of taking his opponents down, controlling them, and using great elbows to do damage.

In the boxing ring, he’s going to be completely relying on his hands. Anderson Silva is known as one of the greatest strikers in MMA history. Say what you want about the condition Chavez Jr was in, it’s a big deal that Silva defeated a former boxing world champion just months ago.

I don’t see any scenario where Tito Ortiz wins this matchup. I’m having a hard time believing Ortiz even lands a significant shot in this one. I see Silva putting it on him from start to finish and I expect a TKO finish in the middle rounds.

Prediction: Anderson Silva by TKO – Round 5