Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of Triller Fight Club, which saw Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva win by KO.
What mattered most at Triller Fight Club at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.? Here are a few post-fight musings …
Tito Ortiz is already moving past his knockout loss to Anderson Silva at Triller Fight Club with a callout of Logan Paul.
[autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] is taking the fastest loss of his combat sports career in stride.
Ortiz, a UFC Hall of Famer and former light heavyweight champion, dipped his toe into the boxing world when he took on Anderson Silva in Saturday’s Triller Fight Club co-main event in Hollywood, Fla.
The results were not good for “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.” Ortiz was knocked out clean by Silva just 81 seconds into their matchup, marking the fastest loss of his fighting career. Despite the grim scene, the 46-year-old is undeterred and assured this won’t be the final of him in fighting (via Twitter, Instagram):
Win some lose some but I will fight another day! #TRILLER
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) September 12, 2021
Win some lose some but I will fight another day! #TRILLER
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTtUf1JMVq6
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
I will be back! 🙏🏼🇺🇸
Ortiz already seems to have an idea of what he wants next and how he can proceed on the heels of his fight with Silva.
He called out YouTube sensation [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag], who has crossed over into the boxing world and recently had an exhibition fight with Floyd Mayweather that went the distance (via Twitter):
.@LoganPaul we lost our last fights let’s entertain our fans!! @triller ASAP
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) September 12, 2021
.@LoganPaul we lost our last fights let’s entertain our fans!! @triller ASAP
Paul has not yet responded to Ortiz’s callout.
[vertical-gallery id=974510]
[listicle id=973541]
Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort were victorious on a sham of a boxing card
Anderson Silva made quick work of Tito Ortiz on Saturday night at Triller Fight Club Legends II.
[autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] made quick work of [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] on Saturday night.
Silva vs. Ortiz served as the co-main event of Triller Fight Club Legends II, which streamed on Fite TV pay-per-view. The bout was scheduled for eight rounds, but it would not make it out of the first.
The opening round started with Ortiz pawing a jab as he controlled the center of the ring. Silva was content to feel out his opponent in the early moments.
Allowing Ortiz to charge forward, Silva covered up against the ropes while Ortiz threw a series of slow and wide hooks that were easily dodged by the elusive counter-striker. Out of nowhere, Silva countered sharply with a right hand that stunned Ortiz. Two additional lefts landed, and Ortiz fell limp onto the ropes and crashed to the canvas, resulting in the knockout victory at 1:21 in the very first round.
Down goes TITO!#TRILLERFIGHTCLUB LIVE RIGHT NOW ON #FITE!
[ #HolyfieldBelfort | https://t.co/jpCvXLI1j3 ] pic.twitter.com/TyFtFZdHXw
— FITE (@FiteTV) September 12, 2021
Ortiz missed weight for the bout, coming in five pounds over the 195-pound limit. Silva anticipated his opponent would come in heavier than the contracted weight.
This was Silva’s second boxing match of 2021 since stepping away from MMA. The former UFC middleweight champion defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via split decision in June.
Ortiz, 46, recently resigned as Mayor Pro Tem in his hometown of Huntington Beach, Calif. He was last in action in December 2019, when he defeated Alberto Rodriguez by first-round rear-naked choke submission under the Combate Americas banner.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqvpne7c1q486dvv player_id=01f5k5h8pz3brj4xqb image=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[vertical-gallery id=966218]
Check out the top Twitter reacts to Anderson Silva’s win over Tito Ortiz in their boxing match at Triller Fight Club.
[autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] captured another scalp in his venture into the boxing ring on Saturday when he beat fellow former UFC champion [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] at Triller Fight Club.
Silva, a former longtime UFC middleweight champion, moved over to boxing to begin his post-octagon career and is now 2-0 after scoring a brutal first-round knockout win over UFC Hall of Famer Ortiz in their matchup at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
“The Spider” was a considerable favorite coming into the bout, and he showed why against Ortiz, who missed the contracted weight for the contest by five pounds.
Check below for the top Twitter reacts to Silva’s win over Ortiz at Triller Fight Club.
Follow along with results and live updates from South Florida, where Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort headline a boxing card.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – MMA Junkie is on the scene and reporting live from tonight’s Triller Fight Club boxing event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Former UFC champions are featured in the two main attractions. The main event pits 58-year-old former boxing champion Evander Holyfield returning to the ring for the first time in 10 years to take on Vitor Belfort. And in the co-headliner, Anderson Silva meets Tito Ortiz.
The pay-per-view main card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET. Keep it locked here for results as they happen, as well as live behind-the-scenes updates.
Check out the final faceoff between UFC legends Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz before their Triller Fight Club boxing bout.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] and [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] are ready to fight after weighing in.
The UFC legends stepped on the scale Friday, with Silva clearing the 195-pound limit at 192.6. Ortiz couldn’t quite get there, coming in at 200, but the fight will go on.
Afterward, Silva and Ortiz took part in an intense faceoff, which you can watch in the video above.
[lawrence-related id=951820]
Triller Fight Club: Legends II takes place Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The pay-per-view event is headlined by a fight between Evander Holyfield and former UFC champion Vitor Belfort.
[listicle id=953226]
[pickup_prop id=”10646″]
Check out the Triller Fight Club: Legends II official weigh-in results from Hollywood, Fla., featuring Vitor Belfort vs. Evander Holyfield.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official Triller Fight Club Legends II weigh-ins.
Triller Fight Club Legends II takes place Saturday at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. A professional heavyweight boxing bout between [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] and [autotag]Evander Holyfield[/autotag] headlines the card.
Additionally, a bobxing clash of former UFC champions [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] and [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] serves as the co-main event.
You can watch the live weigh-ins in the video above.
Full weigh-in results for Triller Fight Club Legends II:
[vertical-gallery id=941078]
[listicle id=953226]
Here’s how to watch Triller Fight Club Legends II: Holyfield vs. Belfort
After a late withdrawal due to illness from COVID-19 Oscar De La Hoya is replaced by boxing legend Evander Holyfield to take on Vitor Belfort in the main event of a boxing event filled with familiar names.
Here’s how to watch Triller Fight Club Legends II:
Former UFC champion Tito Ortiz is done with the world of politics.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag]’s run in politics has hit the last stop.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion and mayor pro tem of Huntington Beach has confirmed he’s done with politics and back to what he knows best – fighting.
Ortiz returns to action this Saturday at Triller Fight Club Legends II, as he’s set to take on fellow ex-UFC titleholder Anderson Silva in a 195-pound bout in the co-main event of the card. This marks Ortiz’s first fight back since getting elected and then resigning from his position as mayor pro tem.
“One-hundred percent my political is over,” Ortiz told MMA Junkie. “I’m too honest. I’m too much of an honest man and I have to look in the mirror at night and tell my kids the things I believe in and I can’t tell them one thing and do another.
“I’m not here to scratch somebody’s back just so they can scratch mine. I’m here to do the right thing and live in America with freedom and pride and integrity that we have in this country.”
[lawrence-related id=948633,940717]
Ortiz was sworn in as a councilman in December. He was elected with more than 42,000 votes — the most in a council race in the city’s history. Throughout his tenure, Ortiz was often seen at odds with council members due to his refusal to wear a mask among other things.
He resigned in June, citing “character assassination” and fear for the safety of his family.
“It was just disgusting,” Ortiz said. “I can’t believe I brought myself to that level. I tried to help Huntington beach and just try to focus on the future of my children. I lived in Huntington Beach all my life and this was the first time I thought about selling my house and moving to Florida just because of the politics there are disgusting. What Gavin Newsom is doing to our state is just embarrassing. When they recall him in September I’ll be very happy.”
For now, Ortiz is relieved to have his political career in the rear-view mirror and hid fighting career ahead. The 46-year-old told MMA Junkie he’s now a free agent following his fight against Silva. The Triller debut will count as the last fight on his Combate Global contract, sources told MMA Junkie.
“I plan on going back to MMA,” Ortiz explained. “My contract with Combate Global is done after this fight. I’m a free agent. I feel young, I feel reinvigorated. I feel like a new man. I feel totally different just because all the things that I’ve gone through in my life have been so toxic.
“Now that I’ve been happy for the last eight years, just look at my record. I think I’ve only lost one fight in the last eight years and I’ve really focused on getting my mind and body right and continue to fight. I want to take advantage of the next year or two years.”
[pickup_prop id=”10880″]
[vertical-gallery id=366108]
