Sometimes a fight just means so much to someone they just find a way to win. Such was the case when underdog Tito Ortiz defeated Chael Sonnen in the main event at Bellator 170 by first-round submission.
MMA Fighting tweeted out the official result and time of the finish:
An emotional Ortiz wasted little time in exacting his revenge against Sonnen. The 4-year-old went for a takedown almost immediately but found himself in a headlock from Sonnen.
However, the American Gangster couldn't turn that headlock into a guillotine choke, and Ortiz was able to turn the position into full mount.
From there, it didn't take long for Sonnen to give up his back, and the end was nigh. Ortiz worked his grip into a rear-naked choke and forced the tapout from Sonnen to end his career on a high note.
Josh Gross of Bleacher Report commented on the finish, as Ortiz drew the tap without even having the hold under Sonnen's chin:
As Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com noted, this isn't the first time Sonnen's submission defense has been suspect. It's always been his Achilles' heel:
Ortiz used the post-fight interview to officially announce his retirement:
The win for Ortiz isn't just the end of an era for him, but vindication that's been a long time coming. Sonnen defeated The Huntington Beach Bad Boy in an amateur wrestling match in just 44 seconds, back in 1998, which provided some additional motivation in this fight, per Mike Bohn of Rolling Stone:
This history goes back to 1998 when he pinned me on my birthday. I was heartbroken. I stayed and started running stairs until the end of the night when the coach told me I had to go or they would leave me. I could have quit after I got pinned by Chael. Instead I strapped my shoes on and ran stairs and worked harder. Now this is my repayment for that hard work. I wasn't able to win that match but it led to better things. Whenever you get knocked down, get back on that horse and go harder.
Ortiz certainly got his payback, but he also got to walk away from the sport on his terms. The former UFC champion said many times leading up to the fight that this would be his final fight.
"This retirement is well due," Ortiz said on a Bellator 170 conference call, per Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting. "Twenty years of competition has pretty much, I'd still be fighting if it wasn't for my surgeries."
If this truly is Ortiz's final appearance in the cage, it ends a career that should be remembered for being legendary.
The Huntington Beach Bad Boy may have provided some laughable trash talk and the twilight of his career may have lasted a few years too long, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that he was a pioneer of the sport and a UFC Hall of Famer.
Given the result, this may have been the end for two longtime names in the sport. Sonnen was once one of the bigger draws the UFC had to offer, but it's fair to wonder if he'll reach anywhere near that status in his Bellator comeback.
This was the 39-year-old's first appearance in the cage since November 2013, when he lost to Rashad Evans in the UFC.
"I didn't get brought to Bellator to fight Tito Ortiz," Sonnen said, per Bohn. "I got brought to Bellator to replace Tito Ortiz."
That likely would mean providing the company with some star power as it continues to try to grow its brand while competing with the UFC but also compete for the company's light heavyweight championship. Ortiz fought for the strap in what is now his penultimate fight against Liam McGeary.
Now, it's doubtful that the denouement of his career will feature a late run at the title. Instead, he simply gave Ortiz a proper sendoff.
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