Will
08-23-2008, 06:50 AM
Although Ortiz announced earlier this month that he was on the verge of signing a "record-breaking" contract with Affliction, no official announcement has been made. And there may be a reason why.
According to some industry insiders, Ortiz has again been hosting meetings with representatives from all the above mentioned fight promotions. Some of the meetings have been happening as recently as this past weekend, meaning a deal with Affliction isn't quite the deal done Ortiz led us to believe.
As mentioned in the column, Ortiz is winless in his past three fights. In fact, aside from a couple of wins over Ken Shamrock, Ortiz hasn't posted a clear-cut victory in nearly four years.
Yet, the master showman remains one of the sport's top draws, and for an upstart company such as the AFL, Ortiz is just the headliner it needs for its pay-per-view debut, which comes in October or November.
Despite the talks, Affliction is still considered a front-runner to land Ortiz's services. However, with Ortiz meeting with UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta -- rather than UFC President Dana White, Ortiz's bitter enemy -- a return to the octagon is still a possibility.
However, even with the meetings, it's hard to tell which organizations are really serious about Ortiz, who will command a hefty -- and likely long-term -- deal. At some point, every promotion is going to have to determine just how much it's willing to spend for a 33-year-old fighter.
According to some industry insiders, Ortiz has again been hosting meetings with representatives from all the above mentioned fight promotions. Some of the meetings have been happening as recently as this past weekend, meaning a deal with Affliction isn't quite the deal done Ortiz led us to believe.
As mentioned in the column, Ortiz is winless in his past three fights. In fact, aside from a couple of wins over Ken Shamrock, Ortiz hasn't posted a clear-cut victory in nearly four years.
Yet, the master showman remains one of the sport's top draws, and for an upstart company such as the AFL, Ortiz is just the headliner it needs for its pay-per-view debut, which comes in October or November.
Despite the talks, Affliction is still considered a front-runner to land Ortiz's services. However, with Ortiz meeting with UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta -- rather than UFC President Dana White, Ortiz's bitter enemy -- a return to the octagon is still a possibility.
However, even with the meetings, it's hard to tell which organizations are really serious about Ortiz, who will command a hefty -- and likely long-term -- deal. At some point, every promotion is going to have to determine just how much it's willing to spend for a 33-year-old fighter.