Tito Ortiz Asked If A Prime Version Of Himself Would Beat Prime Jon Jones In A Fight

UFC legend Tito Ortiz believes that a prime version of himself would have 'dominated' a prime Jon Jones in a dream MMA super-fight.

The 45-year-old American captured the UFC light heavyweight championship in 2000 and previously held the record for most consecutive defences with the title at five.

Jones would smash Ortiz's light heavyweight record when he notched up eight title defences, only to be stripped of the championship in 2015.

Speaking to The MMA Hour, Ortiz insisted that there wasn't anyone in the division at the time that could come close to beating Jones.

But when he was asked what would happen in a showdown between himself and Jones in their primes, the 'Huntington Beach Bad Boy' responded: "I do, of course.

"I think I'd dominate him. Takedowns, of course. Clinch, striking. I don't know. Big heart.

"I think Jon Jones is good, though, man. If anybody's going to beat my record, I would like him to beat it.

"I don't think there's anybody in this sport right now with the technique and skills that he has.

"I think he's very mellow-mannered, he's a soft-spoken guy, but his fighting shows how good he really is. I have nothing but respect for the guy, man."

Ortiz, who is currently signed with MMA promotion Combate Americas, last fought in 2019 and sealed a first-round victory over former WWE star Alberto El Patron.

The UFC Hall of Famer made an audacious claim last year that he could beat Jones if they met inside the octagon now.

"I think I could beat Jon Jones," Ortiz told TMZ.

"I think I got a good chance. I really do think I got a good chance. And people say, 'Oh, Tito, bulls**t, you're over the hill,' whatever.

"Come to my camp. Come train with me. Come wrestle with me. Come do jiu-jitsu with me. Watch my weight training, watch my biking and my stairs that I do.

"I push myself harder than I've pushed myself my entire career. I'm doing amazing. My mind is just in the right place and my body is in the right place."

Jones, who is often considered by many fans as the best UFC fighter in history, hasn't fought since his victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February.

Featured Image Credit: MMA Junkie/PA

Topics: Jon Jones, UFC News, MMA News, UFC, MMA

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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