Tito Ortiz (photo via Bellator)

By FCF Staff

Tito Ortiz is booked to fight Alberto Rodriguez under the Combate Americas banner in December, and it sounds like the 44-year-old fighter plans to keep competing well beyond that.

Ortiz has been booked to fight the former WWE star at Combate Americas’ December 7th card, which will take place in Hidalgo, Texas. The bout will mark the first time Ortiz has competed, since he avenged two prior losses to Chuck Liddell in November, 2018, by knocking out his rival in round one.

Recently Ortiz (20-12-1) spoke with MMA Fighting about his upcoming bout with Del Rio. While doing so, the former UFC champ said this:

“I was not really into walking away [after the Chuck Liddell fight] just because I felt I still had so much more to go,” Ortiz said. “I was 43 at the time ,and one of my friends, Randy Couture, I had to ask him what made him come back at 43 and win the heavyweight world title in the UFC. He said, ‘Tito, I wasn’t done, I had a lot more to do,’ and that’s all I needed to hear.

“I’m healthy. You’ve got to understand from 2003 to 2014, I’ve been riddled with injuries—back and neck and knees and I’ve had four neck surgeries, a back surgery, three knee surgeries—my body is finally reacting the right way when I was champ. I feel like that. I feel better now than when I was in my 30s because I’m able to put in hard work in the gym.”

“…“I’m here – I’m back. I’m not going anywhere any time soon. The last fight against Chuck Liddell has reinvigorated my career completely. It made me want to compete. It made me want to get in the gym. It made me do what I love, and that’s compete. I love to compete. Just the reaction that I have from my body is amazing. I feel young. I’m 44 years old, but I feel 44 years young.”

Rodriguez (9-5), also known as “Del Rio”, hasn’t fought in a MMA bout since 2010, when he was stopped by Mamoru Yamamoto.