Round 1: Tito looked strong and quick with then takedowns and Rashad looked overall very nimble. Tito got a takedown in the start 1st round but didn’t do any damage that set the tone for what would play out during the rest of the match. Tito landed some solid leg kicks in the first round but did not stick to them during the full fight. Rashad exhibited great wrestling by reversing Titos take down, got his back and landed a few shots in the process. Rashad didn’t seem to mind being backed up into the fence multiple times and it worries me that he will allow the same thing to happen in the re-match.
Round 2: Rashad started out looking very nimble again but by now we see that he was using his agility to retreat and circle more than attack. Tito went for some high kicks which was a good idea as those counter Rashad’s movements and can put some punishment on his arm/hands, thus tiring them out. He also continued with his leg kicks which I feel the he should put into his game plan this Saturday as that will also delay Rashad’s movement and score him some points. The commentators brought up a good point: Rashad IS a smaller light-heavyweight then most, this is partially why Tito was able to control him in the clinch and push him to the fence so many times.
Tito scored a takedown again, but again Rashad was able to counter it. Tito was too slow putting himself in a good position to do damage in the take downs. At the very end of the round Tito looked like he was positioning himself to tighten a guillotine but the round ended. Tito would have won that round if he didn’t get a point deducted for holding onto the fence.
Round 3: Again, starting the round Rashad looked very nimble, bouncing on his toes, but what I noticed this time is that all that movement was tiring him out as he was breathing harder between rounds. Tito looked slower than he did in the first two rounds but nevertheless he was STILL able to score another takedown from the start.
Towards the end of the round Tito looked really slow and Evans was able to deliver some solid hits and score a big, much needed takedown. If Tito doesn’t work on his cardio the longer the fight goes on the more of a disadvantage he will be at.
UFC 133: Evans vs Ortiz Analysis: I know both fighters are training at new fighting camps and have both evolved from the time of the UFC 73 fight, but purely looking at this fight video I have to say that I am leaning towards Tito Ortiz to get the win at UFC 133 IF he can finish the fight within the first 2 rounds. If the fight goes to third round I see Tito being at a disadvantage as I can only speculate how much his cardio has improved. Tito’s last 3 losses, which were 3 in a row, he lost via decision. Again, this clearly demonstrates that the longer the fight lasts, the worse Tito’s chances are of winning.
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