"I’m honest with myself, and when it is time, I will go. At 36, that day when I will walk away is coming. It’s coming soon; I know that and I’ve come to accept that. But it is not yet. I know I could have all kinds of wins if I was fighting different types of opponents, but I am fighting the best opposition in the division ... I think Dana respected that I had the fire to say, 'Hell no, I don’t want to retire! I want to fight!' and argued that I should fight on. So they're giving me this shot against Ryan Bader, another top-5 guy who has only ever lost to [current UFC light heavyweight champion] Jon Jones. Would I have liked Dana to give me an easier opponent? Sure! But, hey, they pay me top-attraction money, so I get top-attraction guys ... I’m the Last of the Mohicans. Out of the fighters who helped build the UFC from what it was in the 1990s to what it is now in 2011, they’re all gone except for me. Chuck Liddell has retired; Randy Couture has retired. I’m the last man standing, and now everyone thinks Ryan Bader is going to put me down, too. I’ve been stopped due to punches, but I’ve not been knocked cold. But Bader has heavy, heavy hands ... I don’t want to go. I’m not going to go. I am going to push the pace and win this fight July 2. My back is right against wall. I’m coming out swinging."
Tito Ortiz "In His Own Words" at ESPN.com as he talks about hanging up the gloves for good after failing to post a win since abusing fellow fight pioneer Ken Shamrock way back in 2006. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" will get one last shot at redemption when he tangles with division stalwart Ryan Bader, the heavy-handed wrestler who made his mark in season eight of The Ultimate Fighter. Can a win over "Darth" at UFC 132 on July 2 keep Ortiz afloat in the crowded 205-pound division? Or will his upcoming appearance be his last?
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