It’s no secret who former UFC world champion Tito Ortiz is. Hate him or Love him, he has more than earnt his spot in the elite level of MMA fighters. His credentials speak for themselves with wins over Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, Ken Shamrock, Patrick Cote and Evan Tanner.

Over a year layoff for the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” due to injury... he is now back in the UFC to claim a title that he once held. In this exclusive interview with MMA Sports, Tito Ortiz lays it down for the competition in the UFC... “These guys gotta realize I have been fighting at like 75% for the last 6 years. Now that I am 100% again, they just won’t last!”

Mike: So what’s up man? Good to have you back in the UFC!
Tito: Thank You.

Mike: So how did you end up back in the UFC?
Tito: Actually a mutual friend of both Dana and I kinda made this happen. Dana and I talked and we kind of put our personal vendetta aside, and he asked if I wanted to be back in the UFC. I looked at the
competition in Strikeforce where there would be maybe 1 or 2 good fights for me, and I compared it to the UFC where they have all of the top 10 guys pretty much. They have all the best talent, and my fans deserve to see me fighting these top guys.
I want to face the best, and get a chance to win back my World Title, and this is where
I need to be to do that. They offered me everything I asked for and more, and I am glad to be back.

Mike: So is the beef between you and Dana over?
Tito: Dana and I made up, and we are friends again.

Mike: And how’s the back doing?
Tito: The back is 100%, I am doing 2 a days again and it feels great. There is no pain, or numbness through my legs like there was before the surgery. My muscles are sore! It hurts to walk, sit, stand, get
out of bed… (he laughs), but that’s good. When ever you train hard, it makes the
fight easier.

Mike: Who at LHW would you like to fight?
Tito: Definitely Machida.I really want to get a rematch with him, he’s holding onto that belt right now, but I would love to fight him again. I think people would like to see me beat Forrest up. If he stays at this weight class, Wanderlei would be a good fight... and Rashad, I would love that fight! Last time it went to a draw, but this time it wouldn’t go all 3 rounds. I would stop him! I would beat him before it went the distance. These guys gotta realize I have been fighting at like 75% for the last 6 years. Now that I am 100% again, they just won’t last! I am excited to get back in there and see just how tough some of these guys really are now that I am healthy! I have been working with Freddie Roach, and trying to get with St.Pierre and his crew for a little training.
I am just excited to be back in there!

Mike: Speaking of Machida, how do you think a rematch would go? And what would you do differently?
Tito: What I would do different would be, I would wait for him to pull the trigger this time. In the last fight, every time he took me down or when he dropped me… he caught me while I was reaching. I would wait for him this time, and not reach. He basically ran away from me most of the fight anyways, and when I did get in on him... I almost got him in a triangle. He is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and rolled out... but
if I hadn’t went for the armbar, he would have been unconscious and Tito Ortiz could have been the LHW champ right now.

Mike: What about his upcoming fight with Shogun, how will that go down?
Tito: I think Machida unorthodox style will really give Shogun problems. I really do. He has that karate "elusiveness" as Joe Rogan calls it. Or as I call it "being a pussy and running away". I don’t think either name is huge, but I would say that the die hard fans should have a pretty good fight. I think Machida will beat Shogun by being elusive or "fighting like a pussy."

Mike: So out of your career, which fight is your most memorable?
Tito- My most memorable fight... hmm. I guess it would be the first time I fought Ken Shamrock. It was the 5th time I defended my title, and I beat him up and almost killed the guy! It was probably my most viscous showing in a fight.

Mike: You coached on TUF, what are your thoughts on Kimbo Slice taking place on this season?
Tito: Kimbo got himself another chance. He had a huge chance with CBS and got knocked out, but he gets another chance to prove himself. There are a bunch of pretty good fighters on TUF this upcoming season, so it won’t be easy for him. He is still a green fighter, people were used to seeing him knock everyone out in the street, but all it takes is one punch to put someone out… and that’s what happened last time.

Mike: You have a world renowned clothing brand "Punishment Athletics" how is that going?
Tito: You know, its going good. I am just trying to expand and build a brand. We have a clothing store now in Vegas at the Hooters, and are looking to build one in Huntington Beach… and then just expand all across America. It’s crazy it all started when a fan asked me for a shirt with my name on it. I went home after the fight and my brother said "you punished that guy" and I said what? And he said "you punished him". I thought hey, what if I put Punishment on a shirt with www.titoortiz.com underneath it. Well, $500 turned into a thousand, which turned into 2 thousand which turned into 10 thousand and it just kept growing. It’s actually the 10 year anniversary of Punishment Athletics this year. We built it from the ground up. It is just a mom and pop store… and I am the mom (laughing) or I mean the pop!!

Mike: What’s the biggest difference between Tito now and Tito a few years ago?
Tito: I am healthy again. I was fighting at 75% the last 6 years because of my back... and the Machida fight was as close to healthy as I have been and that was like maybe 85%. Now that I am 100% I am excited and ready to go in there and try to get my world title back.

Mike: What is the hardest punch you have ever landed in a fight?
Tito: Wow, that would probably have to be the overhand right that I dropped Vladamir Matysenko down to his knee with. It was a hard shot... that or one of those elbows that turned Ken Shamrocks face into hamburger meat. I like to punish my opponents, and use a series of strikes and elbows to take them out… you know, take a few years off of their lives. I haven’t had that one punch KO yet, but maybe I will soon.

Mike: What about the hardest punch you have taken?
Tito: The hardest punch I have taken would have to be, when I fought Wanderlei Silva for the (what was then) the MW title. I tried to kick him, and he caught my leg and hit me with an overhand right that made it feel like the whole earth spun upside down.

Mike: You spent some time on the TV show the Apprentice as well as acted in "Zombie Strippers", anymore movie roles in your future?
Tito: Yeah at the moment I just want to focus on my back staying 100% and fighting. The fans deserve to see me fight and to see me fight at 100%, so right now that is all I am focused on. If an acting role comes up, and if the time is right I would do it, but not if it will take away from my fighting. It is strictly about fighting right now.

Mike: If they made a movie about your life, who would you want to play Tito Ortiz?
Tito: Well it would have to start as a child, but don’t really know who would do that. But me now.... maybe myself? Or the guy who is in that GI Joe movie, Channing Tatum. He is a pretty good actor.

Mike: Sounds good man, anything you wanna add?
Tito: Just I appreciate all the fans support for the last 12 years. I just want to kick ass for them for the next 3-4 years of my career, and let them see the best Tito there is for those 3-4 years. The fans deserve it, and that’s why I do it.