FanHouse Rashad Evans

At first glance, the Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin UFC 106 main event seems simple enough to diagnose. It's Ortiz's wrestling against Griffin's active standup, right? It'll be a carbon copy of their UFC 59 matchup, right?

Maybe, but maybe not.

After all, who can really say with any certainty what Ortiz will look like in the octagon after nearly 18 months away from the sport, after surgery, rehab and a taxing training camp? Unless you had eyes in his Big Bear facility, there is really no way of knowing.

At 34 years old, and out of action for almost 18 months, Tito Ortiz doesn't miss a beat during UFC 106 fight promotion. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion still finds ways to needle his opponent, still has no problem reciting his resume, still talks about his big dreams.

But there's a change, too. There's much more nuance and subtlety in his delivery today. Perhaps changed by a nasty divorce with the UFC, followed by back surgery and a long rehabilitation, followed by a kiss-and-make-up with Dana White, Ortiz -- at least for now -- is a quieter, more mature version of himself. That is a change that he hopes will contrast sharply with his athletic performance. Before he was talking loudly, but getting no results; he hasn't won a fight since 2006. Now, he speaks more softly, but trusts his body to deliver the real statement.

"There's going to be a belt in my future for sure," Ortiz told FanHouse in a recent interview. "It's 'Dream it, work it, win it.' That's the dream comeback. But it's one fight at a time, and I don't want to look past this one."