FanHouse Tito Ortiz

The legend deserved the benefit of the doubt. He deserved the chance to go into the cage against another top fighter, to measure himself up, to see where he stands in the modern MMA world.

The legend deserved the opportunity to prove that he was back, to illustrate that he was healthy, to showcase a dynamic and revitalized body.

But after last night's loss to Forrest Griffin, now we know that the legend of Tito Ortiz is almost all that we have left.

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.