Tito Ortiz said this week that he had ‘lost respect’ for Anderson Silva after the Brazilian reportedly asked for a weight limit of 195-pound for their boxing match to take place in Florida on Saturday.
Ortiz, who hasn’t weighed less than 200-pounds since 2001, told MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck that he hopes to make the contracted weight but could realistically tip the scales at around 197 or 198 for the boxing match on the undercard of the Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort fight — but Anderson Silva has a very simple message for him.
“I’m not a heavy guy, and when you come to fight, and you don’t cut the weight, if you can’t make the weight, don’t come to fight,” said the Brazilian fight legend to MMA Junkie.
Silva, of course, fought predominantly at the middleweight championship limit of 185-pounds for much of his UFC tenure but did compete in the UFC light heavyweight division on three occasions against James Irvin, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. But regardless of past weight classes, Silva said that Ortiz must respect the contracted rules of their contest.
“I’m not a heavy guy, and when you come to fight, and you don’t cut the weight, if you can’t make the weight, don’t come to fight,” Silva said. “That’s the point. I have nothing to say about that. It’s not an excuse. It doesn’t make sense. I fight in Mexico (against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.) at 182 and why go fight at heavyweight here. It doesn’t make sense. I’m not a heavy guy.”
Oritz, it seems, has done his best to attempt to get under Silva’s skin in the pre-fight ceremonies, making fun of Silva’s wing-chun background during this week’s presser but Silva, as wily a veteran as there is, says that he isn’t biting.
“I’m concentrated on one thing and that’s doing my job and continue to prove my respect for boxing and for the boxing community,” he said. “The other stuff I don’t care. I try to enjoy every single moment I have and I show my respect to the boxing community and show my respect for my coach and for everybody watching me. I’m healthy and I continue to working hard every day. I’m so lucky to come here again, show my job, and show how much I love fighting. I try to enjoy.”
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