Back in August, Bellator MMA proudly announced and even boasted that its very first Pay-Per-View card, Bellator 106, would feature a main event between two of the UFC’s greatest, most exciting and iconic champions in Tito Ortiz and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, facing each other for the first time ever. And to their credit, Ortiz and Jackson promoted the hell out of their fight the best way that anyone could, by constantly going after Dana White and the UFC and promising that this fight would be one of the greatest in history.
Unfortunately, Ortiz’s yapping and grandstanding was all for naught, as he pulled out of the main event on Friday because he fractured his neck. Without Ortiz and Rampage headlining this sucker, Bellator and Spike TV have scratched the PPV aspect and Bellator 106 will instead be available for free on Spike on Nov. 2.
Who ordered this fresh batch of protein-infused frownies?
“I’ve got bad news, and I’ve got great news,” began Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The bad news is that I can confirm that Tito has fractured his neck and will be unable to fight next Saturday. His doctors confirmed that fighting with Tito right now could have dire consequences, so Tito is off the card and our thoughts and prayers are with him in what we hope will be a great and full recovery.
“The great news that I’ve got, because I’ve got the greatest partners on Earth at Spike and Viacom like Kevin Kay and people like Wade Davis, we’re going to give Chandler-Alvarez II for the lightweight title, [Muhammad Lawal] versus [Emanuel] Newton II for the light heavyweight interim world title, [Pat] Curran versus [Daniel] Strauss II for the featherweight world title, and a bevy of other really great fights, all to the best MMA fans on Earth, for free on Spike TV, Saturday night at 9 o’clock Eastern time.” (Via MMA Fighting)
Rebney also insisted that they’d try to find a good opponent for Rampage as soon as possible so they can at least reschedule his fight. Perhaps the solution is a super fight with Ben Askren to see just how boring the Bellator Welterweight Champion can be when he’s being humped all over the octagon.