Ortiz addresses status with UFC

There has been much said about Saturday night's UFC 84 event in Las Vegas where lightweight champion B.J. Penn successfully defended his belt against former champion Sean Sherk. But chief among the talk has been the controversy surrounding Tito Ortiz and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White.

Leading up to Ortiz's fight with Lyoto Machida, the former light heavyweight champion was adamant that it would be his last performance in the Octagon. In his post-fight interview with commentator Joe Rogan, however, Oritz changed his tune, saying, "I haven't decided at all," when asked about his future with the promotion.

Later in the evening, much attention was focused on the situation regarding Ortiz's participation, or lack thereof, at the UFC 84 post-fight press conference with the media. Oritz wanted to attend; the UFC was initially reluctant to the idea, but subsequently acquiesced.

In speaking about his current situation of unrest with the most prominent mixed martial arts organization in the world, Ortiz stated, "It just really comes down to... I see the whole situation with the company, you know, I put my heart and soul on the line... and if I speak out amongst what the contracts are and what the fighters get paid and everything... I'm called a stupid person.

"But back in the day when Dana White was my manager, he was fighting against SEG (the former owners of the UFC) to get me the pay-per-view buys and to get me the money that I felt I was rightfully owed for stepping into the Octagon and fighting."

The cruxt of Ortiz's position, at least publicly, is that he feels that he hasn't been treated respectfully or compensated fairly by the organization that he has attached himself to for the past 11 years.

"I've been disrespected time and time again and it started last year with the Bad Blood thing," he commented. "They wanted to take advantage of me and I stood up because I'm a businessman.

"I know what I'm worth."