Tito Ortiz is the gift that keeps on giving. The former light heavyweight champion was infamous for his brash personality, but as the years went by, Ortiz found increasingly found himself in the annuls of MMA meme-dom, be it his beef with Chael Sonnen, or his verbal (and cognitive) fumbles. In the latest, his prediction for UFC 321 has fans and UFC middleweight Sean Strickland scratching their heads. When asked to choose between heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and challenger Ciryl Gane, Ortiz’s confusing response soon went viral.

It all began when ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ stated, “Aspinall by submission. Third round.” When Helen Yee corrected his mispronunciation of Gane’s name, Ortiz chuckled and said, “Thank you for correcting me. I’m not super familiar with these guys.” He went on to mistakenly claim that Aspinall had been inactive for two years, despite the fact that the Englishman had only fought a year ago.

“Tony Strickland”? — Tito Ortiz’s epic fumble involving Sean Strickland

The strangest portion of the interview, however, was when Ortiz mispronounced Sean Strickland‘s name and referred to the former middleweight champion as “Tony Strickland.” The 50-year-old attempted to tie his point together, saying, “I think that’s why Tony Strickland has done so well, because he’s always sparring, he’s always in the cage, he’s always fighting. And that just keeps you a seasoned fighter, for sure.”

It was definitely an awkward moment, but a classic one for Tito Ortiz, who has been out of active MMA action since 2017. The ‘Tony Strickland’ analogy, perhaps, alludes to Sean Strickland’s activity in the Octagon, and Tony Ferguson as well, whose activity proved to be his Achilles heel in the later part of his career. Sean Strickland, however, wasn’t going to let the mix-up slide without humor.

He commented thrice under the viral video, writing, “After this video, maybe we should all spar less.” What ‘Tarzan’ is alluding to is the 50-year-old possibly receiving head trauma over the course of his fighting career that made him fumble throughout the interview. While some fans would believe it to be true, Ortiz no longer trains or spars, but the damage done might as well be pretty obvious at this point. Though no longer fighting, Ortiz is involved in the sport through his Huntington Beach-based MMA apparel line, Punishment Athletics.

The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion last competed in 2019 for Combate Americas and briefly tried boxing against Anderson Silva in 2021. His missteps in prediction may have been unintentional, but they added a dose of comic relief to the buildup for UFC 321. Also, he would be glad to know that other experts actually agree with his belief that it would be Tom Aspinall who would reign supreme at UFC 321.

Tito Ortiz’s prediction gets backed by Alexander Volkanovski and other professionals

Tito Ortiz may have stumbled through names and facts, but his choice for UFC 321 appears to have landed on the correct side of expert opinion. While fans laughed at his “Tony Strickland” gaffe, some experienced fighters and experts, like Alexander Volkanovski, Jailton Almeida, and Dan Hardy, agree that Tom Aspinall will triumph over Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi.

In a way, Ortiz’s offbeat prediction is still consistent with the consensus among those who have actually studied the matchup closely. Alexander Volkanovski, known for his excellent fight IQ and versatility, spoke candidly about how he sees the main event happening. “I think Tom Aspinall blitzes straight through Ciryl Gane, to be quite honest,” said the two-time featherweight champion on his YouTube channel.

“Unless you catch him coming in, he’s bulldozing you.” ‘The Great’ believes Aspinall’s momentum, athleticism, and finishing instincts make him practically unbeatable. His belief that the Englishman is a “heavy favorite” is consistent with what many in the community have been saying. In fact, Jailton Almeida and Dan Hardy have both supported this sentiment with their reasons.

Almeida, who is facing Alexander Volkov on the same card, told Ariel Helwani that Gane’s priorities “seem to be in a different place now,” suggesting that the Frenchman’s hunger may not equal Aspinall’s desire. Hardy took a more technical approach, noting on his Outlawed Picks Podcast that “the advantages Ciryl has against most heavyweights, he doesn’t have against Tom.”

In his words, Tom Aspinall has “the punching power and ground game to beat him.” If these seasoned minds are correct, Ortiz’s unintentional insight could be spot on, proving that even when he’s half-confused, the old legend still knows how to pick a winner.