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17/03/10 - Ortiz: "I lost 15lbs, I thought I had swine flu"
Tito Ortiz says he has lost over a stone in weight during his recent bout of influenza. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion was admitted to hospital on Monday after suffering the debilitating effects of a bad flu infection.
In fact, the symptoms were so bad Ortiz thought he may have swine flu, a particularly virulent strain of the ailment. Regular influenza kills 36,000 people every year in the US alone and even the milder effects are unpleasant, with weight loss due to dehydration being one of the more common.
“Nice to be home. They put 6 bags of fluid in me. I'm better now. I lost 15lb. I thought I had swine flu but I didn't. Just a really bad flu,” Ortiz posted last night on his Twitter account. Earlier this week he had posted a message revealing he was in hospital and pleading for “more IVs please”.
At the weekend, rumours emerged that Ortiz had been pulled from a bout with Chuck Liddell and would be replaced by former middleweight champion Rich Franklin. But Ortiz has been adamant the bout is still on, as has Liddell and UFC president Dana White.
It was also at the weekend that Ortiz was first struck down by the flu symptoms, suffering a bad couple of days before checking himself into hospital. It has been suggested that prior to his diagnosis of flu the UFC - perhaps with memories of Brock Lesnar’s at-first undiagnosed ailment fresh in their minds - had been making preliminary enquiries about replacing Ortiz in the Liddell bout.
If that is the case, it could have sparked the weekend’s rumours. But with Ortiz now rehydrated and recovering at home as he replaces the weight he lost, coupled with Dana White announcing Rich Franklin will be fighting Randy Couture next, it looks like Liddell-Ortiz III is safe.
Ortiz and Liddell are the rival coaches for season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter, which premieres on Friday 31st March. It will be preceded by Fight Night 21, with Kenny Florian and Takanori Gomi headlining in a fight that has massive implications for the lightweight division.
If Gomi wins he is almost certainly walking into a title shot with Hawaiian prodigy BJ Penn. If Florian wins, Penn is likely to move forward with recently-mooted plans to step up to 170lbs and fight at welterweight. Fight Night 21 and TUF 11 both air on Spike TV.
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