Ortiz not in top rank

The Kickoff

After Tito Ortiz's lackluster performance against Rashad Evans at UFC 73 Saturday night, the question in the UFC light heavyweight division is who can challenge the trio of titleholder Quinton Jackson, newcomer Mauricio Rua and former champ Chuck Liddell. At this point, there aren't a lot of good answers.

While Ortiz did enough to win and probably deserved the draw that he got because of his holding infraction in the second round, his performance Saturday night was another indication that he may be no more than a middle-tier UFC light heavyweight. That may be difficult for him, his fans or the UFC to swallow, but he has done little since returning to the Octagon over a year ago.

Ortiz has struggled against TUF-level competition Forrest Griffin and now Evans. While they are not slouches, these two, along with Michael Bisping, are certainly not at the level of the top three in the division. Does this mean that age and the increased level of competition have caught up to Ortiz? It's very possible.

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