MMA Junkie is reporting that Tito Ortiz will fight Matt Hamill at UFC 121. While many expected Californian native Ortiz to make his return from injury at the Honda Center in Anaheim the choice of opponent is a surprise given the history between the two fighters. Ortiz coached Hamill on The Ultimate Fighter 3 and the two remain close to this day. Since The Ultimate Fighter the careers of the two fighters have diverged, with Ortiz having not won since defeating his fellow TUF3 coach Ken Shamrock while Hamill has won six out of his eight fights in the UFC. Interestingly his last defeat came at UFC 88 when Hamill was placed in a similar position when having to fight longtime trainer and friend Rich Franklin.
Ortiz vs. Hamill isn’t the only fight that has been revealed today for UFC 121 with MMAJunkie also reporting that heavyweights Todd Duffee and John Madsen will meet at the event, while TUF10 finalist Brendan Schaub will take another step up in competition when he faces dangerous Brazilian striker Gabriel Gonzaga
