By Sean Farrell

Following the first professional loss of his career to the now UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, Ryan Bader has had his request granted for a return opponent to remain in contention. Bader didn’t get a tough test however. He got what everybody at 205 pounds has wanted other than a test, to be the one who gives Tito Ortiz his pink slip.

Bader gets that chance at UFC 132 which is expected to take place July 2. UFC president Dana White has confirmed the bout with ESPN.

Bader this past month stated what Forrest Griffin, Igor Prokrajak, and many others have been saying prior, that Ortiz was at the top of “his list” following his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 126.

Ortiz, was pushing for a third fight with Forrest Griffin after the two took to Twitter. They split wins at UFC 59 and UFC 106, although many MMA fans think Griffin won both fights decisively. But that fight was a fantasy replacement for the one Ortiz was supposed to fulfill to begin with. Ortiz was due to meet Antonio Rogerio Nogueira this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 24 before he suffered a bad cut in training forcing him to withdraw.

White said the March 26 fight was Ortiz’s last chance after a losing streak that extended nearly five years and four fights, with a lone draw to Rashad Evans at UFC 73 being his only none loss, again many fans think Evans won that fight. He most recently lost a unanimous decision to Matt Hamill this past October at UFC 121 and that is when Dana White decided enough was enough it was time to win or go home for Ortiz. The UFC president said “The last [fight] was a must-win for Tito, Tito lost his last fight and told me, he pleaded to me and Lorenzo (Fertitta), about how nobody has beaten him up, that he can still do this, to give him another chance, and this and that and everything else. We’ll see what happens.”

Prior to his setback against Jones, Bader earned the biggest win of his career when he beat Nogueira last September at UFC 119 and followed with a highlight knockout win over Keith Jardine at UFC 110.

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