*Disclaimer: This video is somewhat disgusting and features footage of  surgery being performed.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/PunishmentFilms)

Well, if Tito really is faking his neck injury, he went to a lot of trouble to make it seem believable. In the video above, Ortiz explains that the surgery was necessary and that even though he lost his coaching gig to Rich Franklin with only two weeks remaining in filming of The Ultimate Fighter, he says he would take the same road if he had to do it all over again.

If you have a weak stomach or are reading this as you eat your lunch at work, you may not want to watch this video. I know I’m no doctor, but I don’t think a surgeon should work on a spine with a hammer, pliers, a screwdriver and a chisel. Just sayin’.


I don’t think it’s the fact that Tito needed surgery or opted to have it done, rather than fight Chuck that left a bitter taste in the mouths of everyone from Chuck and Dana right on down the line to the fans; I think the reason Dana dropped him from the show is that he feels that Tito fooled them into thinking that the fight would happen and likely knew that his neck was as bad as it was and that he couldn’t fight BEFORE he signed to do the show.