As we watch UFC 84’s highly anticipated main event card this weekend, think about a few things before rushing to judgment on what you really think of Tito Ortiz in the context of how it can benefit the UFC or another promotion in the long run. Here are a few factors that surround his matchup with Lyoto Machida:

• Ortiz is fighting the #1 contender after Forrest Griffin for the Light Heavyweight title
• Ortiz has proven that he is a drawing power for the UFC, and that he has a very recognizable name to the casual fanbase
• A win will not only give him a much needed kick up the rankings ladder, but also solidify his spot as a top fighter in the UFC’s LHW division once again.
• The amount of trash talk that Tito will likely spout throughout the media could potentially hurt the UFC’s image as having the best fighters in the world
• And finally… Ortiz may be hated by many, but he still produces buys from those individuals

While many of those factors on the list are small in comparison to the big picture in that Tito Ortiz is one of the higher drawing fighters that the UFC has, combining all of those factors together creates a huge problem for the UFC.

The most prominent issue will be his drawing power. Ortiz has made a career as a hype machine. He’s able to not only use his mouth to promote fights, but he’s also proven it in the cage. While he hasn’t had the most impressive run as of late, we have yet to see if Tito Ortiz at 100% can produce the results he did in the past.

Ortiz’s antics and confidence seem to bring out the haters and the lovers at the same time. We either love him or hate him, but nonetheless, pay to see Tito Ortiz fight. It’s a quality that cannot be thrown away. I’ve sometimes compared his antics to that of Muhammad Ali’s hype tactics when he fought Sonny Liston. Ali would go to Sonny’s gym and heckle him while he actually trained. With cameras rolling, Liston and Ali nearly scrapped at the gym.

While Ortiz isn’t at the same status as Ali ever was, his promoting ability to the fight game is similar. Can the UFC allow him to leave the promotion if he happens to knock off the UFC’s next contender? It would be very doubtful that they would allow such a drawing fighter to leave the UFC and likely land at EliteXC, a promotion with an even bigger stage in CBS primetime. Ortiz’s personality could potentially thrive there.

Regardless of what people think, Ortiz can draw fans with opposite views of him and it’d be a huge mistake if the UFC allowed him to leave, win or loss. If Tito happens to defeat the elusive Lyoto Machida on Saturday night, there is no question that the UFC must keep Ortiz in the mix if they want to continue profiting from his out-of-the-cage personality.