Gonzo: Handicapping UFC card

He's back. Again.

Tito Ortiz has always been one of the biggest stars in MMA - both because he has a legion of loyal fans and a dedicated group of haters. But it was his notoriously rocky relationship with UFC president Dana White that twice caused Ortiz to leave the organization in a huff.

Over the last decade, the on-again-off-again pals have been as likely to hug as they have been to trade heated, vicious, unapologetic insults in the press.

Last week, for the second time in five years, the 34-year-old Ortiz returned to the UFC and said he and White had put aside their differences. Ortiz thinks this latest truce will actually last. (I wouldn't bet on it.)

Ortiz is preparing for his comeback fight against Mark Coleman and has spent time working with noted boxing trainer Freddie Roach. Ortiz is also in town to help promote UFC 101 at the Wachovia Center tonight.

After taking the long flight from the Left Coast to Philly, Ortiz grabbed a two-hour nap and then helped Page 2 handicap the main card. (Money lines courtesy of Bodog.com.)

Lightweight: Kurt Pellegrino (+190) vs. Josh Neer (-250)

Tito: I would have to give it to Pellegrino. His wrestling and jujitsu are pretty good. Neer has great stand-up. He's a Miletich [Fighting System] guy. The Miletich guys always have good wrestling with striking and great defense. But I have to give the edge to Pellegrino. He's the underdog, but I always like the underdog. Pick: Pellegrino.

Gonzo: Neer.

Middleweight: Kendall Grove (+160) vs. Ricardo Almeida (-200)

Tito: I know Kendall is ready. He's taking this fight very seriously. He's a great guy. I really want to see Kendall use his height and reach to keep Ricardo on the outside. He needs to use his jab to keep Almeida away and defend. He doesn't want to get into a jujitsu match with Ricardo. Pick: Grove.

Gonzo: Almeida.

Welterweight: Johny Hendricks (-115) vs. Amir Sadollah (-115)

Tito: I'm not too familiar with Amir Sadollah. I haven't seen too many of his fights. I have seen Hendricks. He's a great wrestler and he has good striking. Pick: Hendricks.

Gonzo: Sadollah.

Light-heavyweight: Forrest Griffin (+275) vs. Anderson Silva (-350)

Tito: Anderson should be a heavy favorite. He's been dominant in his last 10 fights, and Forrest lost his last fight and his [light-heavyweight] title. Right now, Forrest has nothing left to lose. Anderson has everything to lose. Anderson has the best striking skills in the world, but he's coming up to light-heavyweight. Forrest is a big guy. If he puts pressure on Anderson and tries to clinch or take him down, he might pull it off. He always fights better as the underdog. But Forrest doesn't get out of the way of punches very well, and you have to do that with Anderson. If Forrest tries to box with Silva, it will be a short night. Pick: Silva.

Gonzo: Silva.

Lightweight title: Kenny Florian (+230) vs. BJ Penn (-290)

Tito: BJ is my man. He's an awesome athlete and an awesome guy. He's been an amazing champion. Kenny, this kid just doesn't go away. He has great striking and jujitsu. He's the total package. BJ has his hands full. If Kenny gets to BJ early in the fight, BJ could be in trouble. Otherwise, I see BJ ending it somewhere in the fourth or fifth round. Pick: Penn.

Gonzo: Florian.

If you've read or watched any of the UFC coverage in the run-up to tonight's event, you know Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino is a huge fan of the sport, as well as a friend and staunch advocate of fellow Hawaiian BJ Penn. At Citizens Bank Park this the week, I asked Victorino who he thought would win the lightweight title bout - Penn or Florian.

"Come on," Victorino said, "you know I have to go with my guy."

Understandable. But even though Victorino is behind Penn, that doesn't mean Philly feels the same way. When Penn was introduced during the weigh-ins yesterday, the arena turned on him and showered him with boos. When Florian walked on stage, the crowd cheered wildly for the fan favorite.

"Philly is a great city," Florian said. "I've really enjoyed my time here. I'm going to give them a show [today]."

Dana White wore a Shane Victorino home jersey at yesterday's weigh-in, and Tito Ortiz donned a Phillies cap. . . . If you're going to the fights tonight, the UFC will hold a block party at the Wachovia Center from 5 to 7 p.m. Former UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra is scheduled to attend. . . . During the Q&A session with White yesterday, one UFC fan asked, "Who do you have to [convince] at Comcast to get them to carry the UFC pay-per-views in HD?" "Funny you should ask that," White said. "All the Comcast guys are in the back. Hopefully I don't have to [convince] anyone to make it happen." (They used a more colorful term than convince.) From their lips to Comcast's ears. . . . Talked to UFC color commentator Joe Rogan before the weigh-ins. He had the same reaction to the Silva-Griffin money line that I did. "That's a big line," Rogan said. "I guess people think, '. . . I'll throw $100 down and bet on Silva, it's a sure thing.' But nothing is a sure thing in the UFC. MMA is a crazy sport, man. When you think you know what's going to happen, you end up shocked."