ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP: NAME-BRAND RECOGNITION ORTIZ, LIDDELL ARE THE FACES OF UFC.

Byline: JAMES MELROY Staff Writer

Tito. Chuck.

Mixed martial arts fans don't need last names to know who's being referenced. Much like baseball fans know Barry, football fans have Peyton and basketball fans rarely use Kobe's last name, Tito and Chuck have become synonymous with their sport.

For the uninitiated, their lastnames are Ortiz (Tito) and Liddell (Chuck). But it's likely most knew that already. In fact, UFC president Dana White is counting on at least 1.2 million people being keenly aware of the two fighters.

That is the estimated number of pay-per-view buys White is expecting when Liddell and Ortiz step into the Octagon for tonight's UFC 66 event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

If UFC meets those predictions, it would be the company's all-time high, and would eclipse all PPV sporting events not featuring Mike Tyson or Oscar De La Hoya.

So, what makes these twofighters such a draw in a sport that is relatively new to the scene?

For one, there's an intriguing, if not overhyped, back story which features a broken friendship over money and championships. It features Liddell's knockout of Ortiz when the two first met in 2004, which Ortiz partly blames on being accidentally thumbed in the right eye just before Liddell's finishing flurry of punches.

And the two are a contrast in most every sense. Ortiz's boisterous personality has earned him a millions of fans and dollars, while Liddell is a little quieter, preferring to let his fists do the talking.

Inside the Octagon, the two are stylistically different.

Liddell, known for his knockout power with his hands and feet, would prefer to keep the fight standings, while Ortiz would love nothing more than to wrestle Liddell to the mat, take top position and ``ground and pound'' his way to Liddell's light-heavyweight championship.

In their first fight, Ortiz attempted to stand and fight with Liddell and was dispatched just 38 seconds into the second round.

This time, Ortiz promises a different game plan, but is aware he will still have to deal with Liddell's power.

``It's going to be a mixture of both (styles),'' Ortiz said. ``I've been practicing my boxing and kickboxing with some great people. ... I'm going to have to (punch) with Chuck Liddell in order to eventually take him down. I'm prepared to go the full five rounds, if needed.''

Liddell, however, is confident that his striking ability will lead to Ortiz being finished off early again, and the champion is confident that Ortiz knows it as well.

``I still think I'm in his head,'' Liddell said. ``He knows he still has to worry about my punching and my kicking. I don't have to establish it, he knows it. As far as being in his head, it's a good thing for me.

``I'm going to knock him out. Third, maybe fourth round. Or, it could be sooner. But, I'm going to knock him out.''

Ortiz wasn't quite as bold with his prediction.

``I expect a really exciting fight,'' Ortiz said. ``My prediction is every fan will be happy that they were able to watch the fight and both fighters will have given everything they've got in the Octagon.''

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Photo:

(color) Chuck Liddell, left, and Tito Ortiz meet tonight in a rematch of a 2004 fight, which was won by Liddell.

Courtesy of UFC.com