Due to the absence of Tito Ortiz for his weigh-in Friday, the much-awaited battle between the UFC fighter and Dana White, President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been cancelled, at least for now.

White was scheduled to make his professional boxing launch on March 24, 2007, against his former client Tito Ortiz. This was also an attempt to work out their feud, supposedly contending in a three-round boxing exhibition. In fact, Ortiz previously sent daring messages to White asserting his determination, as well as the authenticity of the fight. However, Ortiz left a message indicating his decision to let White "off the hook." The decision of Ortiz actually left many people puzzled and surprised, especially the Nevada State Athletic Commission which previously lauded Ortiz for his

professionalism in these types of events. Given this, it's hard to

imagine what instigated Ortiz's failure to show up.

Ortiz, a 32-year old American-Mexican mixed martial arts fighter from Huntington Beach, California, began his martial arts career as a wrestler in his sophomore year in high school. After a series of successful competitions, he headed for more prestigious competitions worldwide.

Previously, he headlined many pay per view championship cards and graced the covers of several magazines. Also known as "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,"

his awards and accomplishments includes the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion with 5 title defenses, a 2006 Golden Gloves, a 2006 Fight of the Year, and a

2006 Feud of the Year among others. At present, he has 15 wins, 5 losses and 0 draws.

Others speculate that Ortiz's nonappearance is due to his desire to acquire more money since Spike TV intended to broadcast segments of the their fight as a promotional tool for the highly anticipated UFC 69. Meanwhile, others perceive his move as an avoidance of the possibility of his defeat in the hands of White.