Tito Ortiz and UFC President Dana White may have had more break-ups than your average reality television couple, but this Saturday – with bygones apparently being bygones – the former champion comes home to a light heavyweight division he ruled from 2000-03, set for a rematch with Forrest Griffin at UFC 106.

Many duly credit Ortiz with lending a major hand to save mixed martial arts during a time when cable companies and pay-per-view providers had given the sport up for dead, but the once-feared ground-and-pound specialist has fallen on hard times recently. It's hard to believe, but when Ortiz meets Griffin in Las Vegas in about 48-hours, he'll be fighting for his first win inside the cage in a little over two years.

The last time he had his hand raised was Oct. of 2006 and the victim was the hapless Ken Shamrock at a UFC event ironically titled "The Final Chapter." With apologies to Shamrock, some pundits believe it's been even longer since Ortiz defeated a legitimate opponent, perhaps since he eked out a split decision win over Griffin at UFC 59.

It's seemingly been eons since Ortiz was his old, dependable self. Now, eager to show off a surgically repaired back he believes will rejuvenate his career, he brings his flaming shorts and groundless claims that the only reason he continues fights is "for all his fans" back to the world's largest MMA promotion.

Because, frankly, Ortiz had no where else to go.

The UFC thought it'd seen the last of him following a unanimous decision loss to future champ Lyoto Machida last May. But rumored deals with nearly every other fight promotion on the planet fell through and, staring down the barrel of retirement or finishing out his career in smaller, independent organizations, Tito swallowed his pride and returned to the company that made him (kinda) famous in the first place.

For whatever reason – money, I'm guessing – that promotion seems almost unthinkably happy to have him back. The UFC has put Ortiz's mug on everything it possibly could leading up to this fight: Live interviews on SpikeTV, a well-produced countdown special, even Wednesday's WEC broadcast, where Ortiz was cornering friend and training partner Rob McCullough. The company has even given him what seems like a possibly winnable fight against Griffin, whose mindset is still in question after a perhaps career-altering loss to Anderson Silva in August.

Ortiz's fortunes this weekend likely depend on which version of the 34-year-old fighter shows up. If he is able to harness the aggression and athleticism he displayed while dominating Griffin through the first round of their bout two-and-a-half years ago, he could win seize the W. If he looks like the rigid, over-the-hill patsy we've seen in his most recent efforts, the former "Ultimate Fighter" winner will likely get back on track.

If Ortiz picks up another loss – his third in his last four fights – it will be interesting to see how the UFC tries to promote him in the future. Even now, the claim that Ortiz is a top-flight light heavyweight is dubious and falling to Griffin certainly won't look good.

No matter what the outcome, there are already rumors we could see Ortiz set up with a rematch against former champ Randy Couture, though the 46-year-old Couture is already reportedly set to scrap with 44-year-old Mark Coleman at UFC 109. It seems odd to think of Ortiz essentially joining the UFC's senior circuit, but if he can't show us something spectacular this weekend against Griffin it will be clear that his best days are far behind him.

The only thing clear at this point is you should never say never in the fight game. Unless you're referring to the UFC's willingness to ride the Ortiz cash cow until it drops dead in the pasture. I guess they'll never stop doing that.

Chad Dundas is the lead MMA editor at The Sporting News. He writes a weekly MMA column for CraveOnline and is a daily contributor for The Rumble. He lives in Missoula, Montana.