Latest News Updares:Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva

Latest News Updares:Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva:Ortiz and Silva once were the faces of mixed martial arts as the most recognizable titleholders from the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships eight years ago. Now they're just hoping to demonstrate their relevance in today's MMA world as they prepare for Ultimate Fighter alumni Ryan Bader and Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday (9 p.m. ET, pay-per-view; 8 p.m. ET, Spike). Silva, facing Leben in the co-main event, has been on the sidelines for more than 16 months because of rib and knee injuries. It's the longest layoff for Silva in more than 14 years of fighting. "This is not so easy because I'm a competitive guy," Silva says. "I had a really tough year. … But I have unbelievable support from my fans." He's not exaggerating. He routinely gets big cheers from the crowd when he's shown on camera because of his iconic status as a titleholder from 2001 to 2007 for Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. Leben points to Silva as an inspiration because of an unusually aggressive style, based on Muay Thai striking, that earned his nickname "The Ax Murderer." His KOs of fighters in Japan and Brazil have been staples of MMA highlight compilations for years among hardcore fans. "He's one of my heroes, believe it or not," Leben says. "When I first started fighting, I used to go get bootleg Pride videos and watch them and in some ways, try to emulate some of the stuff that he did. … I'm hyped. It's a passing of the torch, is what I'm hoping for." Promoters, matchmakers and his fellow fighters view Silva's penchant for headhunting with winging hooks, elbows and knees as the closest thing to guaranteed action in mixed martial arts. "I'm excited to fight Wanderlei and I'm a little scared at the same time too," Leben says. "But I think for me, that's definitely a very motivating and driving emotion. … He's an animal. There's nothing more motivating than the fear of a coma." Leben over the last five years has been one of the company's busiest competitors, with 17 UFC fights under his belt. He took a Jan. 1 fight with Brian Stann while Silva went through rehabilitation, but was knocked out to end his winning streak at three. Leben blames the loss on his failure to control his diet before the bout, resulting in a difficult weight cut that sapped his energy. This time, Leben says he's being more disciplined. "I'm eating a bunch of crappy food that's good for me," he says. "I'm doing all the stuff I'm supposed to." No fighter at UFC 132 faces more pressure than Ortiz does against Bader. Given Ortiz's five-fight winless streak going back to 2006, Saturday's card could mark the last stand for Ortiz, who has the longest tenure with the company and represents, with Vitor Belfort and Silva, the active roster's remaining link to the UFC days before Zuffa bought the promotion in 2001. ORTIZ: 'I'm fighting for my life' The string of losses is one reason why the man who will go down in UFC history as one of its premier trash-talkers has been taking a more polite approach to promoting his last few fights. "Before I start talking trash, I've got to get a win," says Ortiz, who defeated Silva in 2000 to capture UFC's light-heavyweight belt. "A lot of fans like to hear me trash-talk, but I think getting a 'W' is No. 1 for me. … I think I've just got to keep my mouth shut and let my fighting do the talking now."