Video: Bellator's Bjorn Rebney discusses status of Tito Ortiz vs. Alexander Shlemenko

TEMECULA, Calif. – So is that Tito Ortiz vs. Alexander Shlemenko fight actually a done deal? MMAjunkie caught up with Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney following Friday’s Bellator 116 event to discuss the bout.

The ball got rolling Thursday night when Shlemenko (50-7 MMA, 11-1 BMMA), Bellator’s reigning middleweight champion, posted a video in which he called out Ortiz (16-11-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), a veteran light heavyweight and former UFC champion who’s on the mend from a fractured neck.

Although Ortiz and Shlemenko squared off and discussed the potential bout during Friday’s Bellator 116 in Temecula, Calif., Rebney said it’s not yet a done deal for Bellator 120, which takes place May 17 and marks the organization’s debut on pay-per-view.

However, he’s hopeful it’ll be part of the PPV lineup.

“I just love the fight,” Rebney told MMAjunkie. “It’s just an exciting, entertaining fight.

“It hasn’t yet been approved by the commission, so I can’t look at you and say, ‘It’s done, and it’s on the card.’ But I want to make it. As a fan, I want to see it. It’s compelling.”

Check out the above video as Rebney also discusses Ortiz’s health, a potential Ortiz vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson fight, and his thoughts on the upcoming PPV show.

For the latest on Bellator 120, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.