UFC legend Tito Ortiz wants Conor McGregor to LOSE at UFC 246: 'Karma's a b*tch!' (VIDEO)

UFC legend Tito Ortiz has nailed his colors to the mast and pledged his backing for Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone ahead of the American's clash with Conor McGregor at UFC 246 in January.

Speaking to Australian outlet Submission Radio ahead of his own upcoming fight with former WWE champion Alberto Rodriguez (aka Alberto Del Rio) for Combate Americas, Ortiz said McGregor's unsavory behavior over the past year played a big part in him siding with Cerrone in their upcoming clash in Las Vegas on January 18.

"Yeah, I am, just because of Conor punching that old man on the bar stool," he said.

"That was not respectful, man. And the guy got charged like a thousand dollars or something s**t like that. That is just baloney. Karma’s a b*tch, and it always bites everyone in the ass at the end of the day, and it always comes around, man."

Ortiz, who was one of the first fighters to become a bona-fide pay-per-view superstar in the UFC, knows all about building a brand and using trash talk to sell fights. And he admitted he actually liked McGregor, but couldn't justify the Irishman's behavior away from the cage in recent months.

"Like I said, it ain’t nothing that I don’t like Conor. I like Conor, I think he’s an amazing guy," he said.

"I just think that that wasn’t something you should do ever as a human being – not even just let alone a pro fighter, just as a human being in general. You always should respect your elders, and that’s always the right thing to do."

Ortiz may be backing Cerrone, but he says he's hopeful the two UFC fan-favorites will serve up a thrilling main event at the T-Mobile Arena in the UFC's first pay-per-view event of 2020.

"Donald Cerrone is a tough guy. I love Donald Cerrone. He’s a good, good dude. I really respect him and I think this is his time to shine, and I think he has a great chance of beating Conor.

"And it’s at 170. Conor actually is a 155-pounder truthfully, and 145-pounder. So, 170 is a big jump up for him. But I don’t know, did the time off help Conor? Sometimes when you get a little time off, it helps the body recover a little bit more. And Donald Cerrone’s been in some battles in his last couple of fights. So, it’s just one of those things. I just hope both the guys put on a great show, and I would like to see Cowboy Cerrone get his hand raised, but I would like to see Conor put on a good fight."