Ibarra Lawsuit is the Pot Calling the Kettle Black
For a good explanation on the weaknesses with Juanito Ibarra's lawsuit against Tito Ortiz, see Todd Martin's piece on MMAPayout.com. The article explains that to have any real chance of success, Ibarra must prove he is a "private figure" rather than a "public figure."
One factor generally considered in determining whether someone is a public figure is whether he has "access to the media." This makes sense. If news outlets are willing to report what someone says, that person has an easier time refuting any false statements made about them. (I, however, do not have "access to the media." That's why I have a blog.)
As an example of Ibarra's "access to the media," I found an interview Ibarra gave to a website called ThaFormula.com. The most interesting thing about the interview is that Ibarra was hardly shy about sharing his own negative opinions of others in the MMA world. Is Ortiz calling Ibarra a "thief" any more derogatory than Ibarra saying Chuck Liddell was intimidated by Rampage or that Vitor Belfort lacked heart?
