Tito Ortiz has always been known to say whatever he wants to whoever he wants, but even he draws the occasional line.

Case in point, earlier this week Ortiz made an appearance on the Domenick Nati Show and he ruffled some feathers with his comments about UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.

“I think I would do a lot better against Jon Jones than Daniel Cormier, because Cormier is just a shorter guy (with) bigger legs, bigger torso,” Ortiz said (transcription by Bloody Elbow). “He’s just a big, big guy.

“Jon Jones is long and lengthy. I’m going to get in the inside and try to overpower some of the positions. But if it would be Jon Jones, I would think I’d have a great chance against (him).”

Ortiz, 44, then doubled down by saying that he felt he would fare well against Jones even if the two met in the cage today.

“Yup, I think I could,” Ortiz said. “If I have a camp like I did the last one of 18 weeks, 100 percent. There really hasn’t been anybody to fight Jon Jones, to get in his face, and stay in his face. Everybody else, they want to strike on the outside with him. He’s too damn long, you cannot do that. You got to get in the inside of him. That’s the way to fight him.”

“As a coach and as a fighter, that’s the way to beat him,” he continued. “Someone should be aggressive enough to keep the fight, pushing him around. Make him feel uncomfortable.”

Cormier caught wind of the story himself and offered an incredulous response on Twitter:

Though Jones did not publicly address the matter, for whatever reason Ortiz, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, decided to issue an apology to both fighters via Instagram:

“This message goes out to Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier,” Ortiz said in a video. “I did an interview earlier this week and the reporter asked, ‘How would I do against Jon Jones in my prime?’ And my response was in a negative and disrespectful manner to both fighters.

“Jon Jones, you’re one of the greatest light heavyweight champions to ever grace the Octagon. Daniel Cormier, you’re one of the greatest light heavyweights and the greatest heavyweight champion to ever grace the Octagon. I respect both of you guys tremendously and for the first time in my career, I was in the wrong in this interview. So I hope you guys can take my apology because I respect both you guys like no other in and out of the cage.”

With that matter settled, Ortiz is now free to focus on his upcoming Combate Americas contest against pro wrestling star Alberto El Patron.