Tito Ortiz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tito Ortiz
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Tito Ortiz
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| Mayor pro tempore of Huntington Beach, California |
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| In office December 7, 2020 – June 1, 2021 |
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| Member of the Huntington Beach City Council | ||||||||||||||
| In office December 7, 2020 – June 1, 2021 |
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| Personal details | ||||||||||||||
| Born |
Jacob Christopher Ortiz
January 23, 1975 Huntington Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Political party | Republican | |||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Kristin
(m. 2000–2005)Amber Nicole Ortiz
(m. 2022) |
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| Domestic partner | Jenna Jameson (2006–2013) | |||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Occupation | Mixed martial artist | |||||||||||||
| Other names | The Huntington Beach Bad Boy | |||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Division | Light Heavyweight (1997–2017) Heavyweight (2018–2019) |
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| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Huntington Beach, California | |||||||||||||
| Team | Team Punishment RVCA Training Center |
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| Years active | 1997–2012, 2014–2017, 2018–2019 (MMA) 2021 (Boxing) |
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| Professional boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | |||||||||||||
| By knockout | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 34 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 21 | |||||||||||||
| By knockout | 10 | |||||||||||||
| By submission | 5 | |||||||||||||
| By decision | 6 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 12 | |||||||||||||
| By knockout | 5 | |||||||||||||
| By submission | 2 | |||||||||||||
| By decision | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||
| University | California State University, Bakersfield | |||||||||||||
| Notable club(s) | Punishment Training Center | |||||||||||||
| Notable school(s) | Huntington Beach High School | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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last updated on: September 15, 2011
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Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a retired American mixed martial artist (MMA), submission grappler, and professional boxer. He is famous for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Ortiz was the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion from 2000 to 2003. He was one of the first big stars of the sport, along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell. His fights against Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Ken Shamrock made him a huge pay-per-view star. On July 7, 2012, Ortiz was added to the UFC Hall of Fame.
Outside of fighting, Ortiz is the CEO of the Punishment Athletics company. This company sells MMA equipment and clothing. He was also involved in local politics in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California.
Contents
Early Life and Wrestling
Ortiz is of Mexican descent. When he was nineteen, a wrestling coach named Paul Herrera saw his talent. Herrera encouraged Ortiz to join Golden West College. There, he became a state champion and an All-American wrestler for two years.
After Golden West, he went to California State University, Bakersfield to continue wrestling. During this time, he also trained with UFC fighter Tank Abbott.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Ortiz started his MMA career at UFC 13 in 1997 while he was still in college. He fought as an amateur, which means he didn't get paid. He won his first fight but lost in the final to Guy Mezger. After another win outside the UFC, he returned to beat top fighter Jerry Bohlander at UFC 18.
At UFC 19, Ortiz got his revenge by defeating Guy Mezger. After the fight, his celebration led to a long-running rivalry with Mezger's team leader, Ken Shamrock.
Becoming a Champion
In 1999, Ortiz fought Frank Shamrock for the championship at UFC 22. He lost the fight, but Shamrock retired right after. This left the championship open. The weight class was renamed Light Heavyweight (up to 205 pounds).
Ortiz then fought Wanderlei Silva for the empty title at UFC 25. Ortiz won the fight and became the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He defended his title five times, which was a record at the time. He beat fighters like Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, and his rival Ken Shamrock.
Losing the Title and Famous Fights
At UFC 44 in 2003, Ortiz lost his championship to Randy Couture. This ended his long time as champion. After this loss, he fought Chuck Liddell at UFC 47 and lost again. He then won his next two fights against Patrick Côté and Vitor Belfort.
In 2005, Ortiz took a break from the UFC. He even worked as a guest referee for the wrestling company Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Return to the UFC
Ortiz returned to the UFC in 2006. He coached against Ken Shamrock on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter 3. He then fought and beat Forrest Griffin in a close match. Later that year, he fought Ken Shamrock two more times and won both fights easily.
At the end of 2006, he had a rematch with Chuck Liddell for the championship but lost. He then fought Rashad Evans to a draw at UFC 73. His next fight was a loss to Lyoto Machida, and he left the UFC for a while.
Second Return to the UFC
In 2009, Ortiz and UFC President Dana White made up, and Ortiz signed a new contract. He lost his return fight to Forrest Griffin. He then coached another season of The Ultimate Fighter against Chuck Liddell, but their planned fight was canceled.
Ortiz was on a losing streak and his career was in danger. But at UFC 132 in 2011, he made a big comeback. He defeated Ryan Bader with a submission in the first round. It was his first win in almost five years and saved his UFC career.
He then had a rematch with Rashad Evans but lost. His final UFC fight was a third match against Forrest Griffin at UFC 148. Before the fight, he was officially inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He lost the fight but it was very exciting, earning a "Fight of the Night" award.
Bellator MMA
After retiring from the UFC, Ortiz decided to fight again for a different company, Bellator MMA. In his first Bellator fight in 2014, he defeated Alexander Shlemenko. He then beat another UFC Hall of Famer, Stephan Bonnar.
In 2015, he fought for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship but lost to Liam McGeary. His last fight for Bellator was in 2017, where he defeated Chael Sonnen. He said this would be his final MMA fight.
Later Fights
Even though he retired, Ortiz came back for one more big fight in 2018. He fought his old rival, Chuck Liddell, for a third time. This time, Ortiz won by knockout in the first round.
In 2019, he fought for the Combate Americas company and defeated former WWE star Alberto El Patrón.
Other Ventures
Professional Wrestling
Ortiz appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) several times. In 2005, he was a special guest referee for two championship matches.
He returned to TNA in 2013 and joined a group called "Aces & Eights." However, he was pulled from the show by Bellator because of his upcoming fight.
Boxing
In 2021, Ortiz had his first professional boxing match. He fought another former UFC champion, Anderson Silva. Ortiz lost the fight by knockout in the first round.
Acting
Ortiz has appeared in several movies and TV shows. He had small roles in films like Cradle 2 the Grave and The Crow: Wicked Prayer. He also appeared in an episode of the TV show CSI: NY.
Huntington Beach City Council
In 2020, Ortiz ran for a spot on the city council in his hometown of Huntington Beach. He won the election and was chosen to be the Mayor Pro Tempore. This role is like a temporary or vice mayor.
Ortiz is a supporter of former President Donald Trump. His campaign slogan was "Make Huntington Beach Safe Again." He left his position on the city council on June 1, 2021, after serving for less than six months.
Personal Life
Ortiz was married to his first wife, Kristin, and they have one son. From 2006 to 2013, he was in a relationship with Jenna Jameson, and they had twin boys. Ortiz has full custody of the twins.
In 2022, Ortiz married model Amber Nichole Miller. They had worked together in the UFC, where she was an Octagon Girl.
In 2023, Ortiz opened a restaurant called Tito's Cantina Tequila Bar & Grille in Cape Coral, Florida.
Championships and Awards
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Hall of Fame (Inducted in 2012)
- UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Five successful title defenses
- Fight of the Night (Four times)
- Knockout of the Night (One time)
- Submission of the Night (One time)
- Submission Grappling
- 2000 ADCC World Championships: Bronze Medal
- Amateur Wrestling
- California Community College State Champion (1995, 1996)
- All-American (1995, 1996)
See also
- List of Bellator MMA alumni
