Issue 095
December 2012
A look back on the illustrious career of the legendary UFC Hall of Famer
As one of the sport’s greatest light heavyweights, Tito Ortiz has influenced fighters across the world with his charismatic personality, relentless wrestling and devastating ground ‘n’ pound.
Ortiz used his high school and college grappling skills in his MMA and UFC debut at UFC 13 against Wes Albritton in 1997. A 31-second TKO would be his first win only minutes before he suffered his first loss, submitting to a Guy Mezger guillotine choke.
When Frank Shamrock retired after defending his 205lb title against Ortiz in a classic in 1999, Tito and top-ranked Brazilian, Wanderlei Silva were left to battle for the vacant belt. Ortiz’s famous ground ‘n’ pound earned him both a unanimous decision win and UFC gold.
From there, Ortiz went on an incredible four-fight tear through the UFC’s light heavyweight division, before his win against Ken Shamrock at UFC 40 in 2002 solidified him as a star. Bad blood and relentless smack talk, as well as a sterling performance from both men, made the card one of the promotion’s biggest events to date, and helped Ortiz become a household name.
After three years of dominance, Ortiz finally lost his coveted title to Randy Couture at UFC 44, then took on his arch nemesis, Chuck Liddell, at UFC 47 in 2004 in another blockbuster that would see ‘The Huntington Beach Bay Boy’ knocked out in the second.
A renewed Ortiz bounced back with wins over the likes of Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin and Ken Shamrock (twice). However, another crack at Liddell, at UFC 66, would see Ortiz finished by strikes in the third after a back-and-forth scrap.
After a four-year stretch of defeats, Ortiz’s job was on the line when he fought Ryan Bader at UFC 132. Against the odds, Ortiz managed to pull off the upset of the year, submitting Bader with a tight guillotine choke that sent the fans in Las Vegas wild. After a 15-year career, Ortiz decided to call it quits at UFC 148 before facing longtime rival Forrest Griffin in a close, thrilling bout. Although Ortiz lost the decision, he still left with his head high and, most importantly, on his own terms.
WRESTLING
One of Tito Ortiz’s trademark skills was his wrestling. His ability to take other fighters down at will was one of his strongest attributes and helped him dictate where the fight was going to be at the drop of a hat.
GROUND ‘N’ POUND
Tito may have had the most devastating ground ‘n’ pound of any competitor. Throwing crushing punches and elbows from his opponent’s guard helped fuel Tito’s record 1,260-day reign as UFC light heavyweight champion.
MIND GAMES
When it came to getting inside his opponent’s head, Ortiz was the originator. His trash talk would enrage opponents so much they’d stray from their game plan on the night, cueing him up for the win. He defeated many of his rivals before they even stepped inside the cage.
NEED TO KNOW
NAME: TITO ORTIZ
AGE: 37
STARTED: 1997
DIVISION: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
STYLE: WRESTLER
BASED: HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA
RECORD: 16-11-1
9 (T)KOS (56.25%)
2 SUBS (12.5%)
5 DECISIONS (31.25%)
Career Snapshot
1997
Defeats Wes Albritton in his MMA and UFC debut, before being submitted by Guy Mezger later the same night.
2000
Beats Wanderlei Silva for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 25 – a belt he holds for three years.
2002
Wins one of the most high-profile fights in MMA history against Ken Shamrock at UFC 40. The bout proved the UFC could make money from a pay-per-view bout.
2006
A UFC 66 grudge match against arch rival Chuck Liddell becomes one of the biggest fights in MMA history. Ortiz loses but records at the gate and on pay-per-view confirm him as a top draw.
2011
Defeats Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132, proving the odds makers wrong in perhaps the biggest upset of the year.
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