Jacob Christopher Ortiz
(born January 23, 1975) is a Mexican American mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003, [1] Ortiz emerged as one of the sport's biggest stars, becoming the biggest pay-per-view draw of 2006 and appearing on the covers of various magazines. [2] Ortiz is the CEO of the Punishment Athletics
clothing and mixed martial arts equipment line.
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TITO ORTIZ TICKETS
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Biography
Tito is the youngest of four sons born to a Mexican-American father and a European-American mother, and his mixed heritage is reflected in his ring entrances as he bears both Mexican and American flags.
[3]
Ortiz began his martial arts career as a
wrestler in his sophomore year at Huntington Beach High School. Under coach Paul Herrera, Ortiz finished fourth in the state high school championships as a senior. Following high school, Ortiz continued his wrestling career, winning two California state junior college titles for
Golden West College. Following his stint at Golden West, Ortiz wrestled at
Cal State Bakersfield. Ortiz trained with future
NCAA, World, and
Super Bowl champion
Stephen Neal.
[4] Tito has written a book called "This Is Gonna Hurt" - The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts
champion".
[5]
Mixed martial arts career
UFC
Ortiz's
mixed martial arts debut was at
UFC 13
in 1997. Still in college, Ortiz competed as an amateur for no prize money or contracts. He beat
Wes Albritton in an alternate bout by referee stoppage at 0:31 of the very first round. He was selected to face
Guy Mezger in the Lightweight final after
Enson Inoue could not continue due to injury. Ortiz lost the fight at 2:00 in the first round by submission. After returning with a
TKO victory over
Jeremy Screetonat
West Coast NHB Championships 1
, and a doctors stoppage due to cut against
Jerry Bohlander at
UFC 18
, Tito avenged his loss to Mezger at
UFC 19 by TKO in round 1.
In 1999 Ortiz fought
Frank Shamrock for the UFC middleweight (199 lb) title at
UFC 22
, losing via submission due to strikes. Following the victory, Shamrock retired and vacated the championship. The middleweight division was then renamed the
light heavyweight (205 lb) division and Ortiz was chosen, along with
Wanderlei Silva, as a top contender. Ortiz defeated
Wanderlei Silva for the vacant
light heavyweight title at
UFC 25
via unanimous decision. He went on to defend the belt a record five times in the following three years, defeating
Yuki Kondo,
Evan Tanner,
Elvis Sinosic,
Vladimir Matyushenko and
Lion's Den head
Ken Shamrock.
At
UFC 44
, after a near year-long layoff from the sport, Ortiz fought the new interim light heavyweight champion
Randy Couture, who had defeated
Chuck Liddell for the interim title at
UFC 43
in September 2003. Couture defeated Ortiz via unanimous decision. The loss ended Ortiz's near three and a half year title reign, which is still the longest light heavyweight championship reign since the title's inception in 1997.
[6] Following his loss to Couture, Ortiz faced
Chuck Liddell at
UFC 47
, losing by second round knockout. After six months off, Ortiz returned and took a unanimous decision victory over newcomer
Patrick Côté at
UFC 50
, and a
split decision over
Vitor Belfort at
UFC 51
.
In February 2005, Ortiz took time away from the UFC and was offered deals with several promotions, including
PRIDE Fighting Championships and the
Don King-backed
World Fighting Alliance, but none came to fruition. Ortiz opted to try his hand at
professional wrestling, signing with
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a guest referee.
[7]
In November 2005,
Dana White announced that Ortiz and Ken Shamrock would coach
The Ultimate Fighter 3
reality TV series on
Spike TV, which premiered in April 2006. Ortiz's first fight in his return occurred at
UFC 59
on April 15, 2006 against previous
The Ultimate Fighter 1
winner
Forrest Griffin. Ortiz won via split decision. His next fight was against UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock at
UFC 61
on July 8, 2006, a match which was to conclude a main storyline in
The Ultimate Fighter 3
. Ortiz won in the first round by TKO due to a stoppage by referee
Herb Dean due to strikes. Shamrock protested that the stoppage was early. On August 25, 2006, at the
UFC 62
weigh-ins, Dana White announced a rematch between Ortiz and Shamrock for October 10, 2006 on Spike TV, as the main event of
Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter. Ortiz beat Shamrock for the third time in this fight, which was stopped in the first round due to strikes. Ortiz's rematch with
Chuck Liddell (for the
UFC Light Heavyweight championship) at
UFC 66
(December 30, 2006) ended in defeat via referee stoppage in the third round.
He then fought against undefeated
The Ultimate Fighter 2
winner
Rashad Evans on July 7, 2007 at
UFC 73
. The fight ended in a draw after Ortiz was penalized for grabbing the fence.
[8] Ortiz' last fight on his contract with the UFC was a unanimous decision loss to undefeated
Lyoto Machida at
UFC 84 on May 24, 2008.
[9] With all three judges scoring the fight 30-27 to Machida.
[10] Ortiz came painfully close to submitting Machida in the third round with a triangle choke before transitioning to an armbar.
[11] However, Machida managed to escape and survived the round, winning a unanimous judge's decision. The fight concluded Ortiz' stay with the promotion as he chose not to re-sign, citing his frustration with UFC-president
Dana White as a major factor in the decision.
[12]
Leaving the UFC
After leaving the UFC, Ortiz was approached by multiple promotions, including the now defunct
EliteXC,
Affliction and the
American Fight League. However, a clause in his old UFC contract forbade him from signing with or fighting for any other organization until approximately April-June 2009. Until his return to the UFC, Ortiz was considered the biggest free agent on the market.
[13]
On October 6, 2008, Ortiz underwent back surgery in Las Vegas, Nevada.
[14] According to his website, he had been experiencing back pain since his fight with Randy Couture.
On Wednesday, December 17, 2008, Affliction Entertainment announced that Ortiz would be part of the broadcast team for the
Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Ortiz has since said he will fight again in August 2009, but did not say what organization it would be for.
Return to the UFC
On July 17, 2009, both Ortiz and Dana White stated that the pair had made amends.
[15] One week later, White announced that he re-signed Tito.
[16] Ortiz stated he is returning for a six fight deal he and White have worked out. White officially announced Ortiz's return in a conference call on July 31, 2009. White mentioned that "everyone wants to see Tito fight" and "Tito will retire in the UFC."
Mark Coleman has been named Ortiz's opponent for his return to the octagon.
[17]
Wrestling career
Professional wrestling career
In May 2005, Ortiz agreed to appear with the professional wrestling promotion
TNA.
On May 15, 2005 at
TNA Hard Justice Ortiz served as special guest referee in the
NWA World Heavyweight Championship title match between
Jeff Jarrett and
A.J. Styles at the behest of
Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes. Ortiz (
kayfabe) knocked out Jeff Jarrett with a
right hook after Jarrett shoved him. This allowed Styles to hit his "
Spiral Tap" for the
pinfall victory and claim the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Jarrett.
Ortiz returned to wrestling to referee an NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between
Jeff Jarrett and Rhino on October 23, 2005 at the
TNA Bound for Glory PPV.
Submission wrestling
Ortiz has also had fights as a
submission wrestler and in 2000, competed in the
Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling tournament. Tito finished in third place after winning 4 fights before losing in the semi-final by decision to
Ricardo Arona. During the tournament he defeated
Matt Hughes,
Mike van Arsdale,
Rumina Sato, and Rostyslav Borysenko.
[18]
Personal life
Ortiz has a son from his marriage to his ex-wife, Kristen.
In 2006, he began dating former
pornographic actress Jenna Jameson,
[19] whom he met on
Myspace.
[20] Ortiz cancelled a November 12, 2006 appearance as the guest of honor at the
United States Marine Corps birthday ball at the
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in
San Diego, when the Corps refused to let him bring Jameson as his guest, due to her well-known career as a hard-core pornographer.
[21] [22] On November 30, 2006, in an interview on
The Howard Stern Show
, Ortiz stated that he is in love with Jameson, that she is no longer acting in pornography, and that they are in a
monogamous relationship.
[23]
She introduced Ortiz and talked about their relationship at the 2008 AVN Adult Movie Awards while she was presenting an award. She also made brief appearances on two episodes of
The Celebrity Apprentice
to help Ortiz on the tasks assigned in those episodes.
Ortiz announced in August 2008 that he and Jameson were expecting twins together in April 2009.
[24] [25]
On March 16, 2009 Jameson gave birth to twin boys
[26]named Jesse Jameson Ortiz and Journey Jette Ortiz. Jesse weighed in at 4 lbs and Journey weighed 4 lbs 11 oz.
[27]
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
|
|
15
| 15 {{#switch:
| 0
|
Draws
| 1
|
Result
| Record
| Opponent
| Method
| Event
| Date
| Round
| Time
| Location
| Notes
|
|
| ColemanMark Coleman
|
| UFC 106
| {{dts/core
|
|
| Las Vegas, Nevada
|
xLoss
| 15–6–1
| MachidaLyoto Machida
| Decision (Unanimous)
| UFC 84: Ill Will
| {{dts/core
| 3
| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
|
zDraw
| 15–5–1
| EvansRashad Evans
| Draw (Unanimous)
| UFC 73: Stacked
| {{dts/core
| 3
| 5:00
| Sacramento, California
|
xLoss
| 15–5
| Liddell 2Chuck Liddell
| TKO (Punches)
| UFC 66 – Liddell vs. Ortiz
| {{dts/core
| 3
| 3:59
| Las Vegas, Nevada
| For UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|
Win
| 15–4
| Shamrock 3Ken Shamrock
| TKO (Punches)
| Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 2:23
| Hollywood, Florida
| Won Knockout of the Night honors
|
Win
| 14–4
| Shamrock 2Ken Shamrock
| TKO (Elbows)
| UFC 61: Bitter Rivals
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 1:18
| Las Vegas, Nevada
|
Win
| 13–4
| GriffinForrest Griffin
| Decision (Split)
| UFC 59: Reality Check
| {{dts/core
| 3
| 5:00
| Anaheim, California
|
Win
| 12–4
| BelfortVitor Belfort
| Decision (Split)
| UFC 51: Super Saturday
| {{dts/core
| 3
| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
|
Win
| 11–4
| CôtéPatrick Côté
| Decision (Unanimous)
| UFC 50: The War of '04
| {{dts/core
| 3
| 5:00
| Atlantic City, New Jersey
|
xLoss
| 10–4
| Liddell Chuck Liddell
| KO (Punches)
| UFC 47: It's On!
| {{dts/core
| 2
| 0:38
| Las Vegas, Nevada
|
xLoss
| 10–3
| JacksonRandy Couture
| Decision (Unanimous)
| UFC 44: Undisputed
| {{dts/core
| 5
| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
| Lost UFC light heavyweight title
|
Win
| 10–2
| ShamrockKen Shamrock
| TKO (Corner Stoppage)
| UFC 40: Vendetta
| {{dts/core
| 3
| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
| Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|
Win
| 9–2
| MatyushenkoVladimir Matyushenko
| Decision (Unanimous)
| UFC 33: Victory in Vegas
| {{dts/core
| 5
| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
| Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|
Win
| 8–2
| SinosicElvis Sinosic
| TKO (Cut)
| UFC 32: Showdown in the Meadowlands
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 3:32
| East Rutherford, New Jersey
| Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|
Win
| 7–2
| TannerEvan Tanner
| KO (Slam)
| UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 0:30
| Atlantic City, New Jersey
| Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|
Win
| 6–2
| KondoYuki Kondo
| Submission (Neck Crank)
| UFC 29: Defense of the Belts
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 1:51
| Tokyo, Japan
| Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|
Win
| 5–2
| Silva Wanderlei Silva
| Decision (Unanimous)
| UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3
| {{dts/core
| 5
| 5:00
| Tokyo, Japan
| Won UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|
xLoss
| 4–2
| ShamrockFrank Shamrock
| Submission (Strikes)
| UFC 22: Only One Can be Champion
| {{dts/core
| 4
| 4:50
| Lake Charles, Louisiana
| Match was for the UFC middleweight (205 lb) title
|
Win
| 4–1
| MezgerGuy Mezger
| TKO (Strikes)
| UFC 19:Ultimate Young Guns
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 9:56
| Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
|
Win
| 3–1
| BohlanderJerry Bohlander
| TKO (Strikes)
| UFC 18: Road to the Heavyweight Title
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 14:31
| New Orleans, Louisiana
|
Win
| 2–1
| ScreetonJeremy Screeton
| Submission (Strikes)
| West Coast NHB Championships 1
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 0:16
|
|
xLoss
| 1–1
| MezgerGuy Mezger
| Submission (Guillotine Choke)
| UFC 13: The Ultimate Force
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 3:00
| Augusta, Georgia
|
Win
| 1–0
| Wes Albritton
| TKO (Strikes)
| UFC 13: The Ultimate Force
| {{dts/core
| 1
| 0:31
| Augusta, Georgia
|
Championships and accomplishments
- ;Ultimate Fighting Championship
- *UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (5 Time Defending)
- ;Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- *2002 Feud of the Year (vs Ken Shamrock)
- *2006 Feud of the Year (vs Ken Shamrock)
- ;FIGHTING SPIRIT magazine
- *2006 Fight of The Year (vs Forrest Griffin, UFC 59)
- *2006 Golden Gloves
Books
- (2008) This is Gonna Hurt:The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion.
References
- Light heavyweight title: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz
- The Iceman lets others handle the speculation
- Ortiz overcame rough beginning
- Bio, Tito Ortiz official website.
- This Is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion
- Ortiz vs. White is UFC's hottest feud
- Wrestling Journal 2.4.1 (April 2005)
- Monday Morning Reverie: True Champions
- UFC 84 Results and live play-by-play
- Are Judges Favoring the Lyoto Machida Style?
- UFC 84 'Ill Will' Play-by-Play
- Ortiz Confirms He Will Not Return To UFC
- Free Agency in MMA: Tito and Antwain
- MMA Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz back surgery a success
- [1]
- http://twitter.com/danawhiteufc
- http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/ufc-post-fight-press-conference-notes-19004
- Tito Ortiz Biography
- "UFC's Ortiz Still Man of People", by Anwar S. Richardson, ''The Tampa Tribune'', reprinted on Ring Sport K1. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
- EXCLUSIVE: Jenna Jameson Confirms She's Pregnant
- "Miramar ball guest cancels; wants to bring porn-star girlfriend", By John Hoellwarth, ''Marine Corps Times'', October 27, 2006.
- "Porn Star Too Hot for Marines", "Page Six", November 1, 2006, ''New York Post''. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- Howard Stern show summary, November 30, 2006, Howard Stern.com. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- Jenna Jameson confirms being pregnant with Twins
- Jameson Confirms That She's Expecting Twins
- Jenna Jameson Gives Birth to Twin Boys!
- Jenna Jameson Names Twins Jesse and Journey Celebrity Baby Blog, March 18, 2009