Tito Ortiz to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July
Tito Ortiz (16-10) will officially retire at UFC 148 in Las Vegas. One of the few fighters to have fought all of his bouts in the UFC, the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”, will be honored by induction into the organization’s Hall of Fame that same weekend.
This was confirmed by MMAWeekly.com after the UFC 150 press conference held in Denver by UFC President Dana White. White told MMAWeekly: “He pound for pound was doing some of the most damage at a time when we were hurting,but it’s part of our history the way the storylines played out between me, Chuck and Tito. He’s definitely a part of the history of the sport.”
Ortiz will be the first induction into the Hall of Fame since 2010, when Matt Hughes was inducted. Known for his longtime rivalry with fellow Hall of Fame member, Chuck Liddell, and feuds with Dana White; Ortiz has always been a great ambassador for the sport and a huge box-office draw. His rematch with Liddell was the first UFC pay-per-view event to break the 1 million mark.
Ortiz decided after his last match against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira to compete in the UFC one last time and retire. He will face Forrest Griffin in the Octagon as his farewell bout, shortly after his induction as the ninth honoree into the Hall. Ortiz holds the record for most title defenses of the Light Heavyweight Championship belt, at five.
Post-retirement, Ortiz will remain in the sport as a coach and trainer, something he excels at.
UFC Hall of Fame Roster:
–Royce Gracie
–Ken Shamrock
–Dan Severn
–Mark Coleman
–Randy Couture
-Charles Lewis
–Chuck Liddell
–Matt Hughes
