Tito Ortiz will be a member of the UFC Hall of Fame

Tito Ortiz will be the ninth member of the UFC Hall of Fame

The UFC confirmed that Tito Ortiz – the longest-reigning UFC light heavyweight champion – will be the ninth member of the organization's Hall of Fame.

Tito will receive the honor on July 7th, during the Fan Expo that precedes UFC 148, in Las Vegas. That same night, he faces Forrest griffin, a duel that marks the end of his professional fighting career.

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Tito will be the first fighter integrated into the Octagon's pantheon of immortals since 2010. He joins names like Matt hugs, Mark Coleman, Royce gracie, Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, as well as Charles “Mask” Lewis”, entrepreneur and founder of Tapout – fightwear who for many years supported the UFC.

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“It’s a great honor to be recognized as one of the greatest fighters of all time by the UFC”, celebrates Tito. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the ultimate proof that all the hard work and dedication, all the pain and sacrifices were all worth it. Being able to enter the Octagon for the last time as an official Hall of Famer will be wonderful. I am so grateful for the opportunity to end my career in such a positive way.”

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“I want to thank my family for all their love and support and my fans for standing by me through the tough times, when being a fan of Tito Ortiz It wasn’t the coolest thing in the world,” he continued. “Finally, I want to thank Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White for giving me so many opportunities, and for ensuring the future of the sport that I love and dedicated my life to.”

An aggressive, polarizing presence with bleached hair and devastating takedowns, Ortiz debuted for the organization on May 30, 1997, at UFC 13. He destroyed his rival, Wes Albritton, in 31 seconds and, three years later, had won the welterweight title. -heavy when defeating the future legendary Wanderlei Silva. The “Bad Boy of Huntington Beach” would still reign for a record period of three and a half years, starring in some of the biggest fights of his era.

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“Everyone knows my story with Tito and everything that happened between us. Many of these things weren't fun at the time they occurred, but all that controversy and madness is now part of UFC history, and there's no doubt that in his prime he was a star and one of the greats of his era." declared UFC president Dana White.

“You cannot write the history of this era of MMA without Tito Ortiz, and that's why he belongs in the Hall of Fame. He's been in the UFC for 15 years – and staying that long is an achievement in itself – and now he has 15 more minutes, at UFC 148. Believe me, I know how proud and stubborn this guy is, and I believe he will use everything he still has as a fighter to emerge victorious from UFC 148”, added the president.

“Tito is part of the fabric of our sport and the history of our organization. He dedicated his life to MMA and brought us some memorable moments, both as a fighter and as a personality outside the Octagon. He was a sure-fire Hall of Famer at one point, and I'm glad we can make that happen now so he can step into the Octagon for the last time as a Hall of Famer. I think it will be an emotional goodbye for Tito and a special final moment for the fans”, declared CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.