UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to retire after Bellator 170

Tito Ortiz (ESPN)

After a storied MMA career, Tito Ortiz is apparently calling it quits. But first, he wants to try and leave on top. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” recently announced that Bellator 170 would be his last fight. The event will be held at The Forum in Inglewood, California on January 21^st and will air on Spike TV.

As Ortiz made his announcement via Twitter, he made sure to send a few shots at the UFC’s way. UFC 208 was supposed to be in Anaheim, California on the same night as Bellator 170. There was a quick change in their scheduling plans, and it was moved to the Barclays Center on February 11th (where UFC 209 was supposed to take place). 

httpss://twitter.com/titoortiz/status/804791130122354688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Ortiz’s final opponent will be former UFC veteran Chael Sonnen (28-14-1).

Ortiz (18-12-1) was a pioneer during the early days of the UFC, dominating the Light Heavyweight division. He held onto the Light Heavyweight Title from 2000-2003, and was best known for his wars with Chuck Liddell and Ken Shamrock. The battles he had with the latter were the stuff of legend.

The 41-year old made a few comebacks with the UFC, but was unsuccessful compared to his previous run. He signed with Bellator MMA in 2013 and currently has a 2-1 record with the promotion.

Although his best days may be behind him, Ortiz will go down as one of the best. He has the record for most wins in the Light Heavyweight division (15) and is tied with Frank Mir and Michael Bisping for most fights in UFC history (27). He is a true trailblazer who will surely be missed.

January 21^st will be an end of an era, and it will be sad but exciting to watch it all go down.