Post by 1992 on Jun 12, 2012 22:30:21 GMT -5
Dana White says Tito Ortiz to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame at July's UFC Fan Expo
UFC president Dana White and Tito Ortiz (16-10-1 MMA, 15-10-1 UFC) haven't always seen eye to eye, but that won't keep the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" from earning a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.
White today told MMAWeekly.com that Ortiz will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at July's UFC Fan Expo.
"The storylines played out, and it's part of our history, between me, Chuck (Liddell) and Tito," White said following Tuesday's UFC 150 press conference in Denver. "It is definitely a part of the history of this sport."
Ortiz made his UFC debut in 1997 at UFC 13, the same event where future UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture also first fought. At 22 years old, Ortiz competed as an amateur in order to preserve his college wrestling eligibility. He would ultimately go 1-1 in the night's tournament, earning a win over Wes Albritton in an alternate bout before replacing an injured Enson Inoue and losing via submission to Guy Mezger.
Nineteen months later, Ortiz took his lone professional bout outside of the octagon, defeating Jeremy Screeton in just 16 seconds at a Los Angles-area event titled West Coast No Holds Barred Championships.
Ortiz returned to the UFC in 1999 at UFC 18, winning eight of his next nine fights and claiming the UFC light heavyweight title in the process. Ortiz would go on to defend the belt five times before surrendering it to Couture in 2003.
Ortiz would later put together five straight wins after defeating Ken Shamrock (twice), Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort and Patrick Cote, earning another shot at the belt – and former friend Liddell – at UFC 66 in December 2006. Ortiz would ultimately fall short in that bid, but the $5.4 million gate still ranks as the largest live MMA gate ever earned in Nevada.
Ortiz also boasts the honor of headlining the first sanctioned MMA event in the state of Nevada, beating Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 33 in September 2001. While the event is infamous for running over its allotted pay-per-view time following five straight decisions on the main card, it always will serve as the starting point for legalized MMA in Nevada and the UFC's first show in its Sin City home base.
Ortiz's five defenses of the light heavyweight belt still are the most ever for that championship, and while he publicly feuded with White over the years, he always returned to the octagon. Ortiz was twice a coach on "The Ultimate Fighter" and currently holds the career record for most UFC bouts with 26. (Matt Hughes, whose future status is still in question, has fought 25 times for the UFC. Josh Koscheck is the most likely to eclipse the mark with 21 UFC appearances at 34 years old.)
Ortiz's rivalries with Shamrock and Liddell were key storylines in the early days of the UFC, and his tiffs with the boss were always a constant source of tension and news. Ortiz fights for the final time at UFC 148, which takes place July 7 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where he completes a trilogy series with fellow former champ Griffin.
The UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony is likely to take place on Friday, July 6, at the nearby Mandalay Bay Convention Center prior to the event's official weigh-in ceremony as part of the UFC Fan Expo.
Ortiz will be the eighth fighter inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Mark Coleman, Couture, Royce Gracie, Hughes, Liddell, Dan Severn and Shamrock. TapouT co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis is also in the UFC Hall of Fame.
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