Tito Ortiz

Outside of his fighting career, Ortiz is the CEO of the Punishment Athletics MMA equipment and clothing line. He also owns an MMA training gym called Punishment Training Center, which is located in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. On July 7, 2012, Ortiz became the ninth inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame.\n', ' Ortiz was born in Huntington Beach, California, where he lived until he moved to Santa Ana, California at the age of five. He is the son of Joyce and Samuel Ortiz. His father is of Mexican descent and his mother is of English ancestry and was born in Hilo, Hawaii. Ortiz was given the nickname "Tito" by his father at the age of one. Ortiz has three older half-brothers from his mother\'s first marriage to Louie Simmons. Ortiz had a difficult childhood: both of his parents were addicted to heroin, while Ortiz was involved with street gangs, was placed in juvenile halls, and used drugs such as cocaine and PCP. His parents divorced when he was thirteen years old, and his mother took the young Ortiz with her back to Huntington Beach. When he was only seven years old, Ortiz supported himself by selling fish that he caught at a local pier and later attended Huntington Beach High School, where he began wrestling during his sophomore year. He excelled at the sport, winning a CIF championship at 189 pounds, and finishing fourth in the state tournament as a senior. When Ortiz was eighteen years old, his mother kicked him out of the house and he began living with one of his brothers while doing labor work, and later became addicted to methamphetamines. At the age of nineteen, Ortiz ran into an old high school wrestling coach, a future UFC fighter and the head wrestling coach at Golden West College, Paul Herrera, who encouraged him to enroll in the college. Ortiz then began attending Golden West, where he was a California junior college state champion and All-American for two consecutive years before transferring California State University at Bakersfield, where he continued wrestling but was never a full-time starter. Ortiz also trained with UFC fighter and fellow collegiate wrestler, Tank Abbott.\n', ' 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 first round. He was selected to face Guy Mezger in the Light Heavyweight final after Enson Inoue could not continue due to injury. Despite dominating Mezger at first, Ortiz lost the fight at 2:00 in the first round by a guillotine choke submission. After returning with a TKO victory over Jeremy Screeton at West Coast NHB Championships 1, Ortiz fought top ranked fighter and UFC 12 Light Heavyweight Tournament Champion Jerry Bohlander at UFC 18. Ortiz dominated the fight and won via TKO due to cut stoppage. Ortiz then avenged his loss to Mezger at UFC 19 by TKO. Ortiz\'s post fight antics towards Mezger and the Lion\'s Den led to his long running rivalry with the team\'s leader Ken Shamrock.\n', '