American former light-heavyweight champion nicknamed 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' whose trash talk, rivalry with Chuck Liddell and persona helped build the UFC's mainstream popularity in its early years.
Tito Ortiz was one of the UFC's first mainstream stars, the Light Heavyweight Champion who became the promotion's biggest draw in the early 2000s through his brash personality and elite wrestling. His rivalry with Chuck Liddell produced two of the era's most anticipated fights. Ortiz's combination of elite wrestling control and ground-and-pound, combined with his controversial public persona, made him UFC's original superstar.