10 June 2022
Jacob Christopher Ortiz, also known as “Tito,” is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion who still fights in mixed martial arts. Tito has also been a prominent political figure, as well as having acted in a number of movies.
Table of Contents
Martial Arts Today
Although he retired, Ortiz made a comeback to the UFC in 2018 with his first fight back against Chuck Liddell. It went ahead at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on 24 November that year.
The following year, in 2019, Ortiz signed a multi-fight contract with Combate Americas. This contract was for him to fight three times over two years. Ortiz fought against Alberto El Patron, WWE Champion, in Hidalgo Texas. The date of the fight was 7 December 2019. Tito came out as the winner with a submission hold against his opponent early on in the fight in Round 1. The Texas State Athletic Commission later overturned the decision, but the reason as to why was not revealed. Two days later, they reverted back to the original decision and Tito was granted the win.
Boxing Career
Ortiz had his first-ever boxing match last year, fighting Anderson Silva, the UFC Middleweight Champion, on 11 September 2021. However, Ortiz was defeated by way of knockout in Round 1 of the fight.
Acting Career
Tito has also been famed for his acting skills and has worked in the industry as a separate career from his fighting. The film producer Jeff Most referred to Tito as being “the next Vin Diesel” when it comes to acting, and he’s become a favorite among the fans. In the media, he regularly appears as a guest on talk shows and has been featured in popular magazines. He’s also made it into the UFC game for the Xbox game “UFC: Tapout.” Some notable appearances he’s made in moves include Cradle to the Grave by Jet Li in 2003, and the Crow Wicked Player alongside Edward Furlong and Dennis Hopper in 2005.
Politics and Council
In his home place of Huntington Beach, Ortiz ran as a city council representative in 2020. He had aspirations of becoming the city’s mayor. On 5 November that year, Ortiz was awarded a seat amongst the winners. The following month, on 7 December, he was made the Mayor Pro Tempore of the city.
On 30 November 2020, Ortiz led a protest against the “curfew breaker” regulations being set in place in the fight against coronavirus. The protest took place on the Huntington Beach pier. In May last year word got released that Ortiz had filed for unemployment and officially resigned from his position as Mayor Pro Tempore on 1 June 2021.
Ortiz has been a long-standing supporter of Donald Trump. This is highlighted in his slogan of “Make Huntington Beach Safe Again” which mimicked the wording and rationale behind Trump’s previous “Make America Great Again” campaign. He openly spoke up about his beliefs about coronavirus, referred to as “the flu,” and the rules and regulations surrounding the pandemic.
Ortiz was once refused to be served by TK Burgers for refusing for entering the premises without a mask. He took to social media to share this experience. Later, he apologized in hopes that it would not taint the business.
Personal Life
Ortiz has had some success with playing poker, although he says he only plays for fun. He came 22nd at the No-Limit Hold’em Pokerstars Main Event in Panama for a buy-in of $5,300. He’s also taken place in several privately run tournaments, as well as having appeared on Shark Cage and the Live at the Bike poker series.
Legal Matters
Having been arrested on 6 January 2014 for DUI breaches, we were given a three-year probation period, along with a fine and an offer to take part in an educational program for alcohol use.
Life Today
Alongside all of the busyness of acting, fighting, entrepreneurship, and game development, Tito carries out his work alongside children. He’s involved in working with inner-city kids to help them remain in school, stay away from crime, and shoot for their goals in life. His foundation works in conjunction with charities, raising funds to help support athletic programs within the schools in the area.
