Email  Print  del.icio.us  digg  yahoo!  Comments  Feed

HometownCelebrity

The Tyrant

Tito Ortiz is a UFC Legend and is one of the most recognizable names in the sport. Know as the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”, Tito is set to prove that he’s feeling 100% and still has three to four more years left in him. He is 0-4-1 in his last five fights in the octagon, but says that he has not felt this good in a long, long time.

Born in January 1975, Tito made his UFC debut in 1997 and was the Lightweight Heavyweight Champion from 2000 to 2003. Winless since 2006, Ortiz was finally granted with a contender he requested – he is set to fight Antônio Rogério Nogueira March 26th in Seattle, Washington. He’ll headline UFC Fight Night 24 on Spike TV.

We sat down with Tito at his brand new Team Punishment Training Center in Huntington Beach and he opened up about his love for Huntington Beach, his family, UFC and his entrepreneurial drive.

Favorite Restaurant:
Sushi on Fire in downtown HB. It’s some of the best sushi! People say I brag about it too much, but it is the best in the world. I’ve been all over the world and I’ve never had better sushi. The best sushi in the world, in the world! I’ve been to Japan, Dubai, New York, Florida and it is the best. It’s the rolls, the freshness, flavor, texture and the taste of the sauces is amazing.

What is something only a local would know about Orange County?
Huntington Beach is probably one of the safest cities in the United States and HBPD does an awesome job at protecting our city. I believe in the ‘90s HB was ranked number one as the safest cities in the US for three years running. Due to HBPD for doing an awesome job and that’s one of the things people don’t realize it and that’s why I’ve stayed here is because crime is zero, the weather is beautiful year-round and Huntington Beach is like no other.

How’d you get the name Tito?
It was a nickname by my father and it stuck. I was a little tyrant as a kid and ‘Tito’ means tyrant. My real name is Jacob, but nobody really calls me that anymore. My son’s name is Jacob and he loves it, but says his name’s Jake now. It’s funny though because Jacob in the Bible wrestled against an angel and was saved by him and there’s a story behind that and wresting is what saved me, so there’s a story behind that. My eight year old son Jacob wrestles now and he loves it. He came up to me and said, “Dad, I think God put me on this Earth to wrestle.” It touched me so much because I gave him my name Jacob and he’s taking wrestling like how I took wrestling. p>

Is your son built like you?
Like a little spark plug. He has a little length to him now and he’s getting taller, but only being eight he has a lot more to grow muscular. Our twin boys, Journey and Jesse; Journey actually has a body just like me and he’s 19 months and Jesse is more of a football player. As they grow, maybe they’ll get into wrestling when they’re older.

Most memorable fight to date?
When I won my world title and I beat Wanderlei Silva. That fight and when I fought Ken Shamrock the first time to defend my world title. Those two fights got to go hand-in-hand, because I became a world champion and I dominated against a guy that’s a huge name in Mixed Martial Arts.

To date, who has hit you the hardest?
Wanderlei Silva when I fought him for the world title. He hit me so hard it felt like the earth spun upside down and I remember running away saying, “Recover, recover, recover,” and I recovered and I ended up getting the takedown and I pulled off the decision. When he hit me, it was like a ton of bricks just hit me. It was by far the hardest hit!

Biggest accomplishment to date:
Being an entrepreneur as I am today by starting the clothing company and making something out of nothing. I have great fans worldwide! I overlook everything; we started the brand in ’99.

People see Punishment and they think of pain. Every person no matter what you do for work - if it’s either waking up at six in the morning to go to a desk job and being there until five in the afternoon, you’re doing punishment because you have to wake up and push the alarm and say, “God, I have to go to work today,” or a construction worker that pounds nails everyday. I’ve been there too myself or a guy as myself that’s in the gym eight hours a day, six days a week, I’m going through punishment. I prepare myself for the worst so the best will happen.

We punish ourselves to punish our opponents. I believe it’s a lifestyle and it’s a brand of punishment and I live and stick by it. I stand by it 100%!

Are you scared of anyone?
I’m not scared of no one.

What are you afraid of?
I’m afraid of being broke. Not having enough money to take care of my family and that’s why I drive to be an entrepreneur and the businessman that I am and work as hard as I am.

What’s the biggest misconception that people have about you?
People mistake the person that’s inside the cage compared to the person outside the cage. When I’m in the cage fighting, I’m fighting for survival - it’s a survival mode. I say some hostile things sometimes and things that are on my mind against the opponent, but it’s strictly against my opponent and no more than that.

Then there’s the businessman – I am kind, I work with the troops by going over to Iraq, I work with a lot of charities like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I’m the normal man that wants to give back to society and that’s who I really am! But, when it’s fight time, I talk a game. I sell tickets and the ‘Bad Boy image,’ I think a lot of people buy into that a little too much. That’s not who I am and my true friends know who I really am. You have to understand there is a big difference between the person that fights in the cage and the person outside the cage who’s a businessman, father, entrepreneur and I’ve worked really hard to get to where I’m at today. Honesty, truth and have loyalty is number one to me.

Does Jenna (married to Jenna Jameson) go to your fights and what are her thoughts on it?
She was a big fan before we were dating, but she gets a little afraid now. She knows I’m capable and I’ve been doing it for a long time and I fought against the best fighters in the world. I know there’s still fear in her eyes when I’m competing because the sport is very vicious and very dangerous, but I’m in great shape.

What’s your worst injury?
It wasn’t in the octagon during a fight, it was in training. I’ve had a torn ACL, but that’s not the worse one. I think the worse one was getting slammed on my head before I fought Forrest Griffin the last time and I had a ruptured disk, C6 C7 and they had to go in and infuse it. I fought with it without having surgery, I probably shouldn’t of, but I couldn’t pull out two weeks before the fight. They built it up so much and I wasn’t going to back down.

Did you ever think back in the day that UFC would be as popular as it is today?
100%! In my time of fighting, I thought if I had the chance to expose what it truly is I knew it would be. Thanks to Spike TV, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertita working as hard as they do to make the company to what it is. Putting in the money to give us fighters the opportunity to fight on the stage that we do and to show people what Mixed Martial Arts is really about. It’s a big circle, we all help each other.

Who’s the best active fighter today?
Best active fighter today hands down has to be George St. Pierre. I really, really look up to the guy and he’s a tremendous spokesperson for the sport, a great champion and he shows what hard work does.

Do you think your fight against Antônio Rogério Nogueira will be your last fight of your career?
No way! I have at least three or four years left in me. I’m only 35, Randy Couture started his career at 34 and he’s fighting at 46 and still kicking people’s asses. I want to get at least three to four more years and another run at the title. Now that I’m injury free, I’m able to wrestle.

Actually yesterday I was wrestling with one of the kids (Morgan McIntosh) over at Calvary Chapel High School who’s the returning state champion. The kid is a phenomenal athlete and it shows that I have been lacking wrestling and I know I have to get back to my base of wrestling. Now that I’m healed and healthy and working with him really helps.

How’d you match up with Morgan?
His Head Coach Jake Harmon told me about him and said that he is a 190 pound phenom. When I mean phenom, I’m not underestimating, the kid is an animal! He’s getting a full ride to Penn State, he’s #1 in the nation right now in high school, but being 18, he’s wresting around with little boys - he’s a man amongst boys.

Even when I was in high school, and I was at my top, the kid is just phenomenal. I’m in awe for him; I’m one of the top guys in UFC as a fighter and I’m talking about a high school kid. He’s for real and he shows what hard work and dedication can achieve. He’s only going to make me better and it’s pretty cool that that an 18 year old is making me better.

Are you feeling 100% right now?
100%! The last three weeks I was at Cerritos Junior College before their season ended and there’s a kid there, Jose Lopez and he’s the returning state champion as a heavyweight. And by wrestling with him, he’s 286 pounds, the kid is a big, big kid and to be able to throw him around and for him to throw me around and not have any problems with my neck or lower back shows that I am ready.

So, going through a full month with them and now starting my first week at Calvary, this is the first time in six and a half years that I’ve been able to wrestle for a month and a half straight without having problems with my neck or back. I’m really happy and very motivated and now that my gym is open, it’s helping even more.

What’s your workout consist of in preparation for a fight?
I box and kick box at noon, then I have a little break. I go over to Lunar Health & Wellness for the CVAK Machine, it’s an altitude simulation machine, and then I have a little meal. Then I go to Calvary to do some wrestling, then I come back to have another little meal and then I go back to Lunar Health & Wellness and do the CVAK for a little longer and then I come back to the gym and lift weights for about two hours, then I go home to run four miles. After that I eat dinner and my night’s done about midnight. That same routine is six days a week.

What are your eating habits like? I see that you enjoy your Jack in the Box special.
But at Jack in the Box, I’m eating Grilled Chicken Strips and I get the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl. You have to understand, I’m burning 3,500 calories a day and have to intake at least 4,000 to keep my weight on and it’s hard. I don’t eat enough, but I try and eat as much as possible. I try to stay away from sodas, fried foods and no ice cream – all the bad stuff. Fried foods are really, really bad and I don’t touch it.

When’s the new gym opening up?
Opening January 1st. It’s a 5,000 square foot full-training studio, with Muay Thai, Cardio, Boxing, Wresting, and Jiu-Jitsu classes. We’ll possibly do some Cross-fit classes, just something to keep people in shape and that’s our main goal and for people wanting to lose weight. We’ll have some kid’s classes, because there are kids that want to do Wresting and Jiu-Jitsu.

Will you be teaching the classes?
Yea, I’ll be teaching at least three days a week, both public and private.

Something about you that many don’t know?
I’m a sensitive guy. I’m an average ‘cat’ that works hard just like anyone else outside the octagon. I try to see myself as an average person and it’s hard to do sometimes when I go out in public. I just work super hard and I expect the world to come to me as long as I work for it.

What’s your most prized possession that you’ve purchased?
My Rolls Royce Phantom. I’ve always wanted it ever since 1994 when I saw Snoop Dog with one and told myself that I’m going to get myself one of them one day. I got it 2007.

Life after UFC:
Manage my own company and groom more Tito Ortiz’s and hopefully open more Punishment Training Centers. And, to be a good role model to all the kids and that’s what I think it’s really about.

Where do you see the UFC in 20 years from now?
Taking over the world! There’s so much more it can do.

Would you like to see UFC on ESPN one day?
If it can be on ESPN it would be nice, but I think it comes down to giving the fans the opportunity to watch it and UFC does that for them.

MORE HOMETOWN CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS:

//Gretchen Rossi of The Real Housewives of Orange County