Kelsey McCarson
UFC Hall of Famer and former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz came under fire recently, being accused of “poisoning” people while delivering food packages to residents of Huntington Beach, California.
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” 45, last fought in December 2019 when submitted Alberto El Patrón in the first round during Combate Americas 51. Although he has not formally retired, the fighter has begun a new stage in his life.
Ortiz, an avid supporter of President Donald Trump, was elected to Huntington Beach’s city council in November. On Wednesday, Ortiz participated in a food giveaway at the Oak View Community Center parking lot, which is on the property of the Ocean View School District, the LA Times reported.
“As a kid growing up, a couple of my buddies lived in this neighborhood and I lived downtown,” Ortiz said via LA Times. “It felt like I fit in here, and I’ve always gave to charity every Christmas-time … It was a good opportunity.”
While handing out food, Ortiz did not wear a mask and was met by a group of protestors. The Huntington Beach Bad Boy has made it clear that he has an anti-mask and anti-COVID-19 vaccination stance, which has made headlines the past few weeks, including refusing to wear a mask at City Hall.
The Ocean View School District has a strict mask policy, requiring individuals who are on the property to wear one. The Huntington Beach Bad Boys and protestors got into a heated verbal exchange and it was caught on camera. Watch below:
This is a snippet of a heated conversation between Tito Ortiz and a Huntington Beach resident from earlier today. Police were eventually called.
In an interview with CBS Los Angeles, Gina Clayton-Tarvin, who serves on the Board of Trustees for Ocean View, said, “Having close contact with little children like [Ortiz] did today and leaning into strollers and into car windows with no mask on is unacceptable to us. This is a public health emergency.”
ALL the latest UFC news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on UFC newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on UFC Newsletter!
Ortiz Was Accused of Handing Out ‘Poisoned’ Food to Residents
After the distribution event, Ortiz took to Twitter to reveal that a protestor was using a loudspeaker to warn residents that the former champ was giving out “poisoned” food.
“People are going ‘What’s going on?’ and there’s a guy with a loudspeaker, telling people in Spanish that I’m poisoning them,” Ortiz said via Low Kick MMA. “I’m trying to give them poison food. Don’t accept food from me. All my fans know how much I give back during Christmas time and for him to do that is embarrassing.“
Follow the Heavy on UFC Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Ortiz Is on a 3-Fight Win Streak, Including a KO Over Chuck Liddell
GettyTito Ortiz is interviewed at the UFC Hall of Fame’s class of 2018 induction ceremony at Palms Casino Resort on July 5, 2018.
The Huntington Beach Bad Boy is on the best win streak of his career since the mid-2000s. He is currently 3-0 in his last three bouts, defeating Alberto El Patron, Chuck Liddell and Chael Sonnen. He is also 5-1 in his last six bouts, defeating Stephan Bonnar and Alexander Shlemenko and losing to Liam McGeary.
Ortiz has a professional MMA record of 21-12-1, with 10 wins coming via KO/TKO, five via submission and six via decision.
READ NEXT: UFC’s Michael Bisping Slams Ex-Champ: ‘Now He’s Sparring Girls’