Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is making his fighting comeback, according to a recent tweet from “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”
The last time fans watched Ortiz inside a cage was in December 2019 when he fought Alberto El Patron during Combate Americas 51: Tito vs. Alberto. It was a quick fight for The Huntington Beach Bad Boy as he submitted the professional wrestler in the first round with a rear-naked choke.
And at 46 years old, Ortiz is apparently not ready to hang up his gloves. “The fight is signed!” Ortiz tweeted on August 10, 2021. See below:
The fight is signed!
So, who is The Huntington Beach Bad Boy fighting? According to several reports, Ortiz will take on former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva during the Triller event on September 11.
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Many Former UFC Champions Have Shifted to the Boxing World
Several former UFC champions have recently entered the world of boxing, including Silva.
“The Spider” boxed Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June and defeated the former WBC middleweight champion by split decision. Tyron Woodley, who is an ex-UFC welterweight champion, is scheduled to box YouTuber Jake Paul later this month and former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will take on boxing superstar Oscar De La Hoya in September during the same card that Ortiz vs. Silva could be on.
Ortiz has never had a professional boxing bout and his MMA record currently stands at 21-12, with 10 victories coming way by KO/TKO and five by submission. On the other end, Silva has a pro boxing record of 2-1 and a MMA record of 34-11 with one no contest.
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Ortiz Is 5-1 In His Last Six Fights, Fought for Bellator Light Heavyweight Gold
It’s been a long time since The Huntington Beach Bad Boy wore UFC 205-pound gold. He won the belt in 2000 and defended the light heavyweight strap five times in a row before losing it to Randy Couture in 2003. Ortiz would continue to compete on the UFC roster for nearly another decade before briefly retiring in 2012.
The Huntington Beach Bad Boy returned to fighting in 2014, signing with Bellator. After rattling off two victories in a row, Ortiz received a title shot against then-light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary in 2015. Ortiz lost the fight by first-round submission.
Ortiz fought one more time in the promotion after his failed title bid, earning a submission victory over three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen in 2017. The next year, Ortiz met fellow ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell for the third time, fighting “The Ice Man” during Golden Boy Promotions: Liddell vs. Ortiz 3. Although Liddell had defeated Ortiz in their first two bouts back in the mid-2000s, Ortiz knocked out The Ice Man in the first round of their 2018 contest.
And in December 2019, Ortiz earned his fifth win in six outings when he choked out Patron.
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UFC Legend Tito Ortiz Announces Comeback: ‘The Fight Is Signed’