Tito Ortiz, the legendary UFC Hall of Famer, finally wants to bury the hatchet and put decades of bad blood behind him with UFC CEO Dana White. On Wednesday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Ortiz admitted he regrets how he handled his experience with White, confirming he’s even tried to reconcile in recent years. This isn’t just some casual reflection, it’s a shocking look back at one of MMA’s most intense and personal rivalries.
The “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Looks Back
Ortiz was never shy about making enemies during his legendary MMA career. He earned that “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” nickname for reasons that went way beyond the Octagon, especially with his attitude not always aligning with those around him, most notably Dana White. White and Ortiz publicly butted heads throughout Ortiz’s entire run with the company, from 1997 to 2012. Ortiz didn’t mince words about his past actions, saying he was “a young kid” and admitted, “I said some things about him a few times that I probably shouldn’t have.” He even confessed he tried to use White’s own negotiation tactics against him, a move he now regrets, adding, “I shouldn’t have done that.” He also pointed to being “influenced by others that I shouldn’t have been influenced by,” ultimately making “some bad decisions.”
That Infamous T-Shirt and the Fight for His Future
One moment in particular stands out when Ortiz thinks about his biggest regrets with White: UFC 84 in May 2008. Before his fight against Lyoto Machida, Ortiz showed up to the weigh-ins wearing a T-shirt that famously read, “Dana is my b****.” He now says, “Wearing the T-shirt I did before the Machida fight, I probably shouldn’t have did that.” He also regrets “a few interviews that I said some things” he probably shouldn’t have. At the time, Ortiz explained he was “just trying to fight for my future as a fighter,” knowing he wouldn’t “be able to compete for the rest of my life.” He saw how big the company was going to get and was “just trying to get paid a little bit more money,” even if it meant defying White’s rule: “Don’t talk about money to the public.” For Ortiz, it was all about one thing: “I wanted to take care of my family forever.”
Now 51, Ortiz is comfortably phased out of fight life, having not competed in MMA since 2019. He now runs his own restaurant in Florida, Tito’s Cantina, and makes a living there. He still works as “a blue-collar guy now,” relying on his amazing fans and the name he made through the UFC to do public appearances and speaking gigs. You gotta wonder if he feels like things would’ve played out differently if he and White had a better relationship. Ortiz knows the opportunity the UFC gave him, but you can feel his frustration when he says, “I shouldn’t have to worry about my bills being paid, because I’ve fought my ass for 16 years for the UFC and helped them get on the” map.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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