UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz Resigns from Huntington Beach City Council

Tito Ortiz announces his resignation from the Huntington Beach City Council. pic.twitter.com/vVzsLNf9zu

— Oscar Willis (@oscarswillis) June 2, 2021

Tito Ortiz’s time as an elected official has come to an end.

The UFC Hall of Famer announced his resignation as Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem during the first in-person city council meeting of the year on Tuesday, citing media attacks against himself and his family.

“I was under the notion that I was in a bi-partisan position and that we all had a common goal that our city and our constituents could have. To put it frankly, that’s not the case,” Ortiz said, reading from a prepared statement.

“From Day 1, I was sworn in and I was met with hostility and judgment.  Being a public figure, nothing is new,” he continued. “However, to be the sole focus of character assassination each and every week, with multiple news stories and leaked personal information – all of which were in hopes to slander and defame my name.

“I thought I was up to this job, but I knew I had over 40,000 constituents who were there counting on me. As of recent, the attacks against me moved to involve my family. I now feel (that) their safety is in danger. To put it simply, this job isn’t working for me.”

Ortiz won a seat on the Huntington Beach City Council in November when he finished first in voting among 15 potential candidates. During his tenure, Ortiz took a controversial stand against wearing masks and vaccinations, and later filed an unemployment claim against the city despite continuing to earn a stipend and expense allowance as a city council member, according to the Orange County Register. Ortiz’s refusal to wear a mask led to five of the council members voting in March to keep meetings online until Tuesday’s in-person session.

After Ortiz made his announcement, the council went into recess. The remaining six members did not comment on Ortiz’s resignation when they reconvened.

Ortiz was the UFC light heavyweight champion from 2000 to 2003 and was one of the promotion’s biggest stars in its formative years thanks to rivalries with the likes of Chuck Liddell and Ken Shamrock. He was elected to the UFC Hall of Fame in 2012 but later came out of retirement to go on a 3-1 run in Bellator MMA from 2014 to 2017. He then defeated Liddell via first round KO in Golden Boy MMA’s lone event in 2018 before submitting Alberto Rodriguez in his most recent appearance at Combate Americas “Tito vs. Alberto” in December 2019.