Despite numerous teases of retirement, Tito Ortiz just can’t seem to keep himself away from the mixed martial arts (MMA) game.
According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has inked a multi-fight deal with the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is expected to make his promotional debut this fall, but no opponent has been named as of this writing.
The news was first reported by Fansided’s Amy Kaplan, who caught video of Ortiz signing his deal:
At 44 years old, Ortiz is currently on a two-fight win streak. He was, at one point, on a three-fight losing streak during his final days in the UFC, leaving the promotion in 2012. In 2014, Ortiz signed with Bellator MMA, going on a two-fight win streak before suffering his first loss under the promotion’s banner to Liam McGeary for the light heavyweight title.
Two years later, Ortiz returned to face Chael Sonnen in 2017. He won the fight with his longtime rival via first-round submission. Ortiz contemplated retirement after his rear-naked choke victory, but again came back out to fight this past November. He controversially fought 49-year-old Chuck Liddell, Ortiz’s former UFC rival, in the Golden Boy MMA debut show fronted by Oscar De La Hoya.
Ortiz brutalized Liddell with a first-round knockout, against an “Iceman” who looked like he had absolutely no business being inside the cage. He again teased retirement after the fight, but has now opted to continue on with Combate Americas.
