Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz has resigned from his role as Mayor, Pro Tem, of Huntington Beach, California.
As first reported by the OC Register, Ortiz stepped down from City Council after citing unspecified threats to his family. Ortiz was elected to office last November.
Council had sought to remove Ortiz via a no confidence vote several months into his term. While that failed, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has opted to leave on his own.
Reading from a prepared statement, Ortiz said that “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.”
“From Day One, I was sworn in and I was met with hostility and judgment,” he continued. “Being a public figure, nothing is new. 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 their safety is in danger. To put it simply, this job isn’t working for me.”
Huntington Beach City Council did not respond to Ortiz’s resignation. The move came Tuesday during the first in-person meeting of the council in 2021.
Ortiz, 46, served as UFC light heavyweight champion from 2000 to 2003, defending the title five times — a record that stood until Jon Jones surpassed the mark in 2013. Ortiz last fought in 2019, defeating pro wrestler and occasional mixed martial artist Alberto El Patron (Alberto Del Rio to WWE fans) under the Combate Americas banner.
