MMA Legend Tito Ortiz Calls it Quits

Saturday was a bitter sweet day for MMA legend Tito Ortiz. On the plus side, he was inducted into the MMA Hall of Fame, an honor much deserved for one of the sports first superstars. On the downside, he was beaten pretty bad in his final fight by Forrest Griffin.

Yes, folks, I said final. Tito Ortiz has officially retired from fighting.

Ortiz basically did not have a chance against Griffin who did everything right, easily out kicking, punching, and out working the former champ. Early in the second round flashes of the Tito of old emerged when he was able to knock Griffin down. Even though he was a bit dazed, Griffin kept up a pretty solid barrage of punches and kicks on Ortiz earning him the edge on the judges scorecards when the fight ended.

Griffin has to be given a lot of credit for being a class act at the end of the fight. Rather than take the spotlight off of Ortiz he quickly left the Octagon after being announced the winner. UFC officials forced him to come back, but rather than be interviewed himself he took the microphone and interviewed Ortiz instead.

Over the span of his 15-year career that began back in 1997 Ortiz has fought in 28 matches, winning 16 of them (eight by knockout, three by submission, and five by decision) , losing 11 (four by knockout, two by submission, and five by decision), and one draw.

He won his first decision while still in college in 1997 and fighting as an amateur when the referee stopped the fight against Wes Albitron at the :31 mark in the first round. Tito still holds the record for longest reign as light heavyweight champion holding onto the belt from April 2000 to September 2003.

(Here's one of Tito's fights against fellow MMA legend Ken Shamrock; this was the third time the two met inside the Octagon.)