Tito Ortiz admits to holding on choke after Chael Sonnen tapped: ‘I just had that ill will’

Tito Ortiz says he held on to the choke after the finish because he had ‘ill will’ towards Chael Sonnen.

During the main event of Bellator 170, long time veterans Tito Ortiz and Chael Sonnen faced off, with the former UFC champ and Hall-of-Famer ending up with a rear naked choke finish. Apart from the odd looking finish that got people on social media buzzing, another talking point was Ortiz holding on to the choke after Sonnen tapped.

“Well, I tapped, and he didn’t let go. I’m not upset about it,” Sonnen said during the post-fight press conference. “I don’t have any ill feelings towards him. But yes, did he hold the choke after I tapped? Sure.”

Ortiz didn’t deny anything, and said he did it because of the animosity stemming from all the pre-fight trash talk between the two.

“When he was tapping, I thought he was trying to grab my hands. But I kind of held on to it, because I have ill will towards him,” Ortiz said. “But that’s just me. When someone talks about my family, my character, I have bad will towards the person. I have never done it like that before.

“I apologize to the athletic commission for holding on a little longer. I did hold on to it longer. I just had that ill will. I felt like an animal. I felt like a lion, and this lion roared, how I said I was gonna. This was my fight no matter what.”

There’s still no word if the athletic commission plans to take disciplinary action on the retiring Ortiz, but other fighters in similar situations before have been punished.

As for people questioning the somewhat odd choke, Ortiz says he’s “super strong” and doesn’t need the perfect position to finish people.

“I’m super strong. If I can get that choke, it doesn’t have to be under the chin. My core is super strong, and I just squeezed.”

Tito Ortiz says he held on to the choke after the finish because he had ‘ill will’ towards Chael Sonnen.

During the main event of Bellator 170, long time veterans Tito Ortiz and Chael Sonnen faced off, with the former UFC champ and Hall-of-Famer ending up with a rear naked choke finish. Apart from the odd looking finish that got people on social media buzzing, another talking point was Ortiz holding on to the choke after Sonnen tapped.

“Well, I tapped, and he didn’t let go. I’m not upset about it,” Sonnen said during the post-fight press conference. “I don’t have any ill feelings towards him. But yes, did he hold the choke after I tapped? Sure.”

Ortiz didn’t deny anything, and said he did it because of the animosity stemming from all the pre-fight trash talk between the two.

“When he was tapping, I thought he was trying to grab my hands. But I kind of held on to it, because I have ill will towards him,” Ortiz said. “But that’s just me. When someone talks about my family, my character, I have bad will towards the person. I have never done it like that before.

“I apologize to the athletic commission for holding on a little longer. I did hold on to it longer. I just had that ill will. I felt like an animal. I felt like a lion, and this lion roared, how I said I was gonna. This was my fight no matter what.”

There’s still no word if the athletic commission plans to take disciplinary action on the retiring Ortiz, but other fighters in similar situations before have been punished.

As for people questioning the somewhat odd choke, Ortiz says he’s “super strong” and doesn’t need the perfect position to finish people.

“I’m super strong. If I can get that choke, it doesn’t have to be under the chin. My core is super strong, and I just squeezed.”