It’s hard to imagine the era of “cage-fighting” in which Tito Ortiz made his name. Back then, when he made his mixed martial arts debut at UFC 13, the sport could still call itself “no holds barred” fighting, as it promoted itself as a brutal, animalistic spectacle.
Those were the men, back then, who entered the Octagon not as athletes but as brawlers fired by nothing but bravado, interested only in proving their toughness and cashing a fat check at the end of it.
However, when Ortiz emerged as a star at the turn of the century, MMA was already transforming, and he led that charge as a complete athlete educated in all the disciplines that became the bedrock of the sport.
He became light heavyweight champion in 2000 and defended the belt an unprecedented five times, a feat which has earned Ortiz a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.
His coming retirement after his match against Forrest Griffin at UFC 148 in two weeks is the end of an era and will call to question other fighters from that period who will also be thinking about bowing out of the fight game.
Here’s a speculative list of those men who might be following Ortiz into retirement.