UFC Star Tito Ortiz on Fitness, Fighting, Family & Punishment

The Huntington Beach Bad Boy, Tito Ortiz, isn’t at all what most would expect him to be. Sure he’s a Championship UFC Fighter with a fondness for punishment, but he’s also a dedicated father with a high priority on education. No really, you’ll be surprised to hear what his rules are for his kids. Tito sat down with Fitzness to talk about everything including: bleeding, business, a diverse training routine, food, his father and his future. Oh – and if you’re trying to build insane endurance (in case, for example … you needed to survive a fight with another highly skilled giant man who wanted to take your head off) check out his unique training technique.

Fitzness: What made you get into MMA in the first place?

Tito Ortiz: I started back in 1997 after wrestling in high school and college.  A guy by the name of Tank Abbot needed a wrestling partner to train for MMA, so I became his training partner.  I saw a guy by the name of Jerry Bohlander in UFC who I had whooped in wrestling in high school.  I figured, if he can do it, why can’t I?  At UFC 13 on May 30, 1997 I got my first chance and the fight stopped in 22 seconds.  In the finals I fought an American who happened to be the Japanese champion and I lost by submission.  I had done well to that point and made him bleed, so they stopped the fight.  When they started again, he got me into a submission.

After the fight, there was something that kind of caught on to me that I loved about it.  I had gone to college to be a high school teacher and coach because I wanted to work with kids and be a role model.  I only had my parents who were addicted to drugs and living on the streets.  I figured, instead of being there for 30-40 kids in a classroom, I’d get to influence millions of kids across the world by being a pro fighter in UFC

Fitzness: How did you get the nickname, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy?”

Tito: It was an alias given to me by my peers.  I grew up in Huntington Beach during the punk rock years.  I was the kid who didn’t really have anyone around to tell me what to do, so I pretty much did what I wanted to … and spoke the truth, which carried into UFC.  I never thought of the repercussions that would come from being so outspoken.  I just believed that I was representing myself.   People always said I was a boy playing a man’s game, and I was.  After six months of training I had my first fight.  Then a year and a half later I became the world champion.  I believe that was a product of hard work and dedication.  As far as my bad boy image, it just progressed more and more and more with my bleached hair and flames on my shorts.  I had that confidence not cockiness on my side.  Being brash sold and I saw more opportunity to have that bad boy image.

Fitzness: I see you have your own clothing line Punishment Clothing, what got you started in fashion and how has it been going?

Tito: After a fight, I had fans asking me if I had a shirt or anything that I could sign for them and I didn’t.  I went home from that same fight and my brother Marty said, “Wow man, you punished that guy.”  That got me to thinking I should put Punishment on shirts with titoortiz.com on the bottom.  By 1999 I had gotten the Punishment Trademark.  It is now a multi-million dollar company with clothes, gyms, and training facilities, but most of all it’s a lifestyle.  Everyone thinks that Punishment is vicious, but it can mean anything.  Everyone goes through punishment, whether it is with work, friends or even relationships.  It’s anything that happens in life that people can learn from and become better because of it.  Sometimes you have to subdue some punishment to be successful in life.  This brand is very tight to my heart and it’s just me.  I funded it all myself and I have five people working very hard for me.  It’s something for me to fall back on, because I won’t fight my whole life.

Fitzness: Most, if not all MMA fighters are in great shape.  What is your fitness regiment like?

Tito: I train six days a week, run three miles a day, spar, wrestle, Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing and boxing.  I put in about an eight hour day 5-6 days a week.  It’s definitely a full time job trying to do all of this, but at the same time doing my clothing line, running my gym and of course family time as well.  It’s hard, but I know I need to put in the punishment now in order to receive all of the “Punishment” it will give me.

Fitzness: Do you do anything out of the ordinary that some people might not think of?

Tito: I go through all of my physical training, weight training and plyometrics all while wearing a gas mask and it is extremely hard.  Trying to work out with a gas mask on and going five, 5-minute rounds is very difficult.

Fitzness: What do you eat on a normal day?

Tito I eat sushi, sandwiches, pretty much everything while drinking lots of water and Gatorade.  The main things I stay away from are fried foods, soda, ice cream and candy.

Fitzness: Eating and fitness wise, what do you do differently before a fight, maybe 2-3 days before?

Tito: I cut my meals almost in half, a little more than half.  I walk around at 225, but I fight at 205 so I deplete my body of water.  I make sure I eat fruit, because carbohydrates are really important.  I realize that what I put in my body is what I’m going to weigh.  So I cut my meals down a little bit and just make sure I watch what I eat.  I don’t eat high carb or high starch foods late at night because they generally turn into sugar and fat in the body.  So, I keep it high protein, low carbs and low sugar at night.  I eat high carbs and sugars early in the day so I can burn them off as the day goes on.  In general cut down on food and not eat too much.

Fitzness: What was your greatest moment as an MMA Fighter?

Tito: It was great beating Wanderlei Silva for the world title after only a year and a half of competition, and then being the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion in UFC History.

Fitzness: What are your plans Post-MMA?

Tito: I’ll continue with my Punishment brand, gyms and training centers and try to branch them out across the US.  I want my Punishment Nutrition Brand to be out there and help people be healthy and stay healthy.  Also, I want to start acting classes; I think I could do well in some action films.  As long as I put as much effort into acting as I did into MMA, I think I can be very successful.

Fitzness: Any advice for aspiring MMA fighters?

Tito: If you work hard, you can walk the same path I did in terms of fighting.  Whenever you think it’s hard, it only gets harder, and just try to prevail through anything people say you can’t do.  Also, always remember it’s a business and once you stop thinking this is a business, you’re going to get lost amongst the better fighters. You should try to make yourself a brand.  You can look at people like Hulk Hogan and Muhammad Ali, and their expertise of boxing and wrestling.  My expertise is MMA and that’s what makes Tito Ortiz.

Fitzness: If you could pick one thing, what do you feel is the best part about being a dad?

Tito: Being everything that my father wasn’t to me.

Fitzness: How has being a father altered your career and approach to MMA?

Tito: It altered my future in MMA by just trying to make sure my kids have everything I never had as a kid, with regards to money, support and love.  Just trying to be there for them as much as possible and give them the future I never had.  I want to give them good schooling; my son Jacob is nine now and he has been in private school since day one and he’s very intelligent.  He understands business and what education is about.  Education is always number one, and although he’s only nine years old, he’s already talking about where he’s going to wrestle in college.  I also have two other boys that are two years old and I want to be able to support them financially and lovingly as well.  I know there will be a lot of people that will be reading this and fathers in general that didn’t have a father like that either.  That’s why I’m most thankful for MMA and UFC.  They provided me with this opportunity to make myself a brand and provide my family with everything that I never had as a kid.  It all comes down to being lovingly and financially supportive of my boys.

Fitzness: What three main lessons do you want to pass onto your boys?

Tito: I always preach to them don’t lie, don’t cheat and don’t steal, always be very very respectful, and be the best person that you can be.

Fitzness: How would you feel if any of them were to go into MMA?

Tito: My son Jacob is 9 and is a wrestler already.  He says he wants to be an MMA fighter, but we have a deal.  I’ll ask him the deal and he’ll say, “Okay Dad, I understand that I have to get my Masters Degree before I fight in MMA”.  That will give him an opportunity to get educated, finish college and get his masters.  Just in case something were to happen he’s got something to fall back on.

Fitzness: I’ve asked you a lot of questions, is there anything else that you would like people to know about you?

Tito: Being the father I am to my boys, I like giving back.  I’ve been to Iraq four times for the USO and I give back to the troops.  I believe they’re the ones who make our world great and most of them fight for us so we have this United States.  I’m a giving person and a thoughtful person and people shouldn’t believe the headlines, because you have to read the chapter before you finish the book.

From all of us here at Fitzness, we wish Tito Ortiz the best of luck in UFC 132 vs. Ryan Bader.

Also, be sure to follow Tito Ortiz on twitter: @titoortiz

Interview conducted by Alexander Kenney