In his sophomore year of high school, Ortiz began his martial arts career as a wrestler in Huntington Beach, California. Under coach Paul Herrera, Ortiz finished fourth in the state high school championships as a senior. After high school, Ortiz continued his wrestling career, winning a California state junior college title for Golden West College.
Following his stint at Golden West, Ortiz wrestled at Cal State Bakersfield. Ortiz trained with future NCAA, World, and Super Bowl champion Stephen Neal.
As a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003, Ortiz emerged as one of the sport's biggest stars, becoming the biggest pay-per-view draw of 2006 and appearing on the covers of various magazines.
On July 7, 2012, Ortiz became the ninth inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame. Tito has written a book called "THIS IS GONNA HURT - The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts champion".
