Tito Ortiz Gives a Farewell to MMA Jiu-Jitsu Style

Bellator 170, the Fabulous Forum, Los Angeles CA set the scene for the final appearance of UFC hall of famer and MMA legend Tito Ortiz.  In a main event that pitted two competitors with a shared history on the wrestling mats, it was jiu-jitsu that shared the spotlight and sent  Tito off to his storybook ending with a rear naked choke in the first round against Chael Sonnen.

Although Tito’s fighting style was never really considered heavy in submission attempts/finishes, he has always maintained his perseverance of working on his jiu-jitsu skills.  And for the lead up to what is generally believed to be his final MMA appearance, that statement rang true.  When asked about working on his jiu-jitsu at

Bellator 170’s post fight press conference (click here), he stated that he had been influenced by the Diaz brothers workout regime and worked very closely with Scott Carr, Rapheal Davis and even BJ Penn to tighten up his positional control and to look for potential submission opportunities.

On behalf of Jiu-Jitsu Magazine, we congratulate you and kindly thank you for all the memories of your hall of fame career.  We couldn’t have thought of a better way to go out.

[All photos courtesy of Bellator MMA]