UFC legend Tito Ortiz has launched a blistering attack on Governor Gavin Newsom, claiming the leader’s ‘failures’ forced him to abandon his beloved home state.
The 51-year-old Hall of Famer, known as ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,’ sensationally revealed he has moved his family to Florida to escape ‘lawless streets.’
‘I never wanted to leave California,’ Ortiz told Fox News Digital. ‘But I left because of the crime, the fraud and the growing threat to the safety of my children.’
The former light heavyweight champion, who once served as mayor pro tempore of Huntington Beach, claimed the state has become a dangerous ‘trap’ for families.
He insisted the move across the country was a matter of survival rather than a search for a new career, citing a desperate need to find ‘protection’ for his kids.
‘Like millions of other parents, I made the difficult decision to move my family to Florida – not for opportunity, but for protection,’ the MMA icon explained.
UFC legend Tito Ortiz has launched a blistering attack on Governor Gavin Newsom, claiming the leader’s ‘failures’ forced him to abandon his beloved home state
Ortiz did not hold back in his assessment of Newsom, accusing the Governor of ‘exporting’ failure from San Francisco to the rest of the Golden State recently
‘No parent should ever be forced to flee their home state to keep their children safe,’ Ortiz added, noting that he had spent his entire life in Huntington Beach.
Ortiz did not hold back in his assessment of Newsom, accusing the Governor of ‘exporting’ failure from San Francisco to the rest of the Golden State recently.
‘Gavin Newsom’s failures didn’t start in Sacramento,’ the fighter claimed. ‘He helped devastate San Francisco, then exported those same disastrous policies statewide.’
He described a California in terminal decline, plagued by ‘exploding crime, rampant fraud, lawless streets, unaffordable housing, and crushed small businesses.’
‘California cannot survive more of the same,’ he added. Ortiz warned that families no longer feel safe in the communities they have lived in for several decades.
Newsom’s office issued a stinging, dismissive response to the MMA icon’s public departure. ‘We’re not sure who Tito Ortiz is, but we wish him well. Bye!’ it read, according to Fox News.
Despite the snub, Ortiz is already working to influence the state’s future from afar. He has officially endorsed Sheriff Chad Bianco for Governor in 2026.
Ortiz praised Bianco as a ‘proven leader’ who famously refused to enforce Newsom’s COVID-19 lockdown orders while serving as the Riverside County Sheriff in 2020.
The former light heavyweight champion, who once served as mayor pro tempore of Huntington Beach, claimed the state has become a dangerous ‘trap’ for families.
Ortiz held the UFC light heavyweight title from 2000 to 2003, successfully defending his title five times against the toughest contenders in the world
‘In 2020, when Gavin Newsom ruled by decree and used fear as a weapon, Sheriff Bianco stood up and refused to enforce unconstitutional lockdowns,’ Ortiz said.
‘Anyone can talk. Sheriff Bianco acted. When it mattered most, he stood with the people, not the political elite. He has earned my vote and my endorsement.’
Ortiz joins fellow UFC star Dan Henderson in backing the Sheriff. Henderson called it a ‘blessing’ that Bianco used ‘common sense’ to keep local businesses open.
The ‘Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ remains one of the most influential figures in the history of the UFC, having helped propel the sport into the global mainstream.
Ortiz held the UFC light heavyweight title from 2000 to 2003, successfully defending his title five times against the toughest contenders in the world.
The former champion finished his professional mixed martial arts career with a record of 21-12-1, competing in his final professional fight during late 2019.
Beyond the cage, Ortiz built a business empire with his Punishment Athletics line and transitioned into local politics as a leader in his California hometown.