UFC pioneer Tito Ortiz in select company

One day when a history book is written about the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a chapter will be devoted solely to Tito Ortiz's tumultuous career.

It will be a long chapter.

Ortiz, who will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on Saturday morning, hours before his farewell fight against Las Vegan Forrest Griffin at UFC 148 at the MGM Grand Garden, will go down as perhaps the most important fighter in the company's rise from irrelevance to a global phenomenon.

The 37-year-old made his debut at UFC 13 in 1997, three years before the current ownership took over the company. Ortiz held the light heavyweight title from 2000 until 2003, still the division's longest reign, when UFC president Dana White and the Fertitta brothers were trying to stay afloat in the fight-promoting business.

While Ortiz is one of the key figures responsible for the UFC staying in business and becoming one of the biggest success stories in sports, he is much more proud of overcoming a troubled youth that included drug-addicted parents and the omnipresent influence of Southern California gangs.

"I want people to remember me as an inspiration," Ortiz said. "Look at me and know you can get through anything in life and succeed no matter what God gives you and tries to challenge you with, no matter how people try to sidetrack you, you're able to find the target and continue on to your dream. I dreamed of being the best UFC fighter to ever grace the octagon, and I think I achieved that in my 15-year career."

He has been far from great the past few years as he has dealt with the evolution of the sport, age and injuries. He is 1-6-1 in his past eight fights but has maintained one of the most loyal fan bases in mixed martial arts.

White hasn't always been among Ortiz's supporters.

Ortiz has had a rocky relationship with the UFC president, who was his manager before taking over the organization. Ortiz's opinions on pay and fighter treatment, among other issues, marked much of the second half of his career.

The relationship became so strained that the company let Ortiz go for a short period in 2003 and again following his 2008 loss to Lyoto Machida, after which UFC officials barred Ortiz from the postfight news conference.

"It's been a crazy ride with Tito, but I'm the one that made the choice to put Tito in the Hall of Fame, and he absolutely deserves it," White said. "Before Season 1 of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' Tito Ortiz was definitely the biggest star in the UFC. We had guys like Chuck (Liddell) and (Randy) Couture and everything else, but Tito was the biggest star."

Ortiz would prefer to focus on his final fight, the conclusion of a rubber match with Griffin in which each fighter has won a split decision. He says his relationship with White is at least civil these days and admits he made mistakes in dealing with the company.

Ortiz wouldn't take back what he has done to promote how his fellow fighters are treated, however, and said he is proud of whatever help he has provided.

"All the fighters (appreciate) what I have done; they are just scared to say it publicly," Ortiz said. "It was never anything against Dana White or the UFC. I was just saying what I believed in. Strictly business."

There is no doubt what Ortiz did in the cage, including famous rivalries with fellow Hall of Famers Liddell and Couture, helped elevate the sport to unprecedented heights in the mid-2000s.

"He will always be remembered as a great fighter and the big star in the early Zuffa days," said Liddell, who knocked out Ortiz in both of their fights. "Our rivalry was very important to the sport. He may have stayed around too long, but you can't take away how great he was."

Ortiz will be the eighth fighter and ninth total inductee to make the UFC Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place Saturday morning at the UFC Fan Expo at Mandalay Bay.

"Tito Ortiz's contributions to this sport are extremely far-reaching," said Chael Sonnen, who will fight Anderson Silva for the middleweight title in Saturday's main event. "Not only was he the world champion for years and defended that belt a number of times, but he inspired the next generation of fighters. I'm one of them.

"Mark Munoz (middleweight contender) openly will admit he got into the sport after watching Tito live one night. Tito's contributions are incredible, and he will be remembered for a very long time."

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.