Dana White Confirms Tito Ortiz Will Be Inducted into Hall of Fame Before UFC 148

Tito Ortiz has stated that he plans for his UFC 148 bout against Forrest Griffin to be his last in the promotion.

After a long and storied career which saw him defend his light heavyweight title five times, there is nothing left for Ortiz to prove in the UFC cage. 

However, before he steps foot in the octagon on July 7th, he'll be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as confirmed by UFC President Dana White after the UFC 150 press conference in Denver, Colorado. 

Ortiz will be the ninth person inducted into the hall of fame, which includes long-time rival Chuck Liddell.

Dana White told MMAWeekly.com, "He pound for pound was doing some of the most damage at a time when we were hurting...but it’s part of our history the way the storylines played out between me, Chuck and Tito. He’s definitely a part of the history of the sport.”

Fellow Bleacher Report writer Levi Nile took it upon himself to break down Tito's greatest hits in the UFC. Besides capturing and defending the UFC light heavyweight title, Ortiz also had some phenomenal moments that included a rematch with Guy Mezger and coaching opposite of his arch nemesis Ken Shamrock on The Ultimate Fighter.   

White and Ortiz had a tumultuous relationship based around fighter pay. Ortiz was once the most marketable fighter in the sport and wanted to be compensated as such. White, as the promoter of the UFC, was always at odds with Ortiz about how much he was worth to the UFC. 

Though his career will come to a close with Ortiz on a bit of a skid, fans should remember him for his contributions to the sport. He was responsible for some of the biggest box office draws in history, and his second fight with Liddell was the first in UFC history to break one million pay-per-view buys. 

According to MMAWeekly.com, the plan is for Ortiz to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the UFC Fan Expo that week.

Hopefully, Ortiz will continue to train and work with younger fighters after he retires. He is a heck of a coach, and by all accounts one of the most fan-friendly fighters in the sport.