UFC champion Tito Ortiz is leaving California for Florida, blames Gavin Newsom

UFC champion Tito Ortiz never wanted to leave his home state of California.

Born and raised in Huntington Beach, he became a local leader as a councilman and later mayor pro tempore of the city.

This is where he built his life as a mixed martial arts star.

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But now, at age 51, with a family, Ortiz thought it was not a feasible place to raise her children.

“I never wanted to leave California. But I left because of the crime, the fraud and the growing threat to my children’s safety. Like millions of other parents, I made the difficult decision to move my family to Florida – not for opportunity, but for protection. No parent should ever be forced to flee their home state to keep their children safe,” Ortiz told Pakinomist Digital.

Ortiz blames Gov. Gavin Newsom for the conditions that pushed his family out of the state.

“Gavin Newsom’s failures didn’t start in Sacramento. He helped destroy San Francisco and then exported the same disastrous policies across the country. The result is undeniable: exploding crime, rampant fraud, lawless streets, unaffordable housing, crushed small businesses and families who no longer feel safe in their own communities,” he added.

“California cannot survive any more of the same.”

Newsom’s office responded to Ortiz’s criticism in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.

“We’re not sure who Tito Ortiz is, but we wish him luck. Goodbye!” Newsom’s office said.

Ortiz, nicknamed “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is a trailblazing UFC Hall of Famer and former light heavyweight champion. He held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from April 2000 to September 2003, defending it five times.

He finished his professional MMA career with a record of 21-12-1 and had his last fight in 2019.

Now, far from inspiring change in his home state, he’s hoping to endorse Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for California governor in 2026.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom backtracked on his office’s comments slamming ICE agents during a podcast interview. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

For Ortiz, the defining feature inspiring his endorsement is Bianco’s handling of the 2020 COVID-19 quarantine, when the sheriff refused to enforce certain lockdown protocols under Newsom’s leadership.

“Sheriff Chad Bianco is not a career politician. He is a proven leader of courage and integrity,” Ortiz said.

“In 2020, when Gavin Newsom ruled by decree and used fear as a weapon, Sheriff Bianco stood up and refused to enforce unconstitutional lockdowns. He defended churches, small businesses and the basic rights of Californians.

“Everyone can speak. Sheriff Bianco acted. When it mattered most, he stood with the people, not the political elite. He has earned my vote, my support and my trust. California deserves leadership that will fight back, restore law and order and put families first again.”

Ortiz joins former UFC fighter and California native Dan Henderson, who told Pakinomist Digital in November that he supports Bianco.

“It was kind of a blessing that he didn’t shut everything down as long as we were responsible for everything. I kind of admired how he handled that whole situation,” Henderson said.

“A lot of business owners would have gone out of business, and maybe even worse, in terms of losing a lot of the things they had, if he had shut down the whole business like the governor wanted. … It was more common sense. He didn’t panic and think the world was going to end.”

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Bianco is the front-runner for the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race in several polls, including January polls by EMC Research and Public Policy Polling.

Bianco’s biggest challenger in the upcoming race appears to be Republican Steve Hilton, who has been at or near the top of recent polls with the sheriff.

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