In a recent interview, mixed martial arts legend and UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz appeared to have a momentary lapse while recalling the timeline of his educational years.
While discussing his childhood and educational background, Ortiz, who celebrated his 50th birthday this January, hesitated when trying to sequence the years of his junior high and high school education.
“So um 87 we we moved to honeycomb back to honeycomb beach,” Ortiz explained. “And then um I did my uh junior high school 87 um 88 and…”
At this point, Ortiz paused, seemingly unsure of what year followed 88, before continuing, “nine or 90… 87 88 and then uh nine or… 89 I started my freshman year in high school.”
The brief numerical confusion stands in contrast to Ortiz’s recent advocacy for UFC involvement in law enforcement training.
Earlier this week, Ortiz expressed strong support for newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel’s controversial proposal to implement UFC-led training programs for FBI agents.
“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” Ortiz said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “But make sure you get the right fighters.”
Ortiz highlighted his own extensive experience training law enforcement personnel, noting that from 2000 to 2005, he helped train California Highway Patrol officers, and from 2005 to 2011, he trained special forces in Iraq during summers. Currently, Ortiz says he works with Homeland Security and the Lee County Sheriff’s office in Florida.
The former UFC champion emphasized that such training would focus on safe subduing techniques rather than offensive combat. “It’s not really supposed to be as a fight, as if you’re gonna punch and kick anybody,” Ortiz explained, “but to subdue a person down to the ground to put handcuffs on them the safe way for both persons.”
Ortiz stressed that consistency would be crucial for any FBI training program involving UFC fighters. “It has to be continuous,” he noted. “It’s just repetition. Doing it over and over becomes muscle memory. Having muscle memory, you don’t even have to think about it. You don’t even have to act on it. It just becomes a reaction.”
The proposed partnership between the FBI and UFC isn’t entirely surprising, given UFC CEO Dana White’s well-documented friendship with President Donald Trump, who appointed Patel to lead the bureau.
