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UFC champion Tito Ortiz reveals he fled home state California because of Newsom’s leadership
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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 council member and later mayor pro tempore of the city.
It’s where he built his life as a mixed martial arts star.
Tito Ortiz (R) battles Forrest Griffin during their Light Heavyweight Fight at the UFC 106 in 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (2009 Getty Images)
But now, at age 51, with a family, Ortiz believed it was not a feasible place to raise his children.
“I never wanted to leave California. But I left because of the crime, the fraud and the growing threat to the safety of my children. 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 Fox News Digital.
Ortiz blames Gov. Gavin Newsom for the conditions that have pushed his family out of the state.
“Gavin Newsom’s failures didn’t start in Sacramento. He helped devastate San Francisco, then exported those same disastrous policies statewide. 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 more of the same.”
Newsom’s office has responded to Ortiz’s criticisms in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“We’re not sure who Tito Ortiz is, but we wish him well. Bye!” Newsom’s office said.
Ortiz, nicknamed “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is a pioneering 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 21-12-1 record and had his final fight in 2019.
Now, from afar, he hopes to inspire change in his home state by endorsing Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for California governor in 2026.
UFC LEGEND ENDORSES PRO-LAW ENFORCEMENT PICK FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: ‘WE NEED HIS STRENGTH’
Gov. Gavin Newsom walked back his office’s comments slamming ICE agents during a podcast interview. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
For Ortiz, the defining trait that inspires his endorsement is Bianco’s handling of the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, 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 with 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 fundamental rights of Californians.
“Anyone can talk. Sheriff Bianco acted. When it mattered most, he stood with the people, not the political elite. He has earned my vote, my endorsement and my trust. California deserves leadership that will fight back, restore law and order and put families first again.”
Ortiz joins fellow former UFC fighter and Californian Dan Henderson, who told Fox News Digital in November he is endorsing Bianco.
“It was kind of a blessing that he didn’t shut everything down as long as we were being responsible with everything. I kind of admired how he handled that whole situation,” Henderson said.
“A lot of business owners would have went out of business, and maybe even worse, as far as losing a lot of the things that they had, had he shut all the business down 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 frontrunner for the state’s 2026 gubernatorial election in several polls, including January polls from EMC Research and Public Policy Polling.
Bianco’s biggest challenger in the upcoming race appears to be fellow Republican Steve Hilton, who has been at or near the top of recent polls with the sheriff.
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The Nuggets are declining Jalen Pickett’s fourth-year team option for the 2026-27 season, releasing him from his contract, league sources told The Denver Post.
Former Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth drafted Pickett with the 32nd overall pick in 2023. The 6-foot-2 reserve combo guard has struggled to break into Denver’s everyday rotation throughout his first three years in the league.
His $2.41 million salary next season would’ve offered the Nuggets a sliver of cap relief, but they chose instead to move on from the former Penn State star. Monday was the deadline to make a decision on his option.
Pickett, 26, averaged 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 16.1 minutes per game last season. He appeared in 50 games, highlighted by a career-high 29-point, seven-assist performance in January to lead the Nuggets in an upset over Philadelphia without their entire starting lineup.
Pickett is shooting 38.7% from the 3-point line on two attempts per game in his first three years. He also boasts a sturdy 3.63 career assist-to-turnover ratio.
But he’s remained a deep bench option under two different head coaches in Denver, from Michael Malone to David Adelman. Booth was fired in April 2025. Then, new co-general managers Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer signed veteran point guard Tyus Jones off the buyout market late last season when the Nuggets wanted ball-handling depth. Jones received playoff minutes over Pickett during their first-round series against the Timberwolves.
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Three robberies occurred within 30 minutes of each other on Friday in Seattle, with law enforcement believing they were connected due to the timing, proximity, and similar descriptions of the suspects.
The first of three robberies began at 4:30 a.m. in the 200 block of Highland Drive near Kerry Park, when the Seattle Police Department (SPD) received reports of two men pointing guns at a man, SPD told KIRO Newsradio.
As officers arrived on scene, they located a 32-year-old man. The victim was sitting in his car when two suspects parked their car beside his and approached him with guns. The suspects ordered the victim to exit his vehicle and give them his necklace.
The victim claimed he had nothing of value, and the suspects ultimately fled in a dark sedan, possibly west on W. Highland Drive. The suspects were described as Black males, possibly in their late teens to 20s. Each suspect wore a mask and gloves, but the victim could not accurately recall what the suspects were wearing.
Second Seattle robbery came minutes after the first, this time at a store
Two minutes later, at 4:32 a.m., dispatch received a report of a robbery at a convenience store in the 1600 block of Queen Anne Avenue N. At the scene, officers made contact with a 25-year-old man.
The victims stated that two suspects entered the store, threatened them, and took money from two of the cash register drawers.
Soon after, the suspects fled the scene in a dark colored sedan. One suspect was described as a Black male in his 20s, roughly 6 feet, 2 inches tall with a medium build, wearing a mask, gloves, and dark-colored clothing. The second suspect was described as a Black male, 6 feet tall, with a medium build, wearing a mask, gloves, and dark-colored clothing.
Final robbery targeted a Beacon Hill convenience store with two victims
At 4:51 a.m., dispatch received a third report of a robbery, this time at a convenience store in the 4800 block of Beacon Avenue S.
Officers arrived and made contact with two victims, a 55-year-old man and a 24-year-old man. The SPD investigation revealed that one of the victims was in the cooler and the other was behind the counter when the two suspects first entered the store.
The victim in the cooler exited to see what was happening, then shut the door to the employee area and stayed there until it was safe to come out.
The 24-year-old victim was behind the counter when the suspect pointed a firearm at him. The suspect forced the victim to open the cash register and took the cash while the other suspect stood by the main entry door with a handgun.
Both suspects exited the store and fled the scene in an unknown direction. The first suspect was described as a Hispanic or Black male in his 20s, with a medium build, wearing a mask, gloves, and dark clothing. The second suspect was described as a Hispanic or Black male in his 20s, wearing a mask and gloves, with light colored pants and dark shoes.
No victims reported injuries as a result of each of the three robberies, and no suspects have been apprehended as of this reporting.
SPD’s Robbery Unit has been assigned to each case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact SPD’s Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.
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