Tito Ortiz remains mayor pro tem: Huntington Beach city council shelves vote for removal

UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been given a reprieve as mayor pro tem of Huntington Beach, Calif.

Following a rather lengthy city council meeting conducted Monday via online conferencing and extended past midnight, Ortiz was allowed to retain the largely ceremonial position under the expectations that his behavior in the role will improve.

“I want to thank each and every one of you,” Ortiz said following the council’s decision to shelve a potential vote of no confidence. “I apologize if I let anybody down. I think I just let myself down because I went on defensive mode from the very beginning, and I shouldn’t have done that. I will work harder, and I will try not to miss meetings as hard as I possibly can. I do have other jobs to pay my bills, but at the same time, I will do the best job that I know to do.”

Ortiz was elected to office in November and then appointed mayor pro tem one month later. However, he created concerns among the council for his refusal to wear a mask while on official business as required by current COVID-19 safety protocols. Ortiz was also criticized by council members for being untruthful in some of his postings on social media, as well, many of which had a very combative tone.

Huntington Beach mayor Kim Carr, along with council members Mike Posey and Dan Kalmick, originally proposed stripping Ortiz of his duties in the mayor pro tem role, which includes filling in for the mayor if ever needed and running council meetings – responsibilities they felt Ortiz has proven unfit to execute.

However, following more than an hour of debate, the vote was tabled for the time being, with the understanding it could be brought up again in the future, if needed.

“I’m asking you to understand … and truly be that leader,” Carr said. “I always have an open door. You know that. I don’t have an axe to grind with you. Never have. I’ve never attacked you. None of us have. We’re not interested in that. We truly want to do just want to do what’s good work with the city.

“Here’s your opportunity. Show us what you can do. Show us that you’re in it to win it and that you want to work with us, you want to be a partner, and that I know I can count on you because there is going to be that day I need you, and I want you to be there. So you told me, ‘I’m in it.’ I will trust you, and I have your back, but I cannot have you lying. That is the biggest thing. You cannot lie to our community. You cannot tell half truths. You have to be completely honest and transparent.”

Prior to the decision, the council listened to public comments for nearly three hours with a majority in favor of ousting Ortiz, but there was also vocal support to maintain his position. He was described as “unstable, unsuitable, unhinged, and unfit” by one resident. Other residents called for him to stay on the basis of not undermining the November election results, which saw Ortiz capture more than 42,000 votes.

A former UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the biggest stars in this history of the promotion, Ortiz (21-12-1) was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2012. Following a 15-year run in the UFC, Ortiz went on to fight four times for Bellator MMA before taking a one-off under the Golden Boy MMA banner to complete his career trilogy with fellow UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Lidell.

Ortiz, 46, fought most recently in December 2019, scoring a first-round submission win over Alberto Del Rio for Combate Americas.

Simon Samano contributed to this report.