UFC pioneer Tito Ortiz says he plans on becoming an L.A. police officer to, “Do what’s right… for my city.”
Ortiz, who was one of UFC’s earliest stars in the late 1990s, told TMZ that police officers are “the good guys” and he apparently wants to help get their side of the story out to the American people.
Ortiz said he is planning on joining the police, saying, “It just depends on what ranking I want to do. Do I want to be a sheriff, or do I want to be a police officer? I haven’t really made my decision yet. I’m actually going to go to L.A. in the next few days and go do a ride-along with one of my friends.
“I’ll be fighting one more time this year,” Ortiz added. “I want to hang ’em up, but I want to do something else that will not just keep that excitement going but just do what’s right for the country. Do what’s right for the city — for my city.”
Ortiz continued that the police get a bad rap.
“Growing up as a kid, I was always told the cops are the bad guys, cops are the bad guys, cops are the bad guys,” he insisted. “But as I grew up, I became a citizen who gave back to my community; I realized cops are the good guys. The cops are the ones protecting us, and they’re there to help, without a doubt.”
Ortiz has 21 wins and one draw out of 34 fights on his mixed martial arts career. He is also a big booster of professional poker and has participated in many tournaments and finished 22nd in the 2017 No Limit Hold ’em Poker Stars Championship.
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