Once the face of the UFC and a dominant light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz now finds himself on the outside looking in when it comes to his relationship with the promotion's longtime boss, Dana White. In a candid interview on Tomi Lahren Is Fearless, the Hall of Famer opened up about the cold shoulder he gets from White and the lingering sting of feeling unappreciated.
“No relationship at all,” Ortiz said bluntly. “I see him once in a while when someone mentions my name to him. He once again, automatically reacts to ‘Tito’s stupid, man.’ Okay, okay, Dana, we get that.”
Despite the frosty dynamic, Ortiz still gives credit where it’s due. “You could say what you want about me, but I think he’s done a great job for UFC,” he added. Still, the former champ can’t shake the sense that White has dismissed him for years — and he’s not sure why.
A History That Goes Back Decades
Ortiz, who fought his first 28 professional bouts under the UFC banner from 1997 to 2012, was instrumental in the company’s early growth. He headlined major events, including UFC 30 at the Trump Taj Mahal in 2001 — a fight he says sparked the relationship between White and then-future President Donald Trump.
“The relationship he has with President Trump goes back to where I fought in UFC 30 at the Trump Taj Mahal back in 2001 when UFC first got bought. I was the main event,” Ortiz asserted. “Trump coming to my fights before him and Dana were ever friends. Maybe on a Celebrity Apprentice before him and Dana were ever friends. I’m gonna hold that over his head.”
That connection has paid dividends for White, who has become a visible supporter of Trump. But Ortiz feels he’s been left out of that loop entirely. He lamented that he wasn’t invited to the upcoming UFC event at the White House this summer — a card that Trump is expected to attend.
“I wish I was invited to the White House card. I am not,” Ortiz said. “After the 16 years I gave to them from the very beginning, when they first bought the company to almost to the end where they sold the company, I don’t get tickets. I gotta pay for my own tickets when I do want to go.”
Feeling the Snub
Ortiz’s frustration isn’t just about a lack of invites. It’s about a lack of respect from the very organization he helped build. During his prime, Ortiz helped drive more than 2.1 million pay-per-view buys between 2001 and 2011. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Pioneer Wing in 2012, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s foundational stars.
Yet, he says White has never acknowledged that contribution in a meaningful way. “I just, if I feel that much hate to him, it’s concerning, but I don’t really think about it. I’m like, whatever,” Ortiz shrugged.
For a fighter who once carried the promotion on his back, the indifference stings. Ortiz’s comments come amid a broader conversation about how retired legends are treated by the organization — a topic that has also surfaced in other sports, like the recent WNBA pay dispute involving Kelsey Plum.
What’s Next for Ortiz?
Now focused on his political career, Ortiz says he doesn’t dwell on the rift. But it’s clear the lack of a relationship with White still weighs on him. “I think he’s done a great job for UFC,” he reiterated, before adding with a hint of irony, “I’ll hold that over his head.”
Whether the two ever reconcile remains uncertain. But for Ortiz, the legacy he left inside the octagon should speak louder than any backstage drama. And for fans who remember those early days, his story is a reminder of the complicated ties that bind fighters to the business that made them famous.
