Tito Ortiz comes out of retirement again, signs with Combate Americas

Tito Ortiz is back — again.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion has signed a multi-fight deal with Hispanic promotion Combate Americas, FanSided reported Friday night.

The outlet captured video of Combate CEO Campbell McLaren signing Ortiz’s contract during a Combate event in Los Angeles.

Ortiz, 44, last competed in a trilogy bout against Chuck Liddell last November in the main event of Golden Boy Promotions’ first MMA card. Ortiz knocked out Liddell, a fellow ex-UFC titleholder, in the first round. After the win, Ortiz announced his retirement from the sport.

Before that, he competed four times for Bellator, a rival promotion of the UFC. His most recent win under the Bellator banner was a submission of Chael Sonnen in early 2017. Ortiz also announced his retirement after that victory. Ortiz, who held the UFC title from 2000 to 2003, has won four of his last five. His last loss was to Liam McGeary in a Bellator 205-pound title fight in 2015.

Per the FanSided report, Ortiz’s Combate debut has not yet been set and an opponent has not yet been found. According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Ortiz is expected to fight in the fall.