Tito Ortiz promotes upcoming Triller fight while wearing QAnon shirt

Tito Ortiz remains a staunch supporter of the far right QAnon conspiracy movement.

The former UFC light-heavyweight champion posted a photo of himself on Instagram wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words WWG1WGA, which is a QAnon slogan that stands for ‘where we go one, we go all.’

The QAnon shirt, which Ortiz posted while also promoting his upcoming boxing match against fellow former UFC champion Anderson Silva, is identical to the shirts that the fighter sold as part of his Punishment Athletics clothing brand. The QAnon apparel, which was available for men and women, was priced between $19.95 and $21.95.

QAnon took root on the infamous 4chan discussion board in October 2017, where an anonymous poster claimed to have “Q clearance” granting him access to classified information at the Department of Energy, including nuclear secrets. “Q” quickly amassed a large following through his posts (known as “Q drops”), and the movement grew among right-wing circles. The anonymous prophet fueling the QAnon movement spent years flooding the internet with unfounded conspiracies, proclamations about the so-called deep state’s cabalistic control of the United States, and Trump’s role as the anointed savior fighting off the forces of evil.

The former UFC light-heavyweight champion is arguably one of the most conspiracy-driven athletes across all sports. He routinely referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as a “plandemic,” falsely claimed that George Floyd wasn’t murdered but died of a heart condition, and continues to push anti-vax misinformation. Ortiz is also a fierce Trump loyalist and used his platform to amplify the former president and associate with far-right groups, all while campaigning for a seat on the Huntington Beach city council with the Trumpian slogan of “Making Huntington Beach Safe Again.”

Ortiz was elected to city council in November 2020 with 14.3 percent of the vote, finishing first among 15 candidates. More than 42,000 people voted for Ortiz, which is the most votes of any candidate in the city’s history. He was later appointed mayor pro tem, which is a largely ceremonial role but would have required Ortiz to step it if the mayor became incapacitated. He later resigned from his position as Huntington Beach mayor pro tem and city council member, stating “character assassinations” by the media prompted his decision. However, Ortiz also vowed to continue fighting for his beliefs.

“I may be out of the Huntington Beach City Council, but I am far from out of the fight,” Ortiz said in his resignation statement.