Sherdog’s Top 10: UFC Ironmen

7. Tito Ortiz

Ortiz burst on the scene at UFC 13 in 1997, emerged as one of the sport’s top stars and became one of its biggest box-office draws and most polarizing figures.

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has spent five hours and 53 minutes competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ortiz laid claim to the light heavyweight crown on April 14, 2000 and successfully defended it on five occasions before surrendering the title to Randy Couture more than three years later. Though his rivalries with Chuck Liddell and Ken Shamrock helped push the sport to new heights, he ran hot and cold following his failed encounter with Couture. Wins over Shamrock (three times) Patrick Cote, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Ryan Bader, Alexander Shlemenko and Stephan Bonner have been offset by losses to Liddell (twice), Griffin (twice), Lyoto Machida, Matt Hamill, Rashad Evans, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Liam McGeary.

Having resurfaced under the Bellator MMA flag, the 41-year-old Ortiz will return to the cage opposite Chael Sonnen in the Bellator 170 headliner on Jan. 21 in Inglewood, California.

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