Ex-champ Tito Ortiz was approached to participate in UFC class-action suit – and declined

Tito Ortiz

If you were to compile a list of fighters most likely to participate in a class-action lawsuit against UFC, Tito Ortiz’s name would almost definitely be on it, most MMA fans and insiders would surmise.

Maybe even at the top of it.

Ortiz, after all, repeatedly battled over the years with UFC President Dana White over workplace demands, at one point agreeing to settle their problems with fists by stepping in a boxing ring. Although that bizarre proposition never came to pass, the pair maintained a public rivalry over the years, sniping at each other in the media.

It came as little surprise, then, that when confirmation of the suit’s existence first surfaced, speculation immediately pointed to Ortiz as a plaintiff. The rumors were strong enough that his longtime lawyer, George Prajin, preemptively denied Ortiz’s participation in a text message sent to MMAjunkie before the suit’s public announcement on Tuesday.

That doesn’t mean Oritz wasn’t asked, though.

While Ortiz repeatedly declined any comment on the matter in an interview today with MMAjunkie, Prajin subsequently confirmed that the UFC Hall of Famer and current Bellator MMA star was indeed approached to be a plaintiff in the litigation, which alleges that UFC parent company Zuffa LLC engaged in anti-competitive practices for its own exploitative gain and at the expense of fighters and the MMA industry.

“Yes, (he was approached),” Prajin said. “He felt that it was just best to not be a part of that suit.”

Tito Ortiz

Prajin said that approximately a year-and-a-half ago, he and Ortiz first met with Rob Maysey, a chief architect of the litigation filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Northern California.

Although Maysey left a positive impression on Prajin and Ortiz, the meeting was not a success for him, Prajin said. While Ortiz was “intrigued” by a challenge in court of Zuffa, Prajin said, he did not want his name to be front and center on the lawsuit, despite a contentious past with the fight promotion.

“Obviously, everybody wants a better situation for the fighters, as far as pay and benefits,” Prajin said. “But Tito just felt that at that particular time, he wanted to opt out.

“Because mainly, they were using him for the publicity aspect, and he didn’t want to lend his name to it.”

Ortiz even turned down another offer to participate as recently as a few weeks ago, Prajin said, as attorneys from five firms, including Maysey, continued to modify the suit. (Maysey would not confirm whether the meetings took place.) The fighters ultimately added to the list of plaintiffs included Jon Fitch, Nate Quarry and Cung Le.

More fighters could be added in the future as the plaintiffs head to court to certify the case as a class-action lawsuit. The UFC is likely to ask for an immediate dismissal of the case and has promised to “vigorously” defend itself.

Prajin indicated Ortiz could reevaluate his position if the lawsuit is certified. And because Ortiz already belongs in the relevant group, which includes all who fought in at least one UFC bout over the past four years, he may already stand to benefit from the lawsuit whether or not he lends his name as a plaintiff.

But, Prajin added, Ortiz is less hostile than ever in his outlook toward Zuffa as he plans to focus more on MMA management at the conclusion of his fighting career.

“He feels that he’s building bridges with Zuffa, and he didn’t want to be the face of a lawsuit against them, because he’d like to work things out and have a professional relationship with that organization in the future,” Prajin said.

Currently, Ortiz is signed to Bellator and helped the Viacom-owned promotion draw 2.2 million viewers to his fight with fellow UFC vet Stephan Bonnar at this past month’s Bellator 131 event.

Ortiz (18-11-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) touted the event as proof that his current promoter is a true competitor to the UFC. He said he plans to fulfill his current contract, which has two fights remaining. Prajin said Ortiz isn’t looking to re-sign with the UFC as a fighter.

Prajin, though, contends the depth of Ortiz’s hostility toward Zuffa is exaggerated. He said Ortiz remains grateful to the industry-leader, particularly co-owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, for promoting him over a decade-plus career.

He may have some work to do in winning over White if they eve sit down at the negotiating table, though. The UFC president hasn’t exactly been fond of his previous work there.

For more on the UFC’s and Bellator’s scheduled, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.