Former UFC light heavyweight champion and current Bellator MMA fighter Tito Ortiz has reportedly been cited for misdemeanor battery.
According to TMZ Sports, police responded to a call regarding a disturbance at the Cromwell Hotel in Las Vegas where a woman "claimed Ortiz got physical with her and tried to rip her phone away." Brett Okamoto of ESPN confirmed the report, adding no court date has been set yet.
The alleged victim told TMZ Sports she was taking pictures in the club earlier and thinks Ortiz "must have thought she was trying to snap shots of him."
She also said Ortiz attempted to "whip her around" and she was "scared for [her] life." TMZ Sports noted Ortiz was not arrested when the police arrived.
According to Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie.com, under legal terms, Ortiz could face jail time for the alleged incident if found guilty: "Misdemeanor battery is defined as a physical confrontation between people that doesn’t result in substantial bodily harm and is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, though a judge can instead order community service."
Ortiz has had various brushes with the law, including receiving three years of probation and fines after pleading no contest to DUI charges in 2014.
Ortiz rose to fame during his run with the UFC from 1999 to 2012. His rivalry with Ken Shamrock, which led to three bouts between 2002 and 2006, is one of the most famous in mixed martial arts history, and their match at UFC 40 set a then-company record with 150,000 pay-per-view buys.
Before Ortiz's UFC career ended in July 2012 with a loss against Forrest Griffin, he was inducted into the company's Hall of Fame. The 41-year-old came out of retirement to join Bellator MMA in 2013, where he owns a 2-1 record in three fights.
