Tito Ortiz gets in on fun

Tito Ortiz, a retired UFC fighter, has teamed up with Roy Englebrecht, a Newport-Beach based promoter, to launch the Fight Club MMA Rising Star series at the Hangar at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa on Oct. 6.

The first show will feature 10 bouts and some of the top amateur mixed martial arts fighter in California.

The second show is slated for Dec. 7.

“I have always wanted to develop talent and make a positive influence, from the days of wanting to be a wrestling coach to coaching on The Ultimate Fighter,” Ortiz said in a press release. “I know what it takes to help scout these kids and take them to the next level, so along with my partner, entertainment and sports attorney George Prajin, we have teamed up with Roy to build a developmental league to the pros. We want to give credibility to the amateur division and rank the fighters, kind of like the Golden Gloves has done for boxing.

“We are not looking to compete with the UFC. In fact, we couldn’t even if we tried, as the UFC is the major leagues. We want to be the equivalent of college football to the NFL. We are looking to scout out the fighters that we feel can make it and prepare them for that major step to the next level.”

Ortiz will also have private training sessions with fighters one week prior to each show.

The sessions are called “Training With Tito.”

For more information, visit https://www.fightcluboc.com.

Tickets for the Oct. 6 show can also be purchased online and they range from $40 to $50 each.

— From staff reports