UFC champion Tito Ortiz reveals he fled home state California because of Newsom's leadership

UFC champion Tito Ortiz ne'er wanted to permission his location authorities of California. 

Born and raised successful Huntington Beach, helium became a section person arsenic a assembly subordinate and aboriginal politician pro tempore of the city. 

It's wherever helium built his beingness arsenic a mixed martial arts star. 

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Tito Ortiz (R) battles Forrest Griffin during their Light Heavyweight Fight astatine the UFC 106 successful 2009 successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (2009 Getty Images)

But now, astatine property 51, with a family, Ortiz believed it was not a feasible spot to rise his children.

"I ne'er wanted to permission California. But I near due to the fact that of the crime, the fraud and the increasing menace to the information of my children. Like millions of different parents, I made the hard determination to determination my household to Florida — not for opportunity, but for protection. No genitor should ever beryllium forced to fly their location authorities to support their children safe," Ortiz told Fox News Digital. 

Ortiz blames Gov. Gavin Newsom for the conditions that person pushed his household retired of the state.

"Gavin Newsom’s failures didn’t commencement successful Sacramento. He helped devastate San Francisco, past exported those aforesaid disastrous policies statewide. The effect is undeniable: exploding crime, rampant fraud, lawless streets, unaffordable housing, crushed tiny businesses and families who nary longer consciousness harmless successful their ain communities," helium added. 

"California cannot past much of the same."

Newsom's bureau has responded to Ortiz's criticisms successful a connection to Fox News Digital. 

"We’re not definite who Tito Ortiz is, but we privation him well. Bye!" Newsom's bureau said. 

Ortiz, nicknamed "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" is simply a pioneering UFC Hall of Famer and erstwhile airy heavyweight champion. He held the UFC airy heavyweight title from April 2000 to September 2003, defending it 5 times.

He finished his nonrecreational MMA vocation with a 21-12-1 grounds and had his last combat successful 2019.

Now, from afar, helium hopes to animate alteration successful his location authorities by endorsing Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for California politician successful 2026.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom walked backmost his office's comments slamming ICE agents during a podcast interview.  (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

For Ortiz, the defining trait that inspires his endorsement is Bianco's handling of the COVID-19 quarantine successful 2020, erstwhile the sheriff refused to enforce definite lockdown protocols nether Newsom's leadership. 

"Sheriff Chad Bianco is not a vocation politician. He is simply a proven person with courageousness and integrity," Ortiz said. 

"In 2020, erstwhile Gavin Newsom ruled by decree and utilized fearfulness arsenic a weapon, Sheriff Bianco stood up and refused to enforce unconstitutional lockdowns. He defended churches, tiny businesses and the cardinal rights of Californians.

"Anyone tin talk. Sheriff Bianco acted. When it mattered most, helium stood with the people, not the governmental elite. He has earned my vote, my endorsement and my trust. California deserves enactment that volition combat back, reconstruct instrumentality and bid and enactment families archetypal again."

Ortiz joins chap erstwhile UFC combatant and Californian Dan Henderson, who told Fox News Digital successful November helium is endorsing Bianco. 

"It was benignant of a blessing that helium didn't unopen everything down arsenic agelong arsenic we were being liable with everything. I benignant of admired however helium handled that full situation," Henderson said. 

"A batch of concern owners would person went retired of business, and possibly adjacent worse, arsenic acold arsenic losing a batch of the things that they had, had helium unopen each the concern down similar the politician wanted. … It was much communal sense. He didn't panic and deliberation the satellite was going to end."

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Bianco is the frontrunner for the state's 2026 gubernatorial predetermination successful respective polls, including January polls from EMC Research and Public Policy Polling. 

Bianco's biggest challenger successful the upcoming contention appears to beryllium chap Republican Steve Hilton, who has been astatine oregon adjacent the apical of caller polls with the sheriff. 

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