Tito Ortiz picked up a hefty fine for his post-fight behavior at Bellator 131, but he should have no trouble paying up.
Ortiz (18-11-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) was docked $2,500 of a reported $300,000 purse for tossing water on Stephan Bonnar (15-9 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and then flipping him off following his split-call win in this past Saturday’s headliner at San Diego’s Valley View Casino.
California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster today told MMAjunkie that Ortiz’s actions represented “unsportsmanlike behavior,” a fineable offense, and said the fighter later apologized for the behavior, which was broadcast live on Spike TV.
“I consider the matter closed, and I feel confident that Tito will not have the same behavior in the future,” Foster wrote via text.
Ortiz and Bonnar’s bad blood was the fuel for Bellator 131’s first major event under former Strikeforce head Scott Coker, though many longtime MMA observers doubted its authenticity from the onset. The light heavyweights did a face-off in the cage in September at Bellator 123 to promote their Nov. 15 meeting, and after some mutual jawing, Ortiz shoved Bonnar, kicking off a short melee.
The two were not fined for that event since they were not licensed as fighters under the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation, which oversaw Bellator 123. But the commission told MMAjunkie that rule changes were being considered to prevent future dustups in the cage.
Ortiz won key grappling exchanges to edge out Bonnar on scorecards, winning all three rounds on two of three tallies. One judge dissented 29-28 in favor of Bonnar. (Check out the highlights below.)
Despite a solid win, Ortiz appeared no less angry at Bonnar and tossed water at his fellow UFC Hall of Famer as he lay on the canvas. Later, as Bonnar went back to his corner, Ortiz gave him the double-bird as his back was turned. Later, he cut his traditional post-fight “gravedigger” routine short, but showed off one of his signature T-shirts to the camera.
It said: “His mouth wrote a check that his ass couldn’t cash.”
Ortiz now owns back-to-back victories for the first time since 2006, when he stopped Ken Shamrock twice via first-round TKO. Bonnar, meanwhile, dropped his second consecutive fight in his first bout since a October 2012 loss to Anderson Silva, which prompted him to announce his retirement.
For more on Bellator 131, including a full event recap, check out the MMA Events section of the site.
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