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The Torchbearer: 4 ways Tito Ortiz made his mark on MMA

Mark J. Rebilas / US PRESSWIRE

A glance at Tito Ortiz's record shows he was one of the MMA's greatest success stories during the sport's rise to international glory, a UFC champion who defended his crown five consecutive times (still the second-most defenses in light heavyweight history).

But his in-cage accomplishments alone don't do justice to the impact of "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" on the sport. As Ortiz heads into what is expected to be the final fight of his 19-year career on Saturday at Bellator 170, here are four ways in which he shaped the business of MMA as we know it.

Out of the darkness

Before the UFC became a property that was worth over $4 billion, it was limping along in the shadows as a fringe sport desperate for respectability. Ortiz was one of the key figures that helped bridge the gap between the promotion's outlaw days and mainstream recognition.

Ortiz was already entrenched as the light heavyweight champion when Zuffa, LLC purchased the UFC in 2001 - he'd competed inside the Octagon since 1997:

It wasn't until Ortiz butted heads with the infamous Ken Shamrock at UFC 40 on Nov. 22, 2002 that the UFC realized it might have a legitimate star on its hands. Ortiz defeated Shamrock by second-round TKO in a main event that was largely responsible for the pay-per-view's 100,000 buys, an unheard-of number for an MMA event at the time.

Though it would be his last successful title defense, Ortiz went on to a pair of high-profile rematches with Shamrock and another classic feud that would lead to even greater riches.

Bad Boy of the box office

Every good action movie needs a compelling villain, and Ortiz sunk his teeth into that role when he went mano a mano with fan favorite Chuck Liddell.

In what developed into one of the great feuds of the modern era, Ortiz claimed that he and Liddell would never fight as they were former training partners, while "The Iceman" accused Ortiz of fabricating that story and using it as an excuse not to give him a title shot.

By the time the two were booked to fight at UFC 47 in April 2004, Ortiz had lost the 205-pound strap, but that did little to hurt the appeal of the grudge match. The encounter resulted in a second-round knockout win for Liddell and a massive 300,000 PPV buys.

Ortiz and Liddell outdid themselves in a 2006 rematch, another loss for Ortiz and another big win for the UFC - it broke the 1,000,000 buy-rate mark for the first time in company history.

Punishment, front and center

When Ortiz agreed to be a coach on the 11th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," one of his conditions was that he be allowed to use the show to promote his own apparel line. Instead of having the name of the show on their jerseys, as was standard for the series, Ortiz's crew would have "Punishment Athletics" across their chests.

Considering the UFC's strict rules when it comes to sponsors, which have only become more draconian in recent years (Reebok, anyone?), Ortiz's marketing coup represented a rare moment when a fighter successfully utilized the organization's platform for their own gain.

Ortiz even convinced the UFC to run an advertisement for his brand during that season's TUF broadcasts:

The Bad Boy heads to Bellator

Any questions about Ortiz's relevance were silenced when he made the jump from the UFC to Bellator MMA.

Competing outside of the Octagon for just the second time in his career, Ortiz defeated former middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko on the main card of Bellator 120, the promotion's first-ever PPV. Ortiz's presence helped the show draw a reported 100,000 buy rate, a strong number for a non-UFC event.

But Ortiz was at his best when he was matched up with fellow UFC vet Stephan Bonnar. The two engaged in a heated (sometimes bizarre) war of words, culminating in an in-cage confrontation that had to be seen to be believed:

As convoluted as the drama was, fans bought into it to the tune of 2 million viewers checking in for the main event of Bellator 131, a bout that saw Ortiz win a split decision over Bonnar.

Ortiz meets fellow loudmouth Chael Sonnen on Saturday, so don't be surprised if his career ends on one last blockbuster note.

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