UFC legend Tito Ortiz wins city council seat in California hometown

LAS VEGAS – NOVEMBER 21: Tito Ortiz (R) battles Forrest Griffin (L) during their Light Heavyweight Fight at the UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines—UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz is set to take a new responsibility after getting elected to the city council of his hometown of Huntington Beach, California.

According to official results from the Los Angeles Times, Ortiz leads all candidates with 35,485 votes or 14.3 percent of the total respondents.

There are three vacancies in the seven-seat council, as MMA Junkie noted, and the two others behind Ortiz are Dan Kalmick and Natalie Moser.

Ortiz (21-12) was one of the most influential figures in mixed martial arts and helped put the UFC into mainstream success in the early 2000s as his rivalry with former friend Chuck Liddell catapulted the sport.

The Huntington Beach Bad Boy held the UFC World light heavyweight title from 2000 to 2003 and is still active in the sport with his last fight ending in a submission win over Alberto Rodriguez, who was a former WWE performer.