Tito Ortiz to Fight Alberto El Patron in December

Tito Ortiz is heading back to the octagon before year’s end…

The 44-year-old half-Mexican American former mixed martial artist will be coming out of retirement to fight a former World Wrestling Entertainment champion later this year.

Tito Ortiz

The Ortiz vs. Alberto El Patron, a 210-pound catchweight fight, will take place on December 7 in Hidalgo, Texas, and it will air live on pay-per-view, according to Combate Americas. The time and location of the fight were first announced on Monday’s episode of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show

El Patron, 42, formerly known as Alberto Del Rio in WWE and born Jose Alberto Rodriguez, hasn’t competed in MMA since 2010. He stopped fighting with a 9-5 pro record but did win six of his past seven fights. Following his MMA run, he turned his attention to a career with WWE and eventually became a multiple-time heavyweight champion. He has not worked for WWE since 2016.               

The fight is expected to cost $39.99 on pay-per-view.

Ortiz (20-12-1), a former UFC light heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer, announced his retirement following his November 2018 victory over his long-time rival Chuck Liddell. However, in April, Ortiz signed a multi-fight deal with Combate. The El Patron fight will mark his first for the promotion.

El Patron is most known in MMA circles for his 2003 knockout loss to Mirko Cro Copat Pride Bushido 1, where he competed under the moniker Dos Caras Jr.while wearing a luchador mask. He’s currently training for this fight with former Bellator fighter Javier Torres, current Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Ryan Baderand UFC veteran CB Dollaway, among others.

The event, which will take place at the Payne Arena in Hidalgo, will also feature Combate’s first women’s strawweight title fight.