Tito Ortiz helped put mixed martial arts on the map and will forever be linked to the sport because of it. 

The former UFC light heavyweight king and Hall of Famer spent two decades going toe-to-toe with the best in the world. The "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" carved out a record-setting streak of dominance in the 205-pound weight class and did so at a time when the UFC was transitioning from VHS tapes to something more substantial. 

With his bleach-blonde hair and powerhouse ground-and-pound attack, Ortiz quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in the sport. Simply put: once the spotlight found Ortiz it never left him, and this held true until the former UFC and Bellator star decided to hang up the gloves once and for all this year. The 42-year-old legend put a definitive stamp on his final showing inside the cage as he defeated Chael Sonnen via rear-naked choke in the first round of their main event tilt at Bellator 170 back in January.

With all the adversity Ortiz overcame just to make one last curtain call, his performance in Anaheim was a throwback to his younger days and the perfect way to end his career. That said, the fight game is one in which very few walk away and stay retired, but Ortiz is adamant he'll be one of the few.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the MMA pioneer and "People's Champ" explained why his days of competing inside the cage will remain over.

"As a fighter, it's time to say it's over after 20 years of competition," Ortiz told Simon Samano. "I'm 42 years old. I've been through eight surgeries, and I still have my head on my shoulders, which I'm very, very lucky. Fortunate for the things that I've had through mixed martial arts, so I'm just trying to use the best of it to build the name of Tito Ortiz.

"I'm doing well, man. Just working hard and chasing this American dream, and I'm living it."
 
And while Ortiz plans to stay out of the cage, he does have a target in mind should he ever be swayed to step back under the bright lights.

"You know what? I may kick Chael's ass just one time, just because, maybe for free," Ortiz said. "Because I hate the guy.

"I really don't want to, but I really dislike that guy a lot. But I'm not looking forward to it, man. I'm not looking forward to training again. I'm not looking forward to being on the grind. But that guy just can't shut his mouth about me.

"I've learned a lot through my life -- mixed martial arts, as a businessman, as an entrepreneur, and as a fighter and a father. It's just time to shut that door and open up other doors."