President Donald Trump congratulated UFC star Tito Ortiz after the fighter easily defeated ex-WWE champ Alberto “El Patron” Rodriguez in a fight on Friday.
Congratulations to @TitoOrtiz on tonight’s huge WIN, a Great American Patriot! https://t.co/m4tJpfzVte
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2019
“Congratulations to Tito Ortiz on tonight’s huge WIN,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “A Great American Patriot!”
Ortiz defeated Rodriguez in the first round with a rear-naked choke in 3 minutes and ten seconds into the fight.
Rodriguez also lost his WWE champion belt in a side bet with Ortiz, who put his UFC champion belt on the line.
The two fighters also sparred online over politics in the run-up to the fight, as Ortiz is a vocal Trump supporter and wears a MAGA hat with a Trump flag over his shoulders.
Live on #PPV December 7th from the @PayneArena_ in #Hidalgo #Texas https://t.co/4OsKWwBW3y
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) December 5, 2019
The Combate Americas pay-per-view fight took place near the U.S.-Mexico border in Hidalgo, Texas, on Saturday.
Rodriguez criticized Ortiz for wearing a Border Patrol hat the last time they met.
“He said it was to pay respect to those heroes defending our borders. But why are you doing this when you’re in front of a Mexican that was born in Mexico?” he said.
But Ortiz, who has a Mexican father, says he is one of many Latinos who support Trump, despite criticism.
In an interview with Fox Business, he said he frequently travels with a MAGA hat or a Latinos for Trump hat and gets high fives from people.
“There is so many Latinos that do support Trump but they are afraid to say it,” he said.
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