UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz is 'The People's Champ'

"A lot of people didn't believe in me. A lot of people couldn't believe that I was still here. I had neck surgery, lower back surgery and a lot of athletes don't compete after that. I showed that I'm able to compete against the best guys in the world, and I think that will help show people that if they believe in themselves, if they believe in their dream, they can accomplish anything. That's why I changed my name to The People's Champ. I want everyone to know that I'm here for the fans. I want them to know that they can bounce back from anything."

-- Tito Ortiz (via ESPN) remembers his victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 132: "Cruz vs. Faber 2" on July 2 in Las Vegas, and how he overcame so much adversity to get there. With the victory, the former champion became somewhat of an inspirational figure for fans around the world, proving anything can be overcome as long as you have faith and believe in yourself. It's for that reason that Ortiz no longer wants to be known as "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" and has changed his name to "The People's Champ." Just don't tell The Rock. Ortiz will return to action on Dec. 10 at UFC 140 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. A loss might mean the end of his run inside the Octagon but even if that's the case, he will have already accomplished his goal of providing inspiration to fans across the world. And that's a damn good thing.