Tito Ortiz says muscle relaxer caused Alberto Del Rio win to be briefly overturned

MMA legend Tito Ortiz says that a muscle relaxer caused his bout against Albert Del Rio to briefly be overturned to a No Decision.

Ortiz defeated his rival Del Rio at a Combate Americas event in Hidalgo, Texas back in December via first-round submission. The win gave Ortiz his first three-fight win streak since back in 2006. However, the result of the fight was later turned to a No Decision (or No Contest) after Ortiz’s drug test results were flagged. Fortunately for Ortiz, however, the Texas State Athletic Commission soon afterward reversed their original call and reinstated his win back after looking into the case further.

The commission never said why Ortiz’s drug test was flagged, only that it was a ‘disqualifying substance,’ but Ortiz has now spoken out in a recent interview and given his side of the story. Take a look at what Ortiz said about why his drug test was flagged, and why he was upset about the whole situation.

Tito Ortiz reveals that a muscle relaxer caused the issue with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for the Alberto Del Rio fight. pic.twitter.com/am4FnukUGc

— Borrachinha Depot (@FullContactMTWF) March 21, 2020

“It was some bullsh*t. So all it was was muscle relaxers that I eat prior to when I go to sleep. They literally said that was illegal unless your doctor prescribed it and you have to write it down on the testing prior to the fight. They say what have you taken and I tell them, and they went out of their way to make me look like sh*t. But it’s all right man, I’m just happy that the truth was told,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz (21-12-1) is 45 years old now but is still getting his hand raised inside the cage. In his last three fights, he’s defeated Del Rio, Chuck Liddell, and Chael Sonnen. He will likely continue to fight for Combate Americas going forward, but a return to Bellator at some point can’t be ruled out given his history with the promotion and the number of big-name opponents that are available for him there.

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This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/23/2020.