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    Tito Ortiz, Planning To Leave California For Florida, Holds Estate Sale

    By Susan Christinan Goulding, Mercury News,   

    The Huntington Beach Bad Boy is soon leaving for Florida. And he’s looking to travel light.

    Tito Ortiz, a mixed martial arts fighter who briefly dabbled in local politics, put his Huntington Harbour home on the market for $6 million last month. Now, as he prepares to relocate his family 2,500 miles east, Ortiz is holding a series of estate sales inside the luxury house.

    Ortiz first opened the doors to his waterfront manse for a few hours Friday, Jan. 28. The two-day event will continue Saturday, Jan. 29, 8 a.m,. to 1 p.m. Another round of sales will take place in mid-February.

    A flier posted on social media advertising this weekend’s sale gives interested buyers – as well as curious looky-loos – a peek inside the Tuscan-inspired abode.

    Among the handsome merchandise: An ornately carved four-post bed, a long dining table that seats eight, high-end kitchen appliances and a mirror-surfaced dresser. Accessories include a Buddha statue and arcade games.

    Celebrity MMA fighter Tito Ortiz, who put his Huntington Harbour house on the market to move to Florida, is holding several estate sales. (Courtesy of Christine Aragon) 

    “When people move to a new state, they often want a fresh start,” said Carlos Velastegui, hired to handle the estate sale. “The cost of storing and transporting furniture might not make sense.”

    More than 100 people showed up at Friday’s event, Velastegui said. Some of them left with such things as patio furniture and paddle boards.

    Ortiz, 47, has long been a hometown celebrity. His fights once attracted large pay-for-view television audiences. And in 2008, he even landed a part on “The Apprentice” – lasting nine weeks before Donald Trump “fired” him.

    Also a businessman, Ortiz owns an athletic clothing store and a gym in Huntington Beach.

    But his fame went nationwide in 2020, when he won a seat on the Huntington Beach City Council while frequently participating in protests against coronavirus-related health measures. Ortiz expressed conspiracy theories about the COVID vaccination and refused to wear a face mask during public meetings.

    After six colorful months on the Council, Ortiz resigned in June of 2021. Several months later, he decided to move out of California.

    Velastegui, who sells collectibles at his Vintage Vault of Upland store, said Ortiz’s estate sale does not offer sports memorabilia. Instead, it focuses on the “bulky items” that would be a hassle to move across the country.

    “He’s not a small guy and he has big, solid furniture,” Velastegui said.

    One of the larger pieces is a custom-made wrap-around sofa. Stuffed with goose feathers, it originally cost thousands of dollars.

    No one plans to recover that money, Velastegui said: “Sofas are like vehicles – they lose value pretty quickly.”

    Velastegui, who met Ortiz for the first time last week, said he doesn’t know if his client plans to downsize in the Sunshine State.

    “A lot of people want to leave their options open when they are in the process of moving,” he said. “They don’t know if their current furniture will be a good fit for their next house’s style. So they minimize and start over.”


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