The Huntington Beach Bad Boy soon left for Florida. And he tries to travel light.
Tito Ortiz, a mixed martial arts fighter who briefly dabbled in local politics, put his Huntington Harbor home on the market for $6 million last month. Now, as he prepares to move his family 2,500 miles east, Ortiz is holding a series of estate sales inside the luxury home.
Ortiz first opened the doors to his waterfront rectory for a few hours on Friday, January 28. The two-day event will continue on Saturday, January 29 at 8 a.m. at 1 p.m. Another round of sales will take place in mid-February.
A flier posted on social media announcing this weekend’s sale gives interested buyers – as well as the curious – a glimpse of the Tuscan-inspired abode.
Among the fine wares: an ornately carved four-post bed, a long dining table that seats eight, high-end kitchen appliances, and a mirrored dresser. Accessories include a Buddha statue and arcade games.
“When people move to a new state, they often want a fresh start,” said Carlos Velastegui, hired to manage the sale of the estate. “The cost of storing and transporting furniture may not make sense.”
More than 100 people showed up for Friday’s event, Velastegui said. Some of them walked away with patio furniture and paddle boards.
Ortiz, 47, has long been a celebrity in his hometown. His fights once drew large pay-TV audiences. And in 2008, he even landed a role in ‘The Apprentice’ – which ran for nine weeks before Donald Trump ‘fired’ him.
Also a businessman, Ortiz owns a sportswear store and gym in Huntington Beach.
But his fame spread nationwide in 2020, when he won a seat on the Huntington Beach City Council while frequently participating in protests against coronavirus health measures. Ortiz has expressed conspiracy theories about the COVID vaccination and refused to wear a face mask in public meetings.
After six colorful months on the Council, Ortiz resigned in June 2021. Several months later, he decided to leave 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 “bulky items” that would be difficult to move across the country.
“He’s not a small guy and he has big, solid furniture,” Velastegui said.
One of the biggest pieces is a custom wraparound sofa. Filled with goose feathers, it originally cost thousands of dollars.
Nobody expects to get that money back, Velastegui said: “Sofas are like vehicles – they lose value quite quickly.”
Velastegui, who first met Ortiz last week, said he wasn’t sure if his client planned to downsize in the Sunshine State.
“A lot of people want to keep their options open when they’re in the process of moving,” he said. “They don’t know if their current furniture will fit the style of their next home. So they minimize and start over.
