UFC vet Tito Ortiz closes Florida restaurant, blames boating accident

Starting Monday, diners in the Cape Coral area of Florida will have to go elsewhere for an order of grouper bites.

Tito's Cantina, the three-year-old restaurant owned by UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz, is closing its doors after Sunday. The former UFC champion made the announcement Tuesday on social media and said the restaurant was closing because of a boating accident he had in February.

Since then, Ortiz said in his video post, he hasn't been able to be hands-on at the restaurant, and that has led to its demise. Ortiz did not say how many staff members will be out of jobs because of the closure.

"… I've been hurt now for the last eight months," Ortiz said in his post. "It's been hard. I've had neck surgery. I had a concussion for over four and a half months. Over the last eight months, I've been showing up for maybe 15 times – maybe. … After being away for almost nine months and the injury that I’ve had, the recovery I’ve been going through, I’ve been digging a hole so deep that I can’t get myself out of it. So for me to close doors has been a really hard thing to swallow, just because I've always been a successful person.

"… It’s to the point right now where everything is running perfect, but putting the money in every single month to make sure the doors are open, I came to a spot in my life where I really have to say enough is enough. … It’s hard to make a successful business when I’m not here every day, and I expect to be here every day. And I couldn’t do it. And it sucks."