Tito Ortiz easily knocked out Chuck Liddell on Saturday night, and retired again. At the post-fight press conference he reflected on an extraordinary career.

21 years, I’ve been in this game of mixed martial arts, said Ortiz, as transcribed by Ryan Harkness for MMA Mania. I’ve been through the worst of the worst, I’ve been through the highest of the highs, like no other. Becoming a world champion after a year and a half of competition, losing my world title after five title defenses. Being in one of the top promotions in the world, and then thrown to the wolves.

Ortiz went 1-7-1 and then moved to Bellator MMA where he went 3-1, losing only in a title fight, and now has another W for Golden Boy. The People’s Champ credits his girlfriend Amber Nichole Miller for the turnaround, in stark contrast to ex-wife, former adult film star Jenna Jameson.

As a fighter you’ve got to have a solid home, said Tito. You’ve got to have a solid person that has your back. Not coming home to someone saying ‘You’re a piece of s*** dad, you’re a piece of s*** fighter.’ When someone says you’re a piece of s*** for such a long time, you start to believing it. And I will not live in a negative life like that ever again.

I won’t let my kids live a negative life like that again, and I hope no one else can ever live in that type of lifestyle. I hope they can look in the mirror and realize it’s not them, it’s the person they’re with. That makes the difference. And that’s what made me a different person. When I’m confident and I have a positive environment around me, I’m unstoppable.

Ortiz also said he prefers a life free on UFC president Dana White.

I reached out to Dana White, and he said ‘No, we’re not going to do this fight, no possible way, I want nothing to do with it,’” said Ortiz. “Because he knew what was going to happen.

I went through a divorce, I was being smashed by the president of the UFC. Always bashing me, always saying stuff just to … it was hell. That’s why I walked away in 2013. That’s why I walked away from the UFC. I just couldn’t handle it anymore.

But now that I’m graced and respected and honored the way I am with Golden Boy, I think other fighters will see that and they would like to do the same thing too. Where they’re able to have their own sponsorships, they’re able to be a part of the company, they’re able to get a part of the revenue that comes from the fight.

Let’s change the game of mixed martial arts. Let’s not make the fighters contractors. Let’s make the fighters partners. If they’re able to promote and they’re able to have a huge fan base, they should get a lot of the money.