He then lost his next to bout to Pedro Rizzo via TKO. Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz – UFC 22 Sept. 24, 1999. But, when I was standing in the Octagon at UFC 40, I remember standing there before the Ortiz/Shamrock fight and looking around. limit. Page 123, https://thestarphoenix.com/sports/owner+reflects+bouts/6944072/story.html, "Sherdog's Ultimate Fighting Championship Fan Page - Results - UFC XVII", "UFC 40: Signs of life - UFC - Yahoo! Ken Shamrock was a guy who was well-respected, had accomplished a lot in this sport."[1]. Sports", "Flashback to UFC 40: The Shape of Things to Come", http://www.boxinginsider.com/mma/talkin%E2%80%99-mma-with-bruce-buffer/, http://crooklynscorner.com/2011/08/big-john-mccarthy-details-why-he-decided-to-write-his-book/, "Zuffa Creates "Hall of Fame" with Shamrock, Gracie Charters", "Ken Shamrock's greatest hits - UFC - Yahoo! After six months off, Ortiz returned and took a unanimous decision victory over newcomer Patrick Côté at UFC 50 and a split decision over Vitor Belfort at UFC 51. Shamrock vs. Ortiz: The Untold Truth. Shamrock's mega drawing power was evident when the pay per view numbers came out for the event; UFC 48 amazingly drew more pay per view buys than the ultra hyped mega fight between mixed martial arts stars Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz one event earlier at UFC 47. On Jan. 17, 1997, Frank Shamrock lost his third straight fight and was largely seen as an MMA failure. Shamrock then famously leaped onto the top of the cage, screaming at Ortiz and angrily waving his finger in Ortiz's face. Referee John McCarthy picked Ortiz up and carried him across the octagon to prevent the situation from escalating further, as a livid Shamrock was on the verge of jumping into the octagon. It also garnered mainstream attention from massive media outlets such as ESPN and USA Today, something that was unfathomable for mixed martial arts at that point in time. Throughout the years, things were happening, and everything always looked bleak. Watching the slow-mo, Shamrock did go limp from one elbow but revived for the next. On November 19, 2005 at UFC 56, Dana White, the UFC president, announced that Ortiz finally agreed to face Shamrock in a rematch. In 2012, UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta described the feud; "A lot of it had to do with their personalities - Ortiz was young, he was brash, he was irreverent. This will further drive the evolution of mixed martial arts into a mainstream sport. Who remembers Frank Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz? The hype and buzz surrounding the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the event was unlike anything mixed martial arts had ever seen before. Former UFC owner Bob Meyrowitz said;[15], "I didn't like seeing Ken Shamrock fight Tito Ortiz the second time. Video Documentary. The feud began to build on January 8, 1999, at UFC 18. Frank Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz is widely considered one of the greatest fights in UFC history. Ortiz had three consecutive wins before the fight, with one being a 0:16 submission against Jeremy Screeton. Shamrock reportedly originally signed to fight Ortiz in a rematch at this event but Ortiz would not sign the contract to fight Shamrock again. The energy of that fight, it was phenomenal, and it was the first time I honestly said, it’s going to make it." Shamrock came out firing, landing a combination of punches to back Ortiz into the cage, but Ortiz successfully secured a double leg takedown on Shamrock, lifting him up and slamming him to the mat. After defending his title three times, UFC light heavyweight champion Frank Shamrock drew a young Tito Ortiz at UFC 22. On October 10, 2006, at Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter, a 42-year-old Shamrock was a massive underdog to the significantly younger Ortiz. The event was also monumental for the future of the UFC and the sport as a whole in America for a variety of reasons. Franklin's win over an icon like Shamrock propelled him into UFC stardom and established him as one of the organization's biggest stars. Juarez went to live with Shamrock at his home in Susanville, California, and was officially adopted by Shamrock at the age of 21. Ortiz quickly earned a shot at UFC gold against legend Frank Shamrock. It is what it is, but if somebody thinks Frank Shamrock should be in there before some of the guys that have been inducted already and guys that have done so much for the UFC? Copy Link. In my opinion, this was the single best fight ever in MMA. UFC 40 proved to be the most critical event to date in the Zuffa era. "When that show (UFC 40) happened, I honestly felt like it was going to make it. 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