After nearly a decade of bad blood, arch rivals Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock are stepping into the Octagon to try and prove who the better fighter is once and for all at UFC 61: Bitter Rivals on July 8th at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Ortiz first encountered Shamrock’s Lion’s Den back at UFC 13 (5/30/97), when Tito was an alternate in the under-200 pound tournament. He got the call after Enson Inoue won his quarterfinal bout but could not continue due to an injury. The 22-year-old kid from Hunting Beach took full advantage of his opportunity, destroying his semifinal opponent in 31 seconds to advance to the finals where he would face Lion’s Den fighter Guy Mezger.
In the opening minute of the fight, Tito snared Mezger in an inside cradle and began driving home knees to his head. After Tito had inflicted some serious punishment, referee Big John McCarthy separated the fighters, seemingly because Mezger had tapped. But McCarthy was only having Mezger’s cuts checked, and when the action resumed, Tito quickly shot in for a takedown and got caught in a guillotine choke which forced “The Hunting Beach Bad Boy” to tap out.
Tito returned to the Octagon at UFC 18 to take on Mezger’s training partner Jerry Bohlander. Tito clobbered Bohlander for over 14 minutes until the doctor stopped the fight due to a bad cut.
Things really started to heat up at UFC 19 when Tito defeated Mezger by referee stoppage due to strikes on the ground at 9:56 of the first round. After the fight, Tito bore a shirt that read “Gay Mezger is my bitch.” This act of disrespect enraged Shamrock, and he immediately engaged Ortiz in a verbal sparring match.
In one of the greatest matches in UFC history, Tito went to war with Ken’s brother Frank for the title at UFC 22. Frank submitted Tito due to strikes with only 11 seconds to go in the fourth round. After the match, Tito bore a Frank Shamrock T-shirt.
Tito and Ken finally got it on at UFC 40 (11/22/2002). The bout lasted three action-packed rounds, with both fighters displaying tremendous heart and determination. At the end of the third, Shamrock’s corner decided he was taking too much punishment, so they threw in the towel.
This brings us to present day, where the two veterans are currently training like animals for their upcoming showdown in July. You can also see Tito and Ken butting heads as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 3.
When all is said and done, I expect Tito and Ken will bury the hatchet and show one another the respect they deserve. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
