Ken Shamrock is synonymous with the UFC. Gracie, Shamrock, Ortiz, Liddel, Couture, Lesnar, GSP, Silva. Those are the first names I think of when I think of "huge" UFC stars. Gracie gets in there as the founder, Shamrock as the first breakout, cross-over star (having made the jump to the WWF/E universe, and back again). Shamrock made his debut way back at UFC 1, losing to BJJ legend Royce Gracie. In 1996, he would win the UFC Superfight title, defeating another legend, Dan Severn, via split decision. However, by the late 90s, the MMA scene in North America was drying up, as a result of Senator John McCain and others coming out against the fledgling sport, seeing it as "human cock fighting." Cable companies dropped UFC events, and Shamrock would look to the world of professional wrestling for a payday. He would eventually return to the world of MMA in the early 2000s, to Pride, then again to the UFC. While he wasn't quite the same fighter due to injuries, this second UFC run set off his feud with Tito Ortiz - one of the biggest in UFC history. This was sparked back in 1999 by Ortiz, whose defeat of Guy Mezger was capped by him flipping the bird at the figher's corner, full of fellow Lion's Den members - a camp lead by none other than Ken Shamrock. Ortiz then donned a shirt that said "Guy Mezger is my bitch" which set Shamrock off, and led to him attempting to get into the octagon. While they wouldn't fight for several years, the heat was still real. At UFC 40, with Shamrock at 39 years of age, the combatants met for the first time, with Shamrock cutting to light heavyweight - his first weight cut. In the fight, the most viewed in Zuffa-era UFC history to that point, Shamrock rocked Ortiz early - but it was all Tito after that, and Shamrock's corner would eventually throw in the towel. The fight, however, was a turning point in MMA, helping it reach the mainstream before Bonnar vs. Griffin pushed the bar even higher. Shamrock would win his next fight, knocking out old rival Kimo Leopoldo at UFC 48 with a vicious knee that actually cut open after connecting with Leopoldo's chin. He would go on to lose to Rich Franklin, and Ortiz twice more, and would eventually be released by the company, feuding for years with Dana White (they reportedly patched things up just this month). Still, when we think of MMA feuds, we think of Shamrock's second run, and his rivalry with Tito.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
