10 MMA Fights That Were The Beginning Of The End For Legends
8. Ken Shamrock Vs. Tito Ortiz - UFC 40
Ken Shamrock is an undoubted legend of the early days of MMA, and his influence and importance in pushing MMA into the mainstream is unquestionable. For Shamrock, UFC 40 happens to be the moment that his star began to dim.
The World's Most Dangerous Man had made himself one of the biggest stars in MMA and a UFC that was in its infancy, but he'd taken several years out to go and compete for Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation. Returning to the cage in May 2000, it didn't take long for Shamrock to be on a collision course with Tito Ortiz.
Ortiz is one of the best trash-talkers in the history of MMA, and The Huntington Beach Bad Boy began running his mouth in a way that caught the ire of Ken Shamrock.
Tito and Kenny wouldn't actually step into the Octagon against each other until November 2002, yet their beef went back to 1999. Back in '99, Ortiz picked up wins over Shamrock's Lion's Den teammates Jerry Bohlander and Guy Mezger, but Tito wasn't content with simply getting the victory in these fights. No, in classic Tito Ortiz style, Ortiz would do anything he could to disrespect Lion's Den, period.
When Shamrock was finally back competing in the fight game, anticipation was high as to whether he could shut Tito Ortiz up. At UFC 40, Ken's corner would stop the fight, with many viewing this as a fight that suggested Shamrock's time hanging with the top stars of the day was over.
Still, the buzz caused by Ortiz and Shamrock drew game-changing numbers for the UFC, plus led to two rematches down the line - both of which resulted in first round TKO losses for Ken.