10 years ago today at MMATorch.com, we continued to analyze the impact of the Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz 3 that aired live on Spike TV. The following is Randy Rowles’ column diving into the potential ramifications of not only the main event, but also the undercard which set the table for some future rising stars such as Nate Marquardt, Kendall Grove, Matt Hamill, and Jason MacDonald.
“UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter” ended with a bang — Tito Ortiz’s fists banging Ken Shamrock’s face. Ortiz put Shamrock down for good, as Shamrock announced his retirement after taking a beating from Ortiz for the third time. Tito Ortiz already has a Light Heavyweight Championship match lined up for UFC 66 on December 30. Ortiz will get a rematch against Chuck Liddell for the title. Ortiz has only lost four times in his career, and is currently on a five-match winning streak, after suffering his last loss at the hands of Liddell via KO at UFC 47. The rematch will be perhaps the toughest test thus far in Ortiz’s career. Liddell is the one man standing between Ortiz and king-of-the-world status. His match with Liddell will be a crossroads in Ortiz’s career.
“UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter” started out with one of three welterweight bouts. Marcus Davis, Thiago Alves, and Tony DeSouza all captured victories in their respective matches. Marcus Davis is on a hot streak in MMA, having won his last six matches. Davis’s last loss came at the hands of Melvin Guillard at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale. Davis has come a long way since this loss, and a rematch would be an excellent next step for Davis. Outside of the UFC, Davis also lost to Thiago Alves. A rematch between these two winning fighters is also a great option. Throw Tony DeSouza into the mix that also features Drew Fickett, Jeremy Jackson, Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisyan, B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson, and you’ve got a stacked division with plenty of options for the winner of Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 65 on November 18.
The event also featured four middleweight bouts. Rory Singer, Nathan Marquardt, Jason MacDonald, and Kendall Grove all were victorious in their respective matches. In his post-fight interview, Kendall Grove said he would like to fight Rory Singer next. This could be a good match-up, or perhaps Kendall Grove vs. Jason MacDonald would be even better, since both Grove and MacDonald have beaten Ed Herman. Rory Singer vs. Jason MacDonald could also be an interesting option.
Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva will be fighting for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 64 on October 14. Nathan Marquardt is one of the top ranked middleweights in the world, and would be the next logical step to face the winner. After a couple more matches, any of the three other winning middleweights could possibly find themselves in line for a title shot by 2008. In the meantime, Joe Doerksen, Chris Leben, Dean Lister, Nate Quarry, Mike Swick and David Loiseau are waiting to fill up middleweight matches.
In the other light heavyweight bout of the night, Tito Ortiz’s student Matt Hamill also got himself a victory. The idea that Hamill could compete with the likes of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell is ludicrous. Seems Hamill will need to refine his craft over the next several years, fighting increasingly stronger opponents as time goes on. Matt Hamill is a true asset to the UFC, a diamond in the rough, and they should allow him to mature without throwing him into the octagon with someone out of his league too soon.
Ken Shamrock may have ended his career at “UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter,” but he was able to pass the torch to Tito Ortiz in the process. It was an exceptional night for Team Punishment as Ortiz, Matt Hamill and Kendall Grove all won their matches. Several other careers were kick-started. Jason MacDonald and Nathan Marquardt both showed they are ready to take on the best that the UFC has to offer. Tony DeSouza let everyone know loud and clear that he is back in the UFC. Thiago Alves, Rory Singer and Marcus Davis proved their critics — and Vegas odds-makers — wrong and took home victories they were supposed to lose.
Of the losing fighters on the show, don’t be surprised to see John Alessio, Crafton Wallace and Forrest Petz back in the UFC for another chance. All three of these fighters are of the highest pedigree, and there is no reason they can’t rebound to become stars after all. With the exception of
Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock, this show featured a lot of raw talent. A few years down the road, some of the names on this show might become some of the biggest names in the business.
NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS FLASHBACK ARTICLE: 10 YRS AGO: Shamrock vs. Ortiz rating shatters UFC’s previous ratings record for Fight Night Live on Spike TV
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