Tito Ortiz: 10 Signature Fights
UFC 22
Frank Shamrock taught a lesson in humility at UFC 22. | Photo:
Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Sept. 24, 1999 | Lake Charles, La.
Smart men learn from their mistakes.
Most look upon Tito Ortiz’s loss to Frank Shamrock at UFC 22 as a defining moment in his career. Ortiz outweighed Shamrock by some 20 pounds but failed to pay enough attention to one critical factor: conditioning. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” started strong, but he slowed and grew less effective with each passing minute in their scheduled five-round encounter. Having played an active guard from the bottom, Shamrock waited for his opportunity and struck. He scrambled and let loose with a string of punches, as fatigue overtook Ortiz and he elected to tap out.
From that point forward, Ortiz was supremely conditioned. He captured the UFC light heavyweight crown in his next outing, earning a unanimous decision from Wanderlei Silva in a five-round affair. For the next three-plus years, Ortiz reigned atop the division.
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