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It's a dream bout. Bitter rivals with a storied history; champion of the present versus champion of the past; youthful audacity meets venerable valor. And, oh yeah, they hate each other. UFC 40: Vendetta will host the biggest fight in modern mixed martial arts to take place on American soil: Tito Ortiz versus Ken Shamrock. "Everyone wants to see this fight," says Joe Silva, UFC Vice President of Talent Relations. "I think it is a huge match-up. It has even captured the interest of most of the other fighters." Silva also believes the epic encounter holds its own against the monumental match-ups of UFC past, including Gracie-Shamrock II and Ortiz-Frank Shamrock. "It has had more build up than those other fights because people have known for a long time that they don't like each other." 
Even though Shamrock had a stint in the WWF and Ortiz has a history of laying it on thick, the mutual disdain is genuine, according to Silva. "It's not exaggerated at all, especially on Ken's side," he says. "Ken is a proud guy, and he really feels that Tito has disrespected him and his team, and he is out for some payback."The fighters will have 25 minutes to settle their rancorous dispute in front of a packed MGM Grand in Las Vegas. By the end of the night, debates currently raging among fans, fighters and media alike should conclude. Until then, the questions will remain unanswered: Can Ortiz take Shamrock down? Who will have the advantage on the feet? Will Ortiz's rehabilitated knee function at 100-percent? Will Shamrock's age fail him late? And finally, which of these two mixed martial arts luminaries will have his hand raised while the other suffers defeat? As important as the bout will be for Ortiz and Shamrock, it may be even more crucial to the UFC. With two of the biggest stars in the sport headlining the card, UFC 40 is destined to attract a pay-per-view audience far exceeding previous numbers under Zuffa's reign. Potential lifelong fans will evaluate the action, and, if the show delivers, a burgeoning future could be secured. While those viewers may tune in to see the Ortiz-Shamrock clash, they'll also be treated to an undercard ripe with talent. The attention the main event will garner offers a golden opportunity to expose future stars. "You definitely want to show off some of your top talent on what will potentially be your biggest show to date," says Silva, "but you also have to have talent ready for the next show." 
One of those rapidly rising youngsters moving into the spotlight is Robbie Lawler, who has built a name for himself after unleashing a blitz of sledgehammer right and left hands in two UFC wins. As long as his teammate (Matt Hughes) is the welterweight champion, Lawler will circumvent the 170-pound title. Such a route may be a good thing, allowing him to gain valuable experience at a competitive level. "Robbie is very talented, but he still needs time to grow," Silva notes. "So, I see him fighting tough fights on his way to gaining more experience, and we'll see how he develops."The Pat Miletich-trained fighter will face UFC veteran Tiki Ghosen in Las Vegas. Ghosen, like Lawler, has a firm grappling foundation and has also shown an ability to fight on the feet, minus Lawler's ferocity. He may even challenge Lawler's hands, says Silva. "Tiki feels he can out-slug the slugger. We'll see." Lawler's training partner and welterweight titleholder Matt Hughes will put his belt on the line against Gil Castillo. The match has been criticized by some fans and media who have called Castillo an unworthy challenger and by others who have labeled it a bland title bout. Silva disagrees: "Gil Castillo is 17-1-0. He has beaten guys like former King of Pancrase Nathan Marquardt and former King Of The Cage champion Chris Brennan. I would say he is a worthy challenger." Other critics have pondered why it is necessary to have a welterweight title match at UFC 40 rather than wait on a clear contender to establish himself. Silva says it's simple: Matt Hughes needs to fight. "I can't tell him to take off six months between fights," Silva explains. "Not every match can be the match-up of the year." Castillo will enter the bout as an overwhelming underdog, facing an opponent who has stormed through Hayato Sakurai and Carlos Newton in his most recent matches. To beat Hughes, he will have to solve a riddle that has brutally perplexed two of the best in the game. "Training for Matt, your cardio has to be incredible," Castillo says regarding his preparation. "I think the mistakes people make is they don't train enough of the ground game. They think they'll beat him on the feet. Well, the problem is Matt won't let you stay on the feet if he's uncomfortable there. So what you do to prepare is you train a lot on the ground with guys that are bigger than you, that are pressuring you the entire time. Your cardio has to be good because you have to keep going." Keeping active on the ground is essential to pulling off the upset, says Castillo: "I have to keep moving. I can't let Matt hold me down and start to create his own game. Matt doesn't get tired during his fights because he controls the pace. The key is to constantly take him out of his game and keep moving, put him on the defensive even when he happens to be on top." After three straight victories at the top of the welterweight class, Hughes will strive to avoid a letdown at UFC 40. "My last three fights have been against a top opponent," Hughes acknowledges. "And now I'm facing a guy that's maybe not even in the top 10 in my weight class. The challenge now is getting ready for a guy that's not in the top two or three in my class. The only thing that can really beat me is myself." Although the fight doesn't attract widespread anticipation like his recent meetings against Sakurai and Newton, Hughes feels the match will be entertaining. "Well, hopefully there will be a lot of stand-up," he says. "I think I've got him there; I think my stand-up is better than his. Some people told me that on the Internet they're thinking it's going to be a boring match. To be honest, I don't think many of my fights are too boring. I don't see it going to the ground and me staying in the guard. I think I passed Carlos' guard whenever I wanted, and I think I'll be able to pass Gil's guard." 
In another welterweight bout, explosive submission artist Carlos Newton will meet powerful striker Pete Spratt. Following a disappointing loss to Matt Hughes over the summer, Newton has returned to his roots -- on the ground. "I'm refocusing on my ground work," he says. "Trying to recombine everything again. My training for the last year has been mostly a lot of stand-up, a lot of striking. Trying to round myself out a little more. I've brought that up to a level where I'm pretty happy given the time I had to work on it. And now I'm back to square one. Bringing it back to old school."Newton says victory hinges on his ability to take the fight to the ground and submit Spratt. "He's an excellent striker," Newton compliments of his opponent. "He looks like a pretty strong guy, like he's a Matt Hughes on stand-up. I'm looking for a strong opponent to come at me and try to take my head off. Fans should expect a lot of toe-to-toe action. He's a heavy striker, and I'm always a go-forward kind of guy. I'll either run into a few, or he's going down." Although a loss for Newton would be his third straight in the Octagon, Silva says it wouldn't necessarily damage his future in the UFC. "It is certainly not good to lose three times in a row, but Newton is almost always entertaining. He's the kind of fighter people want to watch win or lose." Conversely, a victory could propel Spratt into the limelight. "This is a great opportunity for Spratt," Silva says. "Everyone knows that Carlos is one of the best fighters in the world, so a good showing against Newton can only help him." Spratt may have won his UFC debut with an armbar from his back, but he is at his best on the feet. The key to victory, says Spratt, is to "keep it standing. Plain and simple. Avoid the takedown, keep it standing. Dominate everything on the feet. I'll either win by knockout or judges' decision. On the other hand, if he gets me down and I can't get back up, he's probably going to sub me. It's no secret either way. I need to keep it standing to win; he needs to get it to the ground to win." Likewise, Mark Weir will need to stay on the feet when he meets Phillip Miller in a middleweight match Silva calls a "classic striker versus grappler [match-up] between two guys with great records." Weir had a stunning UFC debut in July, knocking out Eugene Jackson in just seconds. The win established him as a threat standing, where his lengthy reach and accurate strikes are most dangerous. Although Miller's average physical appearance lets him look beatable, no opponent to date has overcome his scrappy style and fierce determination. To be the first man to beat Miller, Weir says he must focus and "get ready to counter anything that he throws at me." He continues, "[Miller] favors ground-and-pound. The only thing he brings in is [a] will to shoot and wrestle. He will come charging at me. He says that he never tires, so I can't see the fight lasting much beyond the first round." Rather than sit on the sidelines while awaiting his much-deserved light heavyweight title shot, Chuck Liddell has chosen to compete at UFC 40. "Chuck insisted on fighting," says Silva of Liddell's perilous decision to meet Renato "Babalu" Sobral, an opponent who could very well spoil his march to the gold. "We would have preferred for him to sit out, but Chuck is a competitor and he wants to fight. Every fight is a risk. There are so many ways to lose in MMA that there are no 'safe' fights." Sobral, a Ruas Vale Tudo stylist, is as well rounded as any 205-pound fighter in the sport. He maintains a solid wrestling base and has won fights by submission, strikes standing and ground-and-pound. "Babalu is a dangerous opponent," says Silva, "and he knows a win over Chuck will be huge for him. I guarantee you that Babalu is going to go after Chuck with everything he has. Chuck had better be ready." The murky UFC heavyweight title picture could be cleared somewhat when Ian Freeman battles Andrei Arlovski. "Ian has the chance to show he belongs with the best heavyweights," Silva comments on the bout. "If he wins, it will be his fourth win in a row. He has changed his training and is highly motivated." After sliding downward from late 2000 to mid 2001, Freeman began clawing his way back up the ladder with successive victories in smaller shows. He then completed his resurgence with a dramatic demolition of Frank Mir at UFC 38. Unlike his underdog role against Mir, however, Freeman will be the favorite against Arlovski, who has dropped consecutive UFC matches. "Losing to Pedro Rizzo and Ricco Rodriguez is no crime," Silva states regarding his reasoning to bring Arlovski back to the UFC. "Andrei is a tough kid with a lot of potential." At an athletic six-foot-three, 240 pounds, Arlovski boasts the tools necessary to be a heavyweight contender. It's only a matter of combining those skills and delivering a breakthrough victory. UFC 40 is the perfect opportunity to do so. "I look forward to this fight," Arlovski says. "I watched [Freeman's] previous fight. We have prepared several surprises for him." In another heavyweight match, UFC-newcomer Travis Wiuff will attempt to make the leap to the big show. Travis was called in just shy of two weeks prior to UFC 40 as a replacement for an injured Frank Mir. Tired of cutting weight to fight at 205 pounds in the UFC, Matyushenko has decided to move up a weight class and battle the big boys. "I've fought heavyweight for most of my career and I felt very comfortable," he says. "Now, I think that I can be more effective at this weight and get paid more money." He will be giving up around 30 pounds to Wiuff, however. "I'm not planning to gain weight," Matyushenko says. "Right now I weigh around 220 pounds, and I'll be around that at fight time. Even though it's his first fight as a heavyweight in the UFC, a victory could establish Matyushenko as a contender. Silva says that depends on how he scores the win. "If he really goes out there and dominates, Vladdy may be a force to reckon with in the heavyweight division." On November 22, the mixed martial arts community will collectively pause and turn their focus to Las Vegas. They'll be watching the past meet the present, with the future of the UFC possibly waiting in the balance. It's not quite the culmination of Zuffa's impact on the sport, but it is an excellent gauge of how far they've come and how far they could go. There's always a chance the match could be a miserable flop and do irreparable damage to future pay-per-view buys. It could also be an unforgettable war, surpass the hype and amplify the UFC fan base. That's what Silva and a multitude of fans will be hoping to see. "If the card turns out half as good as it looks on paper," he concludes, "it is going to be a night to remember." |
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