The last time they met in November of 2002 Tito Ortiz destroyed Ken Shamrock in a lopsided affair that left Shamrock embarrassed and beaten. To say Tito is the favorite entering there next fight would be an understatement. Although Tito struggled in his last fight in earning a decision over Forest Griffin, he still is considered a heavy favorite entering the rematch against Shamrock based on the way he dominated him in 2002.

The two men have a true hatred for one another, which was apparent during their tenure as coaches on the Ultimate Fighter reality show. They nearly came to blows on numerous occasions during the filming of the series with Shamrock claiming Tito does not show him the proper respect he deserves as a legendary UFC gladiator.

When Shamrock attempted to engage Tito in some trash talking, Tito appeared dumbfounded as to why a man he had beaten so severely would continue to run off at the mouth. At one point, with his frustration mounting from the numerous verbal jabs from Shamrock, Tito replied he could not wait for July 8th so he could administer another beat down of the once proud fighter.

This obviously set Shamrock off and he adamantly declared that the next fight will have a different outcome, as the two had to be separated by teammates and assistant coaches.

Team Tito is a much more cohesive unit that personified unity and teamwork, while members of Team Shamrock are ill-prepared entering their fights, which was evident by a lack of conditioning. Team Shamrock members were disputing his training methods from the beginning of the show, and as Team Tito jumped out to an early lead, some were questioning the leadership and training methods used by Shamrock.

By the time the finals for the middleweight and light heavyweight bouts were set, there were three of Tito's fighter's remaining and only one for Shamrock. To make matters worse for Shamrock, his lone entry in the finals, Ed "Short Fuse" Herman, lost a close decision to Kendall Grove of Team Tito, thus eliminating Shamrock’s chances of producing a champion in either weight class.

Both of these men took this competition very seriously, and with Tito again coming out on top, Shamrock is more determined than ever to win their next fight.

The story lines for this bout are of immense proportions, with drama guaranteed to unfold once both men enter the octagon. All of the hatred and animosity that has been building up since the last time these two squared off will come to a boiling point next Saturday night in Las Vegas.

If Shamrock can channel his immense hatred of Tito in a positive way, without losing control of his emotions, he might have an opportunity to restore his reputation as a tough fighter that is a force to be reckoned with. However, if he fights with reckless abandon and does not respect Tito’s skills as a fighter, he will undoubtedly be beaten severely again.

Either way it will be a good idea for Shamrock to take out a nice AFLAC policy for this one, as even if he somehow finds a way to win, he will surely experience significant pain and a need for some long term care.

July 8th is judgment day for both of these fighters, and if Shamrock loses again, he may want to think about stepping away from the Octagon for good. Tito would like nothing more than to end this man's career with another embarrassing defeat in front of possibly the largest pay-per-view UFC fight ever.

You will not want to miss this one!

Let's Get It On!