Sherdog’s Top 10: Greatest Walkouts

4. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock | UFC 40 (Nov. 22, 2002)

When Zuffa bought the UFC from Semaphore Entertainment Group in 2000, it would take a few years before they found their groove under owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and president Dana White. Before then, they tried many things, some of which were very cool, and have sadly been abandoned in the years since. This is evident in Ortiz's walk-out for the main event of UFC 40 in 2002, his first and best meeting with Ken Shamrock. One has to understand the stakes at the time: Ortiz was the biggest star in MMA, facing Shamrock, who had been the biggest star in MMA during the 90s before leaving to become a highly popular pro wrestler in what is now the WWE. Shamrock was returning to the UFC and Ortiz-Shamrock was the biggest fight in MMA, setting new records for pay-per-view buys and attendance. The UFC went all-out for Ortiz’s entrance, including pyrotechnics! Flames shoot out all across the pathway and arena, mimicking the ones on the light heavyweight champion's iconic fight shorts. Frankly, the Limp Bizkit song sucks, and only detracts from the spectacle. Luckily, it's easy to ignore when giant flames keep bursting out, perfectly synchronized to the song's guitar! Eventually Tito makes an appearance in his beanie and Team Punishment shirt, all while carrying his famous double-sided flag with the U.S. stars and stripes on one side and the Mexican flag on the other. He is bouncing in place, dripping with cockiness as well as sweat. The whole affair is oozing with early-2000s MMA nostalgia, and unforgettable for anyone who was a fan of the time. As if that weren't enough, as Tito and his team walk to the cage for what Mike Goldberg correctly describes as the biggest fight in UFC history, a shower of sparks falls behind Ortiz, making for an awe-inspiring, incredible silhouette. It's a shame that the UFC stopped using pyrotechnics, but this is a great example of how awesome entrances can be in a perfect world.

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