UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter. October 10, 2006. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida. Free on Spike TV. Tuesday night. The first UFC event in Florida. Tito Ortiz stopped Ken Shamrock by KO at 2:23 of round one, winning their series 3-0. The two-hour broadcast drew a 3.1 overall Spike TV rating — shattering every previous UFC cable television record.
The previous record was 2.0, set by the TUF 2 and TUF 3 Finales. The Final Chapter averaged 4.5 in the 18-to-49-year-old male demographic, destroying the previous record of 2.9. After the fight, Shamrock approached Ortiz and told him live on Spike TV: “It was all business, man. You and me made a lot of money together. It was all business.” The feud that had driven the UFC's post-TUF growth had reached its commercial and personal conclusion.
Contents
1. Introduction | 2. Quick Stats | 3. The Build-Up | 4. Main Event | 5. Co-Main Event | 6. Full Results | 7. Standout Performances | 8. Records & Milestones | 9. Legacy & Impact | 10. FAQ | 11. References
Quick Stats
Date: October 10, 2006 (Tuesday)
Venue: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, USA
Broadcast: Free on Spike TV — 3.1 overall rating (SHATTERING the UFC cable TV record)
Demo: 4.5 in 18-49 male demographic (previous record was 2.9)
Main Event: Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock III — Light Heavyweight
Result: Tito Ortiz def. Ken Shamrock — KO (Punches) — R1, 2:23 — Ortiz wins series 3-0
Historic: First UFC event in Florida; highest-rated live UFC broadcast ever
The Build-Up
The Ortiz-Shamrock feud had been the primary driver of the UFC’s post-TUF commercial growth. Tito Ortiz won their first fight at UFC 40 in 2002. He won the rematch at UFC 61 in July 2006 by TKO. A standalone event — titled The Final Chapter — was created solely for the third fight. The card was held on a Tuesday night in Florida, positioned as a promotional lead-in for TUF Season 4 continuing on Thursday.
Most hardcore MMA fans were not excited about the third fight. Ken Shamrock had been stopped by elbows in round one at UFC 61. The consensus was that the fights were no longer competitive. But the audience — the casual cable viewers built by TUF — drove a 3.1 rating that eclipsed everything the UFC had done on television.
Main Event
Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock III — Light Heavyweight
Tito Ortiz landed punches in round one and stopped Ken Shamrock at 2:23. The finish was swift. Ortiz then flipped off Shamrock for the crowd, stating afterwards that he did it “to put on entertainment for the fans.”
Ken Shamrock then approached Ortiz and said on live television: “It was all business, man. You and me made a lot of money together. It was all business.” Ortiz said in his post-fight interview that he had always looked up to Shamrock. The feud that had been presented as personal hatred was revealed, in the moment of its conclusion, to have been a business arrangement.
Co-Main Event
Matt Hamill vs. Seth Petruzelli — Light Heavyweight
Matt Hamill, the TUF Season 3 Light Heavyweight finalist who had been forced to withdraw from the TUF 3 Finale due to injury, made his official UFC debut at The Final Chapter. He defeated Seth Petruzelli and began his UFC career as a top LHW prospect. Hamill is deaf and was one of the UFC's most compelling human interest stories of the mid-2000s.
Full Results
Full Card
Tony DeSouza def. Dustin Hazelett — Submission — R?
(Jason) MacDonald def. Ed Herman — Submission — R? — MW
Nate Marquardt def. Crafton Wallace — Decision — R3, 5:00 — MW
Matt Hamill def. Seth Petruzelli — TKO — R? — LHW (Hamill UFC debut; TUF 3 LHW finalist)
Main Event — Light Heavyweight
Tito Ortiz def. Ken Shamrock — KO (Punches) — R1, 2:23 — Ortiz wins series 3-0
Standout Performances
The Final Chapter was a free Spike TV broadcast. No formal UFC PPV bonus awards were announced. The main event’s KO at 2:23 of round one was the night’s defining moment. Nate Marquardt’s decision win over Crafton Wallace continued his rise as a MW contender.
Records & Milestones
3.1 overall Spike TV rating — the highest-rated live UFC broadcast in history; eclipsed the 2.0 record set by the TUF 2 and TUF 3 Finales.
4.5 in 18-49 male demographic — obliterated the previous record of 2.9.
Tito Ortiz wins series 3-0 — UFC 40 (2002), UFC 61 (July 2006), The Final Chapter (October 2006).
First UFC event in Florida — the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood opened the southeastern US as a UFC market.
Legacy & Impact
The Final Chapter’s 3.1 TV rating represents the commercial peak of the Ortiz-Shamrock feud. By the time of their third fight, the two men were no longer elite fighters. But the audience built through three seasons of TUF and the Ortiz-Shamrock storyline turned out for a blow-off that drew numbers no UFC broadcast had come close to. The post-fight “it was all business” moment added a layer of self-awareness that the sport rarely displayed.
The feud ended. The market it had helped develop — a mainstream Spike TV cable audience of millions — was permanent. UFC 66 in December 2006, Liddell vs. Ortiz 2, would break one million PPV buys for the first time.
FAQ
What was the TV rating for UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter?
3.1 overall Spike TV rating — the highest-rated live UFC broadcast in history. The 18-to-49-year-old male demographic averaged a 4.5, destroying the previous record of 2.9.
What was Tito Ortiz's series record against Ken Shamrock after The Final Chapter?
Tito Ortiz won their series 3-0: UFC 40 in 2002, UFC 61 in July 2006, and The Final Chapter in October 2006.
What did Ken Shamrock say to Tito Ortiz after their third fight?
Shamrock approached Ortiz after the fight and said on live television: 'It was all business, man. You and me made a lot of money together. It was all business.' Ortiz said he had always looked up to Shamrock.
Where was UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter held?
At the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida — the first UFC event held in Florida.
Who fought on the undercard of The Final Chapter?
Matt Hamill made his UFC debut (TUF 3 LHW finalist who had been injured at the TUF 3 Finale), defeating Seth Petruzelli. Nate Marquardt defeated Crafton Wallace by decision.
References
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