In a seemingly heart-felt soliloquy to the audience, complete with dramatic pauses and powerful hand gestures for emphasis, Shamrock spoke of respect for the sport and its fighters, something he says opponent Ortiz was severely lacking. "I take nothing from Tito Ortiz’s ability," he explained, "but I do have a lot to say about his attitude and what he did to me and the Lions Den… I did say I would not leave the mixed martial arts world until I got in there and got the opportunity to knuckle him up and since that day, Tito Ortiz has done nothing but open his mouth, disrespect me and the Lions Den." Turning to face his opponent for the first time that day, Shamrock concluded with this statement. "On Friday night, at the MGM Grand, right here, when the gate shuts and the bell rings, Tito Ortiz is going to find out what Ken Shamrock is all about. I guarantee that. So if I was you, I hope to God you come ready, ’cause if you don’t, I’m going to beat you into living death." Ortiz, who had rarely taken his eyes off Shamrock from the start, gazed up at his foe before releasing a hearty, extended laugh. "You can keep laughing, you jerk bitch," exclaimed Shamrock, as he motioned closer to the seated Ortiz. "This isn’t the WWF," retorted Ortiz, as heated words volleyed back and forth (including fevered expletives on Mr. Shamrock’s behalf) between the two athletes. As the crowd began to murmur, Ortiz stood to meet Shamrock, just as Shamrock pawed a chair in Ortiz’s direction.

Barring the interaction between Shamrock and Ortiz, the remainder of the conference ran smoothly, featuring polite words from both UFC welterweight champion and opponent Gil Castillo, who hopes to pull an upset over the Iowan powerhouse this Friday. UFC President Dana White confirmed that the arena will most likely sell-out around the 14,000 mark — making it the largest MMA event ever held in America. Zuffa’s local push to get the event noticed is clearly plain to see — from the big screen TVs throughout the casino endlessly playing UFC promos to commemorative slot machines and card tables decorated with Ortiz and Shamrock’s mugs. USA Today’s Danny Sheridan, known for his odds-making in numerous sports, was in attendance with his freshly-tallied numbers from that morning’s edition. ESPN crews were there as well, finishing their coverage for an Outside The Lines piece to air December 5th at 7PM EST. With more press expected tomorrow, including reps from the Los Angeles Times among other notable publications, UFC 40 is shaping up to be quite an event.