Ken Shamrock
"The World's Most Dangerous Man"
By OnepunchJD
In February 2009 MMA legend and pioneer Ken Shamrock, a mere shadow of his former self, stepped into the cage for perhaps the last time to face Ross Clifton, a grizzly bear of a man. Clifton has a belly the size of a bean bag chair, and a losing record in MMA. But standing 6'8" at 360lbs, and with 16 professional MMA fights, Ross Clifton would be a nightmare for any average man to face in a cage. Ken Shamrock has never been an average man. Early in the first round Shamrock dropped Clifton with a solid right punch, and then finished his overmatched opponent with an arm bar submission. Ken Shamrock, at 45 years old, did not even break a sweat.
Although Ken looked good in this one sided victory, it marked only the 4th win in 12 fights since his return to professional competition 9 years ago. A combination of age, injuries, bad luck, and the super fast evolution of MMA, have made the latter part of Ken Shamrock's career a constant uphill struggle.
But things were not always this way. There was a time when Ken was dominating the best fighters the world had to offer, living up to the title of "World's Most Dangerous Man". In the mid 90's Ken Shamrock was a monster among men! Possessing incredible strength, athleticism, and a heavy street fighting background, Shamrock had a level of toughness and intensity few men could match. But unlike many of the street fighters competing in these ground breaking MMA events, Ken Shamrock was also a master technician. Ken was able to combine world class submission grappling technique, with his almost superhuman physical ability, to become one of the most formidable fighters on the planet.
Ken Shamrock’s life story is the stuff great books and movies are written about. He takes his last name from his adopted father, Bob Shamrock, who ran the boys home Ken found himself in as an early teen. Ken had a tough and violent childhood, but under the care of his adopted father, Ken began applying his God given physical talents to sports. He was a high school football star and an undefeated wrestler. One day, in an accident at wrestling practice, Ken broke his neck. Doctors told him he could never again compete in physical contact sports. So after high school, Ken Shamrock went on to work as a bouncer, a semi-pro football player, and a professional wrestler. He also entered and won 3 Tough Man competitions, and participated in illegal underground street fights for money. Ken was even asked to try out for the San Diego Chargers football team, but he passed on the opportunity to pursue a pro-wrestling career. This led him to Japan, where Ken learned submission grappling technique from Japanese masters, and became the #1 ranked Shootfighter in the world. The rest is history.
While training in Japan, Shamrock mastered the art of submissions. He competed in the first true MMA fight to be held in Japan, easily defeating Muay Thai champion Don Nakaya Nielson with a submission hold. Ken went on to compete in Pancrase, an MMA venue predating the UFC. He quickly became a superstar in Japan, and went on to become the first “King of Pancrase”, a title that would be held by many MMA legends. While fighting in Pancrase, Ken claimed victory over some of the biggest names in MMA. He defeated legendary trainer and AMC Pancration founder Matt Hume with an amazing sunset flip to key lock combination. Ken went 2 and 1 with Japanese hero Masa Funaki, who was Shamrocks submission teacher and the founder of Pancrase. He submitted kickboxing legend and future UFC heavyweight champion Maurice Smith. Ken also has 2 submission victories over fellow MMA legend and pioneer Bas Rutten. Rutten is a kickboxing champion from Holland who would go on to become a 3 time King of Pancrase, and UFC heavyweight champion. Ken Shamrock’s performance in Pancrase alone cemented his place among the greatest fighters of his generation, and he would continue his dominance in the UFC.
In 1993 UFC 1 changed the face of martial arts forever. Shamrock was impressive, easily submitting the tough but overmatched Pat Smith with a heel hook. But in his next fight he would fall victim to the Jiu-Jitsu mastery of Royce Gracie. Ken got the takedown and dropped back for a leg submission, but was unprepared for Gracie’s technique with the gi, which Royce used to pull himself to top position. When Ken changed position Gracie used his gi sleeve to apply a choke, and Shamrock was forced to tap out. Royce Gracie went on to win the event and cement his legacy, submitting everyone in his path without a loss in the first 4 UFC’s.
Ken Shamrock would continue to have success in both the UFC and Pancrase leading up to UFC 5 and the rematch with Royce Gracie. Though the first “Superfight” in the UFC ended in a draw, Shamrock was able to stifle Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu with effective but unexciting control on the ground. In the overtime period Ken turned it up a notch. Dropping Royce with a punch, Ken positioned himself high in Gracie’s guard and punished the Brazilian champion with strikes and head butts until time expired. Although both fighters had their hands raised, Gracie had just taken a beating, while Shamrock didn’t have a scratch on him. Had judges been in place, it is reasonable to assume Ken Shamrock would have won the decision.
In the next “Superfight” Ken would face Dan “The Beast” Severn, one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the world, and the reining UFC tournament champion. Severn was the first dominate wrestler in the UFC, and is a legend and pioneer of MMA. Although giving up 40 lbs, Ken Shamrock managed to out wrestle and over power Severn before submitting him with a guillotine choke. This impressive performance established Shamrock as the top dog in the UFC, and arguably the top “No Holds Barred” fighter on the planet.
Ken would continue to dominate in his next fight with Oleg Taktarov, the world Sambo champion, and reining UFC tournament champion. Although Shamrock dominated the fight from top to bottom, he failed to finish the tough Russian. Once again, for lack of judges, a fight Ken Shamrock clearly controlled ended in a draw. His next fight would be against Kimo, the very tough and dangerous Hawaiian brawler. Kimo was able to land a solid punch that blackened Ken’s eye, but Shamrock controlled the action and submitted his opponent with a knee bar.
Ken’s next fight, a rematch Dan Severn, was tarnished by last minute rule changes and legal problems. Fighters where threatened with fines and jail time if they landed punches to the face or head. As a result, Shamrock and Severn hardly even engaged in what would become famous as the most boring UFC fight ever. In one brief exchange, Severn got top position and broke the rules by punching Ken in the face. When Shamrock was able to reverse the position he chose to obey the rules and not throw punches. Although Ken had his reasons, this cost him the fight, and Severn won a controversial and lackluster split decision. Judges had finally been introduced to the UFC, and Ken Shamrock now had an undeserved loss on his record. Neither fighter was proud of their performance.
Ken came back to compete in the Ultimate Ultimate ’96, and was considered one of the favorites to win. He was matched up with Brian Johnson in the first round, and completely dominated the dangerous striker, pinning him against the fence and landing numerous punches before forcing him to submit with a simple forearm choke. Unfortunately, Shamrock broke his hand in the process and was unable to continue in the tournament.
In the late 90’s the UFC was in trouble. There were legal troubles with almost every event, and some politicians even wanted the event banned. Ken was supporting a family, and he was running his fighting school, The Lions Den. Although Shamrock still stood at the top of the sport, the money was just not what it once was. Based on his professional wrestling experience, and his status as the world’s top NHB fighter, the WWF made Ken Shamrock an offer he couldn’t refuse. He would have enough money to support his family and The Lions Den. So Ken made the decision to step away from MMA competition and join the WWF. For the next 4 years Ken Shamrock used his physical intensity and knowledge of submissions to become one of the most popular and exciting professional wrestlers in the world.
From 1993 to 1996 Ken Shamrock compiled an impressive record of 24 wins with 5 losses and 2 draws, 22 wins by submission. That’s an amazing 31 fights in about 3 years! Both draws should arguably be considered wins. During this time Shamrock established himself as the top MMA fighter in the world, as well as one of the greatest grapplers ever. His blend of wrestling and submission skills, combined with his immense physical strength, allowed him to dominate some of the best grapplers on the planet at the time. Ken Shamrock was successful against world class practitioners of grappling arts such as; Shootfighting (Masa Funaki), Judo (Cristophe Leninger), Sambo (Oleg Taktarov), Wrestling (Dan Severn), and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Royce Gracie). He also used his grappling skills to overwhelm many dangerous world class strikers such as Maurice Smith, Bas Rutten, and Pat Smith.
Ken stands out as being the first all-around grappler to have success in the UFC. While Champions like Gracie and Severn were pure Jiu-Jitsu or wrestling, Shamrock effectively used wrestling, submissions, and ground and pound techniques to win fights. Ken is also known for having some of the most devastating leg submissions on the planet, a reputation he maintains to this day. His effective use of heel hooks and knee bars in the early UFC’s made leg submissions required learning as the sport evolved.
Although not considered a technically good striker until much later in his career, Ken Shamrock was always a very dangerous striker because of his physical power. His main focus was grappling, but Ken always had knockout power in his hands, and his knees. He was also a very effective striker on the ground.
In a time when most fighters where classified as strikers or grapplers, brawlers or technicians, Ken Shamrock brought a well rounded game. It can be argued that Shamrock was the prototypical mixed martial artist, blending world class grappling technique with dangerous striking and superior physical conditioning. Ken was also a very smart fighter and an excellent ring general, devising solid game plans and sticking to them, for many of his high profile fights. He was always willing to learn and evolve with the sport. Although Ken did his share of trash talking to build up fights, he was always honest and respectful afterwards, in victory or defeat. This combination of technical ability, physical conditioning, work ethic, and code of conduct, would set the standard for modern MMA fighters. Shamrock would also strive to pass these attributes on to his students.
Ken Shamrocks accomplishments as a fighter establish him as an MMA legend and pioneer. His impact as a trainer of fighters is equally legendary. Shamrock is the founder of The Lions Den, the first world class fighting camp in the United States. Ken hand picked his fighters, based more on heart and dedication than technical ability. Potential Lions Den students would have to survive an intense physical tryout before being accepted into the school. Ken would provide food, housing, and the best MMA training in the country for men passing these tryouts. Ken’s adopted brother, Frank Shamrock, would benefit from Ken’s tutelage to become a UFC champion and MMA legend. Other Lions Den fighters like Guy Mezger, Vernon White, Pete Williams, Jerry Bohlander, and Tra Telligman, would become some of the toughest and most respected fighters in MMA. Oleg Taktarov trained with The Lions Den for UFC and Pancrase competition. Ken also brought in legendary kick boxer Maurice Smith to train and learn from his students. The Lions Den set the standard for the modern MMA training camp. Successful schools like AMC pancration, Miletich Fighting Systems, and many others, were influenced by The Lions Den. With the success of The Lions Den and its fighters, Ken Shamrock’s influence on the evolution of MMA would go even deeper than his own considerable accomplishments as a fighter.
In the year 2000, after almost 4 years in the WWF, Ken Shamrock made his MMA comeback in the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan, the country that made him a superstar. He faced Alexander Otsuka, a fighter who held a win over former UFC champion and MMA legend Marco Ruas. Although Otsuka has many losses in MMA, he always fought the very best fighters and did well. It was a good comeback fight for Ken, who showed a little ring rust, but dominated the entire fight on his way to a K.O. victory.
Shamrock’s next fight is one of the weirdest and most talked about in MMA history. Ken faced Kazuyuki Fujita, a tough and powerful Japanese wrestler, who was coming off a win over Mark Kerr. Ken Shamrock completely dominated and out classed Fujita, stuffing his takedowns and beating him from one side of the ring to the other. Ken attempted a guillotine choke that turned Fujita’s face blue, and even knocked the big man down. Then, unexpectedly, as Fujita pressed him against the ropes, Ken Shamrock asked his corner to throw in the towel. Although Ken was clearly winning the fight, he felt like he was having a heart attack, and was in fear for his life when he made this request. Fujita had just, inexplicably, defeated an MMA legend. He launched himself into an emotional celebration, even though he had done nothing but hang on for dear life. Shamrock was examined backstage, and diagnosed with extreme heart palpitations.
Ken Shamrocks next fight with Don Frye would be an all out war between two legends of the sport. Frye is a former 2 time UFC champion with devastating punching power and legendary toughness. Before the event, Frye trash talked and said some things about Shamrocks family, fueling the fire for one of the classic “bad blood” fights ever in MMA. Following an intense face to face stare down, Shamrock and Frye went to war, and both fighters had great moments. Don Frye managed to knock Shamrock down in one exchange of punches. Shamrock was able to put Frye in several heel hook submission holds, causing excruciating pain. Although the tough and stubborn Don Frye refused to tap, he was saved by the bell on at least 2 occasions, including the end of the last round. The fighters showed mutual respect when it was over, and Don Frye was awarded a split decision victory. This was a controversial decision because Frye was saved by the bell, however he did score one knockdown which probably made the difference. In the interview right after the fight Don Frye apologized to Shamrock for the things he had said. He also announced to the crowd “Ken Shamrock won this fight, just as much as I did”. Although the split decision didn’t go Ken’s way, he did manage to ruin Don Frye’s legs, reportedly fracturing both ankles and one knee. Frye has himself admitted that he has never been the same since that fight, and it would mark the beginning of a sharp decline for the careers of both competitors. Despite the bad blood, Shamrock and Frye left it all in the ring, and are friendly to this day.
In November of 2002 Ken Shamrock made his return to the UFC to fight reining light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. Ortiz had disrespected The Lions Den, and Shamrock himself, in previous fights with Jerry Bohlander and Guy Mezger. This caused some real bad blood between the young, seemingly unstoppable Tito, and one of MMA’s elder statesmen, Ken Shamrock. Ken was hoping to outclass Tito, and teach the cocky young fighter a lesson. This is something he probably would have accomplished in his prime, perhaps even easily. Unfortunately, age and injuries had caught up with Shamrock. Ken went into the fight with a torn ACL, an injury that would end the season for any NFL player, and severely restricts movement both standing and on the ground for a fighter. The cut to 205 was also a bad move for Ken, who would never have success at that weight. Shamrock is a smaller heavyweight by today’s standards, at 225 he was muscular, but very lean. The cut to 205, (although he looked good), seemed to take away much of his incredible strength. Tito on the other hand walks around at about 225, and makes the cut to 205 for the weigh-ins the day before the fight. Tito Ortiz is a master at weight cutting, and it is a big part of his game. There were no weight classes in the days Ken Shamrock dominated the sport. Tito would not fight Ken at heavyweight, and Shamrock was just stubborn enough to take the fight anyway.
Billed as the biggest fight in UFC history, the first Shamrock-Ortiz fight would live up to its hype, rivaling the Shamrock-Gracie Superfight. But unlike the classic Gracie rematch, this would not be Ken’s night. Ken Shamrock is known, (among other things), for his overpowering strength, and excellent takedown defense. However, these attributes would not be evident, and Tito Ortiz proceeded to overpower the MMA legend, taking him down at will. Once on the ground, Tito stacked Ken against the fence and unleashed one of the most brutal ground and pound beatings in MMA history. But Ken Shamrock refused to quit, and despite the beating, he did have his moments. He landed one punch in the first round that buckled Tito’s knees, and he was miraculously able to finish every round on his feet. Although Ken’s corner threw in the towel at the end of the 3rd round, this was not at his request. Shamrock proudly displayed his legendary toughness and warrior’s spirit, and despite the losing effort, he won the respect of the fans. During the fight, UFC commentator Joe Rogan exclaimed “Ken Shamrock’s got the heart of a lion”!
The battle between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock marked the end of an era. Shamrock passed the torch to Ortiz, who represents the new generation of fighters. About three years later Matt Hughes would have similar success, representing a more evolved generation of fighters in his destruction of Royce Gracie. However, these losses can take nothing away from the accomplishments of guys like Shamrock and Gracie. These men helped to create the sport that has become so popular today, and set the standard for all who followed them. It is because of legends like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock that fighters like Tito Ortiz and Matt Hughes have had the opportunities they were blessed with. Although the new breed of MMA fighter is more evolved, they stand on the shoulders of those who came before them, and owe everything to the accomplishments of these pioneers! In a way, the victories of today’s fighters are also victories for Shamrock, Gracie, and a handful of other fighters who paved the way and set the learning curve for the greatest combat sport in human history!
In June of 2004 Ken Shamrock would attempt to get back to his winning ways in a rematch with Kimo Leopoldo. It had been 8 years since Ken submitted Kimo in the Superfight, and his superior grappling had made the difference. Since then Kimo improved his abilities, earning a legitimate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Coming off a submission victory over Tank Abbott, Kimo was confident he could avenge his loss to Shamrock. But Ken proved he was still the better fighter, and once again out muscled and outclassed Kimo. At 1:26 of the first round, Shamrock landed a well placed knee to Kimo’s chin, knocking out the larger fighter. The fight never went to the ground. Ken was respectful as usual after this victory, and even admitted he was no longer the world’s best fighter, but still willing to compete with anybody.
Shamrock would unsuccessfully attempt to avenge the loss to Tito Ortiz 2 more times. Although the second fight ended with a controversial stoppage, both rematches were one sided. Not long ago, even Ken Shamrocks losses were dramatic. He was exciting, almost impossible to finish, and he always had his moments. You always had the feeling that Ken could beat the odds and pull something off. But sadly, for about the last 4 years, the writing has been on the wall. Ken Shamrock can no longer compete at the highest level of the sport. Although he showed a hint of his old self against Ross Clifton, most feel that Ken’s ride into the sunset has been past due for some time. But if we think for a moment about the kind of dedication and stubbornness it took to overcome a broken neck, and go on to become one of the best hand to hand fighters in human history…
Then we might understand the stubborn pride that has pushed Ken Shamrock to continue past his prime, critics be damned! In Ken’s defense, he has aged better than most. At 40, he walked right through Kimo Leopoldo, who was probably a B level fighter at the time. He has never stopped evolving, and never stopped selling tickets. Even through the years when his victories are few and far between, Ken remains an important and inspirational representative of modern Mixed Martial Arts.
Ken Shamrock was the first King of Pancrase, the first UFC Superfight champion, the first all-around grappler in the UFC, the first fighter to have success against Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and he founded the first successful MMA camp in the United States. He is one of the most dominant, influential, controversial, and famous Martial Artists in modern history. Because of Ken, and later his adopted brother Frank, the name Shamrock is up there with names like Lee, Norris, and Gracie, as one of the most important and recognized names in modern Martial Arts.
Everything is relative. As any sport evolves and improves over the years, its past champions represent the best of an era, and set the standard for future generations to equal, and eventually overcome. As time goes on these champions become legends, achieving immortality for the accomplishments of their best years, what we call their “prime“. Ken Shamrock, in his prime, was almost unstoppable. The most famous of his nicknames, “The Worlds Most Dangerous Man”, is appropriate, and at one time probably very close to being accurate. Very few men on the planet could compete with a mid-90’s Ken Shamrock when it came to physical combat. As a pioneer of MMA, Ken’s impact on the learning curve of the sport is rivaled only by the Gracies. His struggles toward the end of his career can never take away from his contributions as a fighter, a teacher, and a representative of the fastest growing sport in the world. Ken is a member of the UFC hall of fame, and if they ever create an MMA hall of fame, he will be among the first inducted. As of September 2009, his impressive record stands at 27-13-2, with 23 submissions. Ken Shamrock is truly an MMA legend!