New Era Fighter Issue 3 Feature.

by Adam Thompson

Ken Shamrock’s recent loss to Pedro Rizzo in Sydney may highlight that his best years in the cage are behind him.

But when asked why he continues to place his 46 year old body on sports toughest stage he looks bewildered. “It’s kind of like telling someone to stop breathing; you know what I mean – I want you stop breathing – how do I do that?”

Shamrock began his professional Mixed Martial Arts career in 1993, but his biggest fight began long before that. As a teen he faced a day to day battle to stay off the street and avoid a life of crime, a past that served as his greatest motivation throughout his career. “I didn’t want to end up dead or in prison, I wanted to be somebody.” Shamrock says.

The fighter known as “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” did just that. After a successful start to his professional fight career in the Japanese promotion “Pancrase,” Shamrock returned to his Lion’s Den Gym in Susanville, California.

“I remember getting this flyer from one of my students for this no holds barred event,” Shamrock explains. “In the U.S when I hear of a no holds barred event, I think of like the Hulk Hogan type of stuff, the chairs over the head and tables.”

That brochure was for an eight-man, single-elimination tournament pitching martial artists from different disciplines against each other. After making some enquiries Shamrock signed on to compete in the first ever Ultimate Fighting Championships in Denver, Colorado.

“We get there and we have a press conference, but there’s no press there because no one really knows what’s going on,” Shamrock remembers. “I’m waiting for this meeting of some sorts, to say this is how it’s going to work. That meeting never took place.”

For the 8 men competing, it would be a steep learning curve. According to Shamrock the first explanation of what they had signed up for came when savate fighter Gerard Gordeau  infamously kicked sumo wrestler Teila Tuli’s teeth into the front row. The 6 men who remained watched on from the locker room.

“Some of them (fighters) were trying to sneak out the back door, and then there were some of us who had already been through this and thought heck it’s just one guy and there’s no weapons.”

As the tournament progressed, Shamrock was one of 4 men left standing. His semi final opponent was Jiu Jitsu practitioner Royce Gracie, who would one day join him in the UFC hall of Fame and evidently defeat him on his way to victory in the organization’s first fight night.

“I figured he was too small, I’d go right through him”, Shamrock recounts with a smile. “I said there was no way a guy in jamies was going to beat me.”

Shamrock v Gracie was Mixed Martial Arts first great rivalry, and certainly not the last to involve the shoot fighter from California. Shamrock’s battles with Dan Severn and Don Frye are legendary but the one he shared with Tito Ortiz was simply created in fight heaven.

“If Tito didn’t have me, Tito wouldn’t be where he’s at. Fortunately for us we had each other,” says Shamrock.

The Shamrock v Ortiz rivalry reached new heights during Season 3 of the Ultimate Fighter, as they faced off as coaches. Shamrock was heavily criticised for his training techniques on the show but claims he was unfairly portrayed. Except for the part where he didn’t get on with Tito.

“I’ve been in the game too long to get hurt,” Shamrock explains as he shrugs his shoulders. “The UFC are where they are at because of that rivalry.”

Despite his history with the franchise, the UFC cut ties with Ken Shamrock after his third loss to Ortiz.  While he scoffs at suggestions that he should retire he knows the physical strain on his middle aged body is getting harder to ignore.

“You get frustrated because you think your body should come back and heal, and you don’t know why you can’t do this anymore, and so you keep pushing yourself harder and harder till you break.”

Throughout his career, Shamrock has been dogged by allegations of steroid use. It came to affront when he was suspended for a year for the use of a banned substance. Like he had in the past he denied the charges, before coming clean in a June interview with HDNet’s Mike Straka. Shamrock reflects.

“To me it wasn’t a big deal, when it came out I was a bit shocked. Sometimes you’re better to leave things alone rather than defend yourself.”

Love him or hate him “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” deserves credit for helping Mixed Martial Arts become what it is today. But the personal cost is evident. Despite pleas from his body to halt the aches and pains he continues to put it through the punishment of 5 minute rounds in the cage.

Ken Shamrock is now a man who fights because he doesn’t know what he would do if he didn’t. These days escaping a Royce Gracie Gi choke seems far simpler than giving in to father time.

“How do you do that?” Shamrock exhales. “How do you begin to do that?”