mixed martial arts-Ken Shamrock

KEN SHAMROCK
DELIVERS

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

UFC 48: Payback promises to be a huge night for Mixed Martial Arts fans on Saturday June 19, 2004. And heading the card are two MMA legends: Ken Shamrock and Kimo Leopoldo.

Shamrock, a veteran of UFC I: The Beginning, November 12, 1993, previously defeated Kimo on February 16,1996 at UFC VIII: David and Goliath, when the Octagon travelled down to San Juan, Puerto Rico. During his Super Fight Championship defence, Ken was determined to dominate Kimo with a leg submission, and refused to dip into his extensive bag of strike or choke techniques. Keeping to his game plan, Shamrock defeated Leopoldo by way of a leg submission in just over four minutes.

Born February 11, 1964, in Georgia where he spent the first four years of his life, Ken Shamrock then relocated to California and eventually took up wrestling at Lassen High School under his father Bob Shamrock’s advice. Instantly Bob and the coaches realised Ken was a natural.

"I started doing some wrestling and submissions, and really liked it. I got into competitions and knew I had to learn more striking and kicking, and I just enjoyed the first classes I took. I kept excelling and looking for more to do. I got involved in Mixed Martial Arts just through the love of it," says Shamrock.

Ken then pioneered the way for other American fighters to compete on the Japanese Pancrase circuit, and he became the first American to defeat the Japanese champions. As a result of his outstanding success in Pancrase and due to his competing at PRIDE, Shamrock was treated like royalty in Japan, and became something of a MMA hero worldwide.

"I had a really good reputation throughout Japan and I captured the first King of Pancrase belt before the Japanese or anybody else. I was the first champion. I accomplished a lot over there and I was a fan favourite. Then I came back to America where I live and started fighting here. And I did very well in the UFC, so that’s how I got a pretty good following: through competing and doing well."

Ken Shamrock’s army of fans has stayed loyal over the years and his contribution to his sport has been appreciated by the MMA industry. At UFC 45: Revolution, both Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie were inducted into UFC’s Hall of Fame. On the same night Ken was voted second to Randy Couture in the People’s Choice Top 10 poll, despite Shamrock’s absence from the Octagon for so long.

Was Ken pleased by the support? "Absolutely! I’ve been doing this since the very first UFC, and then three years prior to that I was over in Japan, so I’ve been doing this for about 15 years. And to stay as a fan favourite that long is quite an honour. Randy Couture was voted number one and he recently fought three times, and had great wins over Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. So obviously he’s going to be fresh in the people’s minds. And I had just lost to Tito, and yet I was still voted number two. That just goes to show you the fans appreciate the things I’ve done over the years."

Ken says his Pancrase background gave him a solid foundation for competing in UFC. "If you follow the UFCs from the first one up until now, probably the first ten, submission skills were something nobody really understood. So the only ones who did well and understood submissions were Royce Gracie and myself. We were taking down guys 40 and 60 pounds heavier. We were able to submit them. There were a lot of strikers and kickers and we were able to take them out of their game and submit them.

"We were the first two real grapplers. Royce was choking and arm barring, and I was doing knee bars and ankle locks. I took the first UFC for granted. I didn’t think anyone else knew submissions, and I thought what I did was only being done by people in Japan. Royce caught me with the gi – something I didn’t understand – and after I got caught in a choke with the gi I started studying it and understanding it. And I went back for a return match with Royce (UFC 5: Return of the Beast, April 7, 1995) and I beat him down for 36 minutes. They carried him out of the ring."

Ken doesn’t hold high hopes for a rematch with Royce Gracie in the near future, although he would gladly welcome the challenge. "You know, that would be a nice thing to happen. But Royce Gracie, I don’t believe will ever take the fight. He wants to fight by his rules and only his rules. And then he wants people to cut weight, you know he wants to control the rules and the match. I go in and I fight by the rules wherever I’m at. And Royce Gracie doesn’t do that. He fights under the rules HE makes."

In Ken Shamrock’s book, Inside the Lion’s Den, he states that it is important for a shooter to rough an opponent up with strikes before taking the fight to the ground: A theory he still maintains. "I think you have to land shots. And if you don’t land shots, you’ve got to get them to throw. Either you or they have to be throwing punches in order to take away the focus of the takedown."

For the rematch against Kimo Leopoldo at UFC 48, Ken says he will not be looking back at his previous bout with Kimo, because he believes Kimo will be a totally different fighter, having improved his Jiu Jitsi and striking techniques. But Ken adds that it makes for a great match.

"What I think he will do is apply the same philosophy I’ve taught people over the years: to press the fight and wait for them to open up, and then go for the takedown and the clinch. And I think that’s what he’ll do. He’ll press; he’ll come forward; he’ll throw big, strong punches and wait for me to throw back, and then he’ll try to clinch.

"Strength for strength, he’s not going to overpower me, nor will I overpower him. Our strengths will be even. But what I think this fight comes down to is conditioning, and my skill level… I’ve been doing this a long time and somebody’s going to make a mistake, and it’s not going to be me. Kimo’s been doing it for quite a long time, but he’s been learning as he goes along. He’s been getting better, but when it gets to the ground, my skill level is much better than his."

Shamrock suggests his fitness level will be much better than Leopoldo’s, expecting Kimo to be carrying far too much size. "He’ll come in probably too big and be tired in the second round."

Ken hopes his bout with Kimo will be followed by Shamrock v Ortiz II. But was Ken surprised to see Chuck Liddell defeat Tito Ortiz?

"I was surprised to see Chuck defeat Tito like that. I thought Tito made a mistake in thinking he could cover up, because he got poked in the eye. I saw him squinting. I was sitting ringside, and he covered up trying to get his vision back, instead of shooting on Chuck and trying to take him down. And then if he missed the takedown, just falling to his back, because then he’s not getting hit.

"Chuck didn’t want it on the ground, and if Tito did take it there, Chuck would have been in Tito’s guard where Tito’s well versed, and he’d have been able to hold Chuck off in his guard. But Tito backed up against the fence and tried to recover standing up instead of while he’s on his back where he gets a couple of extra seconds to recover without getting punched."

Does Ken have a prediction for his appointment with Kimo at UFC 48?

"Oh no, no no. That just gets you in trouble, man," laughs Shamrock. "That just gets you in trouble. But I can predict, if Kimo comes out and he’s in good shape, then it should be an explosive fight. It should be a good fight, and I’m looking forward to it. And I hope he does come out in great shape, because it’s only going to make for a better match."

One thing is for sure, on Saturday, June 19, 2004, Bob Shamrock will be at ringside in the front row, and there’ll be no mistaking where his support lies.

For more on Ken Shamrock: www.kenshamrock.com

For more on UFC 48: Pay Back! www.ufc.tv

KEN SHAMROCK
Part 2

KEN BLASTS BACK

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

"Last time I beat him in two minutes. This time I’ll beat him in ten. Either way, I’ll beat him." – Ken Shamrock speaking prior to his battle with Kimo at UFC 48: PayBack.

These two warriors of the Octagon first locked horns at UFC 8: David v Goliath on February 16, 1996, when Shamrock defeated Kimo Leopoldo by kneebar. So UFC 48 was a chance for Kimo to settle the score when he faced Ken on June 19, 2004.

But Kimo’s revenge was not to be. This time around, Shamrock was victorious in just 1.26 seconds. And although Ken was surprised to seal the fight so early into the bout, he believed all along the match would be his.

"Absolutely, I was happy with the result. Any time you can get something like that…He made a mistake and I made him pay for it. Finding the victory just makes my career last a bit longer,’ laughs Shamrock.

And like everything he does, Ken celebrated his victory BIG time. "I went out with my family. It was the first time my kids have actually been to a UFC fight, and it was a great outcome, so we all went out to dinner. We sat around. There were about 50 of us, including members of the Lion’s Den, who are part of my family. And we had a wonderful time."

Shamrock and Leopoldo are two of the most intense competitors in UFC, so it wasn’t surprising when the fight went to action stations the moment the bout started. And Ken, who was two stone lighter at weigh-in, expected this would be the case. "Kimo and I are both pretty aggressive. ‘Let’s do it. Ring the bell.’ I knew that he would come out and throw and press first, trying to use his weight against me. So it all went the way I expected it to go, except that I didn’t think he would make a mistake that early."

UFC48 - Shamrock vs Kimo.

At UFC 45, Ken Shamrock was inducted into UFC’s Hall of Fame and voted UFC’s second most popular fighter despite coming off a loss to Tito Ortiz and being absent from the Octagon for some time. At UFC 48, the fans showed their support for Ken again.

"It was explosive, and when they announced me the crowd popped. That always helps me get fired up. It’s exciting. You know, you work hard to get there and then you appreciate it all the more. Everything’s all the better."

Ken says seeing Kimo weigh in two stone heavier the day before the fight didn’t faze him at all. Shamrock has always been one of the strongest fighters in MMA – regardless of his weight – and he knew he would be able to match Kimo’s strength and fitness level.

"I didn’t get to test my fitness against Kimo’s, but I did get to test my strength against his. He tried to take me down and I double under-hooked him, and just lifted him right up. So my strength was there. I was in better shape than he was, without a doubt. We spent some time just hand fighting and he slowed down. I wasn’t close to slowing down. Man, I wasn’t tired. I didn’t even sweat. It was kind of a warm-up for me. But you don’t really test your fitness until the second round. That’s when you get to challenge an opponent’s fitness."

There was never a doubt in Shamrock’s mind that the fight would be his. And at UFC 47, Ken stated that the fight with Kimo was just a stepping stone for some business he had to take care of. "There’s no way that Kimo could beat me. There’s no way that anyone can beat me in my current shape. And, yes, I was referring to Tito."

Exactly when the Shamrock v Tito II bout will take place is undecided, but Ken is still very keen for the rematch. "I’m not sure when UFC want it to happen, but UFC 49 is the next one, right? So UFC 50 will be in October. I know there’s talk, but you never know until the contract’s signed.

"There’s a dispute over what weight we should fight at. Everybody wants us to fight at heavyweight, because that’s the weight I fight at. Last time we fought, I went down to his weight. This time they want him to fight at my weight, but Tito says he will not do that. He will only fight me at 205."

Will Ken go down to light heavyweight? "If that’s what I’ve gotta do to fight Tito."

If Shamrock does fight at UFC 50 he will be in the unique position of being one of only two men who could have fought at both UFC 1 and UFC 50. The other person being Royce Gracie. "The others from UFC 1 are all gone. And there’s one thing about me: I will take on anybody the UFC wants me to fight. And if they change the rules, I’ll still fight by their rules. But Royce wants to choose who he fights and the rules he fights by."

At forty years, there are no signs of Ken slowing down, and like Randy Couture (forty-one years), who will be fighting Vitor Belfort at UFC 49: Unfinished Business, these athletes are doing more than MMA. They are pioneers testing the limits of the human body: the Chuck Yeagers of fitness and fighting.

"Yeah, I think I’m pushing the boundaries. But as long as you feel good and your mind can train hard for a fight, and you can still compete, then why not do it? You know there are no rules that say, ‘Hey, you know what? When you turn forty you done fighting.’

"And when I am done fighting, I’ll be a big part of UFC history. But I’m going to keep training, and when my body breaks, then I’ll know. My mind is strong, my recovery’s fine. I’m doing all the right things to keep where I need to be. So I’ll keep fighting. I guess when I quit fighting I’ll look back on it and go ‘Ouch!’ But right now I don’t have time for that," laughs Ken.

Shamrock’s father Bob is always at ringside for Ken’s fights, and Bob was delighted with the outcome of the fight with Kimo. "Oh, I think it was the proudest night of his life. It seems like everyone gets better and better, so it was nice to have him there and being able to have my family there. And because it was the very first one my kids had been to: They’ve seen me on TV, but they’d never been to the real fight. And it was the night before Father’s Day, so I dedicated the fight to my Dad. He was pretty excited about it," says Ken.

Ken, is there anything you’d like to add to this interview?

"I just want to say that every time I enter the Octagon to fight, the fans are just a BIG, BIG part of my success. When I walk out and they pop like that, it’s like, ‘I’m okay. I’m all right. You guys are with me and I’m going to turn it on.’ I just want to make sure they know that I appreciate them. I do. Because I do hear it, and I do recognize it, and I do appreciate it."

For more on Ken Shamrock - www.kenshamrock.com

For more on UFC 49: Unfinished Business – www.ufc.tv

To order Ken’s brilliant book: Inside the Lion’s Den – www.kenshamrock.com

KEN SHAMROCK
Part 3

The Lion's Den Roars Again

When the final episode of UFC’s Ultimate Fighter program airs on April 9, 2005, Mixed Martial Arts fans will be treated to a bonus bout between Ken Shamrock and Rich Franklin.

Originally, Ken Shamrock thought he’d be fighting Tito Ortiz, but when that match-up didn’t eventuate, Ken was eager to take on whoever UFC brought in for the event. "I think UFC are trying to bring other people up and start moving in the direction of building some new stars, so it’s smart on their part. And either way, Rich Franklin is going to be recognised - whether he wins or loses," says Shamrock.

For years there has been plenty of animosity between Tito and Ken’s Lion’s Den fighters. After Ortiz defeated Vitor Belfort at UFC 51, he then tried to bait Shamrock by challenging Ken to a rematch. But Shamrock was one step ahead of Ortiz, pointing out that he had already signed the contract and that Tito had only to add his signature to secure the fight.

When asked if there’s any chance they could ever become drinking buddies, Ken laughs off the suggestion: "We’re still waiting on that first drink together. We’ve never really been able to be in the same room. The way things work out, we’re not able to get along. He’s way too arrogant for me, and I definitely wouldn’t turn my back to let him pour me a drink."

When Ken and Tito last clashed, Ken had to come down from heavyweight to 205 in order to take on Ortiz. For a rematch, Ken had suggested it was Tito’s turn to meet Shamrock at his class, and come up from light heavyweight to heavyweight division, which Tito refused to do. Shamrock then cut back down to 205 again, expecting Ortiz to accept the rematch on his terms. However when Ortiz did not sign the contract, Rich Franklin accepted the opportunity to fight Ken.

"The last fight I had with Tito was just one of those things where I’d never dieted before, and I was getting over some problems that I had. You know there were a lot of things that helped me to lose that fight, but I got beaten by the better fighter on the night. So now I’m looking for the rematch to see if I can change the outcome."

But Ken is not letting the prospect of a rematch with Tito prevent him from focusing on his upcoming bout with Franklin. "The most important thing right now is to prepare for the Rich Franklin fight. That’s my main priority right now. He’s 18-1, he’s got an impressive record, a well-rounded fighter, is in good shape, and he’s fairly strong. So I’m looking forward to this challenge. It’s going to be a challenge for me and I’m going to take it full on."

Ken says that no particular bout from UFC 51 stands out in his mind, but he is in the unique position of having seen it all: the evolution of MMA, and the rise in standard of matches.

"Most of the bouts are pretty explosive, so I’ve seen a big improvement in the cards. They’re all very interesting and action packed. I think UFC has come a long way to make them very interesting. Guys who were one-dimensional used to get in the ring: There were the grappler guys and the strikers. But it’s all changed now. You had the guys who specialised in one thing, but now everybody knows you have to be rounded in order to compete in the UFC."

No fighter can compete successfully in the game for as long as Ken has and not gather a wealth of skills along the way. To have fought at UFC’s inaugural event on November 12, 1993, and still have his hand up to take on all challenges at the ‘Super Bowl of Martial Arts’ is a true testimony to this legendary gladiator’s ability.

But Ken is also renowned for his superior strength. In his book Inside the Lion’s Den, Shamrock said a sure way of testing a potential fighter’s mettle was to have him perform 500 squats - a feat which was a regular ingredient in Ken’s own workouts.

However Shamrock says: "Now I’m 41 years old. I can’t still do all the millions of repetitions and all those things. Now what I do is just maintain my strength, maintain my body conditioning…I’m not going to improve much more than where I’m at. So for me it’s all maintaining and keeping everything sharp.

"We do circuit training, doing maybe 10 or 12 exercises in a row. We do five to seven minutes of strictly lifting weights, for about three rounds. It helps keep my muscle tone and my strength up. In the off season I’ll hit some heavy weights to keep my strength and power up. And I do core training with surgical tubing every so often if I feel like I’m aching or some of my muscles are too sore.

"You can put waist bands on with the surgical tubing and you can do shot drills, wrist control, throws, and all kinds of things using the tubing. If you hook it up to the wall, you can do shot exercises. There are a lot of different techniques you can do with it."

UFC48 - Shamrock vs Kimo.

Ken, for your upcoming fight, what are you expecting from Rich Franklin?

"He’s not going to change anything. It’s got him to this point. He’s done very well, so I think he’s going to stick to his game plan…what he’s done well, with being active, pressing the fight, looking for his openings, and not getting over-excited one way or another.

"I expect to see the same things from him that I’ve seen in his other fights. I’m looking forward to meeting him in the ring and getting it on."

Would you prefer it to be a standing or ground fight?

"Well, it’s not going to matter to me. I think it’s going to depend on where he wants it. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’ve learnt that you can’t plan on one thing or another to happen, or want things to go one way or another. You’ve got to be willing to do it all. And that’s what I’m going to do. Wherever it’s at, that’s where I’ll be."

How do you think you guys stack up strength- and conditioning-wise?

"I think, strength-wise, he’s a lot stronger than he looks, but I still believe I have an edge on him. Conditioning-wise, it’s three rounds, five minutes, so I don’t think that’s going to play a factor."

So because you’ll both be so fit, it will be too short a fight for stamina to be a decider?

"Yeah. For three 5-minute rounds we’ll both be ‘in it’. His Jiu Jitsu is definitely better than mine because I don’t do Jiu Jitsu. My submission game, I’m very good at that, so I don’t believe he has anything on me there. Also, as for my striking ability, I’ve learnt so much over the past years that I think my striking is as good as, if not better than his. And I think I possess more power in my strikes."

How are you going to win this fight?

"I don’t know. It’s one of those fights that has to fold out. Rich Franklin has fought a lot. He’s won in UFC by a submission and by two knockouts, so I don’t really understand how he intends winning this fight, but I’m going to bring everything. I’m going to bring punches, kicks, knees, submissions…And we’ll see how it folds out."

So, just whatever does the job at the time?

"That’s where I’ll be."

EXCITING NEW TIMES FOR THE LION’S DEN

Ken, is there anything you’d like to add?

"Yeah, that we’ve just bought five acres up in Susanville, which is up by Reno, Nevada, but on the California side of the mountains. We’re opening a Lion’s Den training center there, where we are going to be getting fighters from all over the world to come train. And we will house six fighters. Our tryouts will be in July 2005.

"We haven’t set an exact date on that, but interested people can get more information from www.kenshamrock.com. And we will house them for 12 months. During that year, we will be getting them fights in events that I will be holding at Diamond Mount Casino in Susanville. Then after they’ve done that for a year, I will manage their careers and get them big fights."

But this doesn’t mean you won’t continue to compete?

"No. No. No. It means that I’ve got myself in a good position - where I need to be, physically and mentally - for my fights, and now I can actually train and still coach fighters. I have this five-acre ranch which we’re going to build the training facility on. I’ll be training there and we’ll also have new talent come up there, stay in the living quarters, and we’ll be training them also."

For more info on Ken Shamrock and the Lion's Den: www.kenshamrock.com.

For more on Ken Shamrock vs Rich Franklin: www.ufc.tv.

KEN SHAMROCK
Part 4

The Den of Opportunity

Special thanks to Tonya Shamrock

At the time of this interview, Ken Shamrock is sitting at home, having just polished off 12 egg whites. He’s at his house in Susanville, California, the new location for the Lion’s Den gym. In around one month, Ken will be taking on his archrival, Tito Ortiz, at UFC 61.

Other big MMA news in the air is that the Lion’s Den will be holding more tryouts on September 17 for up-and-coming athletes wishing to train at, and later compete for, this world-renowned gym. "There are no weight divisions. Anyone’s welcome to come along and try out, and we evaluate them on their skill and their heart," says Shamrock. "The night before that, we have a fight on that we’re promoting in Susanville."

Emails regularly come in to knucklepit.com, asking how interested parties can train for UFC-style fighting, and how they can get a start in mixed martial arts competition. Here is an outstanding opportunity for up-and-coming fighters to do just that.

However, at the moment, Ken Shamrock’s sights are focused on July 8, for his rematch with Tito. And although Ken prefers to fight as a heavyweight, he’s again prepared to come down to Tito’s division in order to make the bout happen.

"Yes, I’m fighting at 205 pounds. And I’m learning how to cut weight. It took me a few times to get it down, but I’m getting there. It is a skill learning how to cut weight, but this time I shouldn’t have any problems doing that. My training at the moment is going outstandingly. Everything is going the way I like it to go."

With all the bad blood between Ken and Tito that has surfaced in the past, it’s no surprise there’s a lot more to this fight than just the purse. Last time the pair met, Shamrock was already injured before entering the Octagon; however, for their rematch, Ken expects to be injury free and raring to go. And he agrees there’s a lot at stake. "Yep. It’s definitely a fight that could change one or two careers."

Ken, Tito is known for his incredible fitness. You’re also known for your incredible fitness. So that should not be a factor in the fight, should it?

"What’s going to be a factor in this fight is who wants it more."

That’s what it comes down to?

"It comes down to who’s going to have the bigger heart – who wants it more than the other."

How will Tito’s strength level match yours?

"Ah, you know it’s hard to say. My strength has definitely always been part of my arsenal. I’ve always been really strong for my size, and I was always able to handle big super-heavyweights when we fought, because I was as strong as they were. Cutting my weight down to 205 could mean losing a little bit of strength, but I’m learning how to retain my strength. Even the last time I fought him, where I lost too much weight and I lost a lot of strength, I was still able to get out when I wanted to.

"So I think strength will play a major part in my strategy for fighting him. And I don’t think he really realises this. The last time we fought, I was injured and he still wasn’t able to hold me down. I still got off the ground. He couldn’t knock me down. I was a standing target for him. So all these things in mind - knowing that if I go in there, having cut my weight properly - it will be a different fight this time."

Will Tito want to keep it standing?

"I’m not sure. I think Tito will go back to what he does best. When he gets hit and starts to panic, he’ll go back to what he does best, which is to shoot and ground’n’pound. We’ll just have to see what folds out. But whatever he does, I’ll be ready for it."

Are you training with anyone outside the Lion’s Den, or are you keeping it pretty much in-house?

"I brought in Eric Polsen, who’s my grappling coach and who trained me for the Kimo fight. And also for my boxing coaches, from Nevada, I’ve got Wolf and Roman Polak – they’re a father and son combination."

What do you see as being Tito’s strengths against you?

"I believe he’s going to have to get me to the ground, and he’s going to have to be on top. That’s his strength. I think that’s what he’s going to have to do to win the fight. And I think in his mind he knows that, but he probably also thinks he can outbox me. He might try to do a little bit of that, but once we get into the fight, and punches are exchanged, he’ll change that strategy and start shooting."

And what will be your strengths against Tito?

"I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see how that works out. We can say one thing or another, but until the fight happens, I won’t know. And I think there are a lot of good things that can happen in this fight, so I’m just going to wait and see how it turns out. We’re putting some plans together, but this fight means too much to me to try to talk too much about it. I want to execute it."

Ken, is there anything you’d like to add to the article?

"For information leading up to my fight with Tito, you can go to www.kenshamrock.com and we’ll keep you up with it all. And fighting Tito this time is going to be my coming out.

"But especially to the fans, I just want to say I appreciate their support over the years, and I know this fight with Tito Ortiz means just as much to them as it does to me, so I’m going to do everything I can to win this fight for them."

For more on Ken Shamrock and information on the Lion’s Den tryouts: www.kenshamrock.com.

For more on UFC 61: www.ufc.tv.

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