KEN SHAMROCK - THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS MAN

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SHAMROCK READY FOR FRANKLIN

by Jeff Cain

Ken Shamrock is no stranger to performing on the big stage. He’s fought in every major MMA promotion out there, and headlined them all. April 9th, when Ken faces Rich Franklin on “The Ultimate Fighter” season finale, he will fight in front of a television audience that will total in the millions. Shamrock spoke with MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio about his bout with Franklin, his training, and his future.

There’s no denying that Ken Shamrock’s fighting career is winding down. Some have questioned why he continues to do it. Ken’s response to that question was, “I’m doing it because I enjoy doing it. I still can train hard. You know I’ve had some problems the last three or four years. I wasn’t doing the things I needed to do to be fit, and get in there and fight. I corrected those things. At my last fight with Kimo, I had knee surgery, an ACL replacement. That fight went well for me, and I felt strong and good, so now they presented another challenge. I wanted Tito Ortiz. That fight didn’t happen, so now they’ve placed Rich Franklin in front of me, a younger kid. I think he’s 30-31. He’s 18-1. He’s got some pretty impressive wins; Marvin Eastman, Evan Tanner, Jorge Rivera. Just different guys that are pretty impressive. He presents a pretty good challenge for me. I’m definitely training hard, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Along with having his knee repaired, Ken also underwent shoulder surgery. When asked about his health, Ken said, “I would say I’m 100%, and it’s a good feeling. Like I said, the last probably three or four years, you know, being stubborn and always being able to overcome injuries and fight. Like Frank [Trigg] said, you’re always hurt somewhat or another, a bruise here, a bang there, and you go into a fight, but once you’re in there all those things are behind you. I’ve had some pretty serious injuries, and I refused to get them fixed thinking, because all of the other times I’ve fought with all the bangs and bruises I had, I was always able to overcome different types of injuries. Of course with a torn ACL, I tried to strengthen my calves and my hamstrings thinking it would just go away. I fought two fights with that, and they didn’t, I didn’t feel like I could have presented my best. I wasn’t able to do the things I do in training, so I corrected those things. In probably the last two years, I’ve had knee surgery, replacement of the ACL, shoulder surgery right after the Kimo fight, and right at this point and time, I feel like I’ve knocked off about five or ten years on my life. I feel good. I’m actually for the first time in a very, very long time, that I feel like I’m 100%. I feel really good and excited to step in and challenge myself in this next fight.”

Not only has Shamrock addressed his nagging injuries, he’s made changes to his training as well. “For one, it’s a big change in the fact that he’s a, I have to understand the southpaw. I’ve seen him switch back and forth. The second thing is, all the fighters now, where as when I started out there were no rules, there was no time limit, so it was a little bit slower paced. As the fights have picked up, and the fighters have gotten more skilled and in better shape, you have to rise to that occasion. You can’t be good striking and not any good on the ground. You can’t just be good on the ground and not good with your striking. I’ve really, really studied my combinations of kicks and punches, and knees and elbows. At the same time I’ve kept up on my submission skills. I think in order to win in this day and age, you have to be in excellent shape, and you have to know both the stand up and the ground very, very well.” Commented Ken.

Shamrock added, “Every time I step into the ring, I always want to do my best, and I’m going to go out, and like I said, the last few years, three or four years, I’ve been stubborn and hard-headed. I didn’t do the things I needed to do, trying to fight with different types of injuries thinking I was invincible, and you know it slaps you in the face. Some people wake up and go OK, it’s time to change. It’s time to let your guard down, and throw that ego aside and start learning from younger people and figuring out today’s world is offering, and that’s what I’ve done. I think that’s very important for my success. I don’t put pressure on myself because the way I look at it, and this is very, very true for any fighter, and I think this is the way it has to be looked at, the way I look at it is that all the training is done. The fight is won or lost behind the closed doors. In the gym, all the work, it is won or lost right there. You either put out, get in there, put yourself abused and keep coming, and get up off the mat and keep coming. Do that extra last round and go hard, and put all that out in the gym then when you walk down in the lights that night, you feel confident and able to perform the way you want to perform, and that’s the way I’m doing this training right now. I’m challenging myself every time I step into the gym. Every time the bell rings to start a new round with a fresh fighter, I challenge myself each and every time. When I step out into the ring on Spike TV that night, April 9th, I will not be going oh God did I do enough? Oh God am I in shape? I will be confident in my ability and what I’m able to do, and then I’ll go and do it.”

When questioned about what he needs to do in order to defeat Rich Franklin, Ken stated, “I’ve just got to do what I do best and that’s, I mean I’m an aggressive fighter. I’ve very strong. I have the capabilities. Like I said, the biggest thing in this fight, I think the biggest thing in this fight is going to be 1. That I’m able to do the things I need to win this fight training, and win this fight. 2. That I have hired a dietitian to help me with my diet. I have not dieted for almost twenty something years when I fought Tito Ortiz, and I had to drop down to 205. I had no idea how hard that would be….I’ve always fought weigh classes up. In high school I weighed 167 pounds and I wrestled 175 and 185. I just never cut weight. I was always strong enough, quick enough, and in good enough shape that I could go with heavyweights, and I was quicker than they were. I never dieted. When we first started the UFC, there were no weights. You didn’t have to, so it was a test and something I got challenged with. Now I’m not going to make that same mistake again where I don’t diet properly, so I hired Ryan Parsons to come in and help me with my diet, and get me where I need to be so I can go into this fight strong and healthy and in good shape.”

The bout with Rich Franklin is Ken’s final fight on his current UFC contract. He was asked if this could be his last fight. Ken replied, “I don’t like to talk about that kind of stuff. You know what I mean? That’s a mistake I think a lot of fighters make because fans don’t care about that stuff. That stuff goes between managers and agents. I don’t deal with that. I Just train and I fight, and whatever is worked out is worked out. They come to me and say this is what we’ve got, I say yes or no, and they go back and do it if it’s no. The only thing I concentrate on is fighting, and the rest of it is all worked out with the people that deserve to work that out. I’m a fighter, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Ken went on to say, “Hey, I’m not done fighting. I just have no idea what the UFC is offering or what, but it is my last fight. I don’t know what the UFC is going to offer. I don’t care at this point and time. The only thing I care about is April 9th. I’m training hard for that. I want to go in there, and I want to do my best, and let the cards fall where they fall. From that point, then we’ll decide what’s happening, but at this point and time it is my last fight with the UFC. I’m very confident that they’ll step up and do another one. I love the UFC. I love the United States. I’d like to stay here, and I’d like to continue to fight, but if that doesn’t work out, you know, I will fight again whether it’s in the UFC or somewhere else.”

To hear all of what “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” had to say, such as his breakdown of Hughes vs. Trigg, click on the radio archive. With four major events happening in April, now is the time to become an MMAWeekly Premium Member. For only five dollars a month, you gain access to the radio archive, our video library of one on one interviews, behind the scenes coverage of weigh ins and post fight press conferences, and so much more. MMAWeekly.com