KEN SHAMROCK - THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS MAN

The following column is reprinted with permission from BoxingInsider.com:

Reported By: Boxing Insider – 11.21.2003 01:28 AM

Ken Shamrock – UFC Hall of Fame
By Ken Shamrock

Last week I appeared on many radio shows to talk about Mixed Martial Arts, professional wrestling, and several other topics. Tonight, I will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame along with Royce Gracie. Sometimes, I forget how fortunate I am.

Anyone who is familiar with my history knows that I had a troubled youth. Things might have turned out much differently for me. In the end, however, it was hard work, determination, the compassion of others, and a little bit of luck that brought me to the place where I am at today.

I’ve been thinking about my induction into the UFC Hall of Fame a lot, and I’m very proud to be honored for my contributions to the UFC and MMA. I have been a UFC champion, the King of Pancrase in Japan, as well as a champion in the WWF. Being put in the UFC Hall of Fame, however, is much different. Being honored for your contributions and achievements by an organization that you helped start out has its own special feeling – just knowing that I would be remembered forever.

Of course, going into a Hall of Fame is usually reserved for ex-superstars who are no longer actively participating in the sport. This is not the case with me. When I was first told that I was being honored, I made it clear that I wasn’t finished yet. I told UFC President, Dana White that I still have a few things that I need to do in the Octagon – rematchs with Tito Ortiz and Royce Gracie are definitely two of those things!

One of the reasons why I think I have been so successful and so popular with fans is because I have always stayed true to what I believe. I have always tried to be a good role model by being polite and making myself available to fans. I have accepted defeats with grace and worked harder to improve myself.

My last fight at UFC 40 was a big disappointment for me. On that night, I was beat. I know that I am better than what I showed in the ring that night, but I still have to get back into the Octagon and show it.

I can’t express adequately how disappointed I was when I had to have surgery on my knee. I really thought I was done. My knee is recovering really quickly since I had the ACL replacement. I’ve started to train again and I’m planning to be ready for my first fight by March.

The UFC Hall of Fame also gave me an opportunity to reflect on the sport of MMA and how it has developed in the past ten years. When the UFC first started there were no time limits and you had to pace yourself. You had to get good position before you could go for the finish. Now, there are five-minute rounds. Fighters can’t afford to sit back and wait anymore. They have to explode and make the most of the slightest opportunity. There is a much different flow than when fighting with no time limit.

As far as takedowns, people can take a lot more chances because they can’t be kneed when they are on the ground if they miss. They don’t have to worry about getting pounded in the back of the head with knee or a punch. Again, there’s a whole different approach than before when you had to be very cautious.

Over the next ten years, the sport will continue to evolve. I think we will see 280-300 pound fighters moving on the ground like lightweights — spinning in to arm bars and leg locks. The sport is always going through a series of ebbs and flows. At first, the grapplers dominated. Eventually, the stand-up fighters figured out how to block shots and get more punches in. Then they were dominating. As the sport progressed it became more rounded. Fighters had to be able to grapple, to use and defend submissions, and to strike. Right now, the strikers are still landing a lot of punches. I think that situation is starting to change and we are getting back into the submissions again.

There’s a quote by Jim Rohn that I often use for inspiration: “It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.” Looking back over the past ten years, I realize that the winds have changed many times. I have had to set and re-set my sails to make the most of my opportunities. The world of Mixed Martial Arts has done the same. SEG did when the UFC was pulled from cable TV. The current management team at Zuffa has also had to overcome several obstacles in the course of restoring and growing the sport. Of course, there are the fans who continued to support MMA throughout the ten years. In the end, I think the tenth anniversary show is good time to remember all the things we have gone through together and all the good the things that are to come. I feel a strong breeze from behind – open up the sails!

God Bless,
Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock is “The Worlds Most Dangerous Man” and now a regular BoxingInsider.com contributor. Ken Shamrock cannot answer fan mail, but all questions and comments will be considered for future columns ShamrockInsider@aol.com. Ken Shamrock is available for public appearances and autograph sessions. Please send all inquiries to MMABookings@aol.com