Royce, you are an icon in the sport of NHB and a role model and hero to people around the globe. Your legacy and the legacy of your family and its training is important to you.

As you know, our last (Trilogy) fight ended in a wrong manner that is unsettling to both me and our fans from around the world--and hopefully to you too. Due to the obvious missed illegal foul, I have challenged the outcome of our bout and I’m confident that the commission will render a ‘No Decision’ nullifying the result of our last fight.

Controversy has plagued our past fights and it’s important to how history will be written that we do not allow the wrong of a missed foul to go unchecked. It is crucially important that you and I redo our trilogy fight for the sake of our legacies and the many fans who are left dissatisfied.

In 1993, we had a similar situation where you caught me with a choke which caused me to tap. You let go, but the ref did not see the tap and told us to “fight.” You yelled at me “you tapped!” I remember how badly I wanted to say ‘no’ but I could not bring myself to lie. In my heart, I thought of my children and other children I had been mentoring at the time. I could only tell the ref “yes, I tapped.” I remembered how badly I wanted the fight to continue on, but in the end-- telling the truth was the right thing to do and that’s what I did. At our recent fight, you chose to not extend common courtesy for your low-blow and give me my time to recoup. You fought on with no regard that I had stopped fighting you back.

In delivering you this message, my greatest hope is to help you see that a failure to step up and do the right thing will not play out well, going into the future, for your image or the legacy of your father’s training.
This trilogy fight was a fight between two legends and we went in to settle things once and for all. Not only did that not happen, it’s now worse off than before. Today, there is unresolved like never before and that is not right. To fix this correctly, we must redo our fight.
​
I am asking that you do not walk away from this great opportunity to give back to this great event and our awesome fans. You and I need to finish our business so we both can walk away (win or lose) with our heads held high and in respect for all that we have been able to accomplish in doing our part in helping build this great sport. Please, do not leave your legacy to this ugly situation caused by this controversy. It’s not right to leave a fight of this magnitude unresolved for all. I trust you will make the right decision and publically agree to fight me.

Scott Coker will do this fight if you and I both say yes to finish things the right way. I am saying yes. Let’s finish this once and for all.
 
DO NOT LEAVE THINGS UNRESOLVED, PLEASE.

Ken Shamrock

Recently, it was announced that I will be fighting Royce Gracie, and that bout will happen on February 19th, 2016 in Houston Texas. The excitement for this bout has been great, which we fully expected it to be. This will be our third fight, which started back 22 years ago for UFC 1 in 1993 when he surprised me with a submission. Our second fight, UFC 3 (1995), was very different. It lasted a full 36 minutes and Royce Gracie took a beating. His face was pulverized, and he was basically carried out of the cage. It ended in a contested “draw” that many still cannot believe to this day.

Just like the Kimbo fight, when we released the details of the Gracie fight, several haters came out of the woodwork to post their negativity, casting their self-righteous judgement. This behavior is nothing short of disrespectful.

I learned a new term recently—TROLL. I found out that a troll is a hater who sows discord by starting arguments or upsetting people by posting inflammatory, unnecessary, or off-topic messages on the internet. Trolls have eaten into the fabric of respect woven deeply into the world of martial arts.

In martial arts, respect plays a crucial role. Respect is paramount. Without it there is no honor or integrity. On the internet, few are held accountable for their words. Trolls run around online gaining attention through their disrespect opposed to giving respect.  This type of disrespect would never be tolerated in a gym, dojo, in the cage, or on the streets. These key board warriors would be put in their place fast.

It’s encouraging to see real fans of MMA (those who understand the roots of this sport) who set trolls straight online when they post ignorant or stupid comments. The courage of these fans does not surprise me in the slightest, and I appreciate their willingness to bring correction to these guys to help preserve honor where it is due.

Some people are focused on age and want to make a big deal about it. Yes, our combined ages will be 101 years. Isn’t that incredible that we are still in shape to be able to compete at this level? How many people can actually do this? We will have to pass the same physical and testing as any other fighter. Gracie and I are UFC Hall of Famers and the very first tournament and  Superfight champions in the history of MMA who have helped get this sport to where it is today--and to be able to still compete is extraordinary and should not be hated but be appreciated.  

I have earned the right to continue to fight.

• Elected UFC Hall Of Fame - 2003
• Four Time UFC Heavyweight Champion
• First UFC Superfight Heavyweight Champion
• First Pancrase Heavyweight World Champion- WWF Intercontinental Champion
• WWF World Tag Team Champion
• Four Time Tough Man Champion
• First-ever TNA World Heavyweight Champion
• King of the Ring Champion
• Pride Superfight Champion

This list has earned me the right to continue to fight. Furthermore, when I fight, rating records are usually broken, WHICH WE DID on the recent Kimbo fight.

MMA fans love to watch their favorite fighters fight, including fighters from their era of watching this great sport evolve.  It brings back great memories. Fans want to see legends battle it out. If the fighters are healthy and enjoy doing it then they should do so.

Should I stop doing what I love to do just because some say that I am too old to compete? I thought we got past all of this years ago (i.e. women rights, race equality, religious freedom). THERE IS NO ROOM FOR AGE DISCRIMINATION! Period. It has to be stopped dead in its tracks. These people should be called out every time. They are wrong to discriminate.
​
To my fans new and old, THANK YOU. It’s because of you that I have decided to round out my career with the likes of Royce Gracie. Continue to stay loyal and be ever respectful of martial arts and people in general.
 
God bless

To a fighter, each and every bout matters. But sometimes a fight rises above-- surpassing the importance of all others. The upcoming fight between Royce Gracie and myself is that fight.

On Friday evening, February 19, 2016, on Spike TV, I will fight Royce Gracie In Houston, Texas.
This will be my third fight with Gracie. The first fight was UFC 1 in 1993, which was the start of the rise of no holds barred era-- the new combat sport of interest in the U.S. and abroad. Furthermore, this was the start of the dominance of Royce Gracie. Our second fight was UFC 5, in 1995, which was an eight man tournament and the first ever UFC Superfight where Gracie and I squared off. This fight proved to be the exit of Royce Gracie and my rise to dominance.

Few can understand the magnitude of importance that this fight personally is to me. Rounding out my career as a professional fighter has to be done with the right fighter. For two years, we have been searching for the right fight with the right fighter. This important bout had to be with a meaningful UFC Hall of Famer like a Dan Severn or Royce Gracie.  We have been in discussions with Bellator for over a year to make this Gracie fight a reality, and it has finally happened.

The recent record breaking fight that I did with Kimbo Slice (Bellator 138) showed me that I was still both physically and mentally prepared to battle. The hunger to fight was still there and I got to scratch that itch. Physically, I had not been in that good of shape since my thirties. A few months later, I am still in shape, feel great, and I am healthy. I am not getting any younger, and matter of fact, I will be 52yrs old by the time of the bout. If I am going to fight again, it has to be now and with the right fighter that makes sense for me, my legacy, and the fans who I love to entertain. Who better to fight than the esteemed Royce Gracie? This is a perfect opportunity for me in more ways than one. This will be a fight that you will not want to miss. The fact is, it will never be witnessed again.

After the Gracie fight, I plan to slow down and refocus on the various business endeavors that we’re involved with now. I enjoy business and making deals---like the deal we recently closed to fight Gracie. For me, I am blessed to have a large fan base and name recognition. The Shamrock brand is strong, and we are making it stronger.  Eventually fighters will all transition out of competing in a cage to competing somewhere else to sustain their living or lifestyle. For me, I wanted to explore business opportunities and the best way to do that was to build a strategic partnership with the right person.  Instead of building a team for fighting, I built a team for business.

My business partner, Des W Woodruff, has been the right fit for my needs going into the future. He’s created many opportunities that we’re now involved in such as being substantial shareholders of New Generation Consumer Group (NGCG) for the brand Mucho Macho that has incredible snacks and drinks—including my Shamrock Slam. Furthermore, we are working with a very exciting company that has a new mouth guard that has advanced technology (two patents) that will help identify health risks. This will be big. There are other big deals that are in the works or have recently closed, but you’ll have to hear about them later. The logic of me teaming with an entrepreneur has been huge for me. Every fighter should have an entrepreneur on their team.

Hopefully, you are excited as I am about the upcoming Shamrock vs Gracie fight. It’s retro. It’s cool. It will be one for fans spanning back to the very beginning to today.

​God bless.

A recent BJ Penn article, on June 11, 2015, titled “Kimbo And Shamrock For PED Regulation, Not Ban” that was derived by an interview with MMA Fighting is completely misleading. I wholeheartedly standby the current ban on PEDs. Furthermore, I believe the ban should be regulated from the top all the way down—not cherry-picked amongst fighters. Let there be no mistake, I support the current ban on PEDs. Again, it should be universal and across the board for everyone.

To set the record straight, in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, I was asked a question regarding the idea of “regulated” PEDs and on this specific topic and I gave my opinion on that question.

For reasons like this, it makes it increasingly difficult for people to want to be transparent and honest with reporters. Some reporters purposely distort facts, where others do so inadvertently. Regardless what the reason was with BJ Penn’s article, it’s important that the truth be made whole dealing with this delicate topic.

The words that reporters use, out of context, can severely harm a person’s career. Reporters should be held accountable to their harmful misleadings.

Hi Jon:

Few others can understand the enticement of the lust of life when the world says “yes” to your every desire. At these times, anything you want is at your fingertips: free meals, expensive gifts, amazing opportunities, big sponsorships, money, girls, and just about every desire being met on demand.


One day, everything changes. Speaking from experience, the decisions we make eventually catches up to us. These consequences, from the seeds that we have sown, are very real and seldom easy to deal with. Fame is often a road paved with heartbreak.  It’s a black hole that has the ability to engulf a distracted soul.


Unfortunately, you must sleep in the bed that you made. You did this to yourself, and you have issues that need to be dealt with. It’s important that you understand that all your troubles today are a bi-product of your actions. Once you truly understand this, then you can begin to heal what has been broken and move forward once again.


Jon, you are a true champion who has accomplished heights that few others will ever reach. Use your same internal strengths and determination that helped you become a world champion to fight through this hard season and yourself. Your next fight is with yourself.


Ironically, a documentary film is to be released about me called The Greatest Fight. The 'greatest fight' was ultimately with myself, as it will be with you. I lived through the hardships that my actions caused me and hope others can learn from my past mistakes. The lust of the flesh (i.e. fame, money, sex, and drugs) blinded me and the bottom had to drop out before I could see clearly, rebuild, and rise up once again.


Jon, do NOT give up on yourself. You have risen to amazing levels in your career, and your fans need to see you learn from your mistakes and rise above them. It’s time to re-focus where focus has been lost. It’s very important that you get back to your strong faith in Christ and allow Him to be your strength and guiding light though this season and beyond. Let this be a beginning of a testimony to help others. Although your fate is in your hands and no one else’s, I encourage you to draw close to those who are strongest in your circles and allow them to help you, too.


This is not the end, but your beginning. Fight the fight.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the woman in the accident for a speedy recovery. 


God bless,

Ken Shamrock
@shamrockKen 

Recently, I returned from Bellator 134, at the Mohegan Sun, where my upcoming fight with Kimbo Slice was announced. That's right, I am fighting MMA again on June 20th, 2015, at the Scottrade Center in St. Luis, MO at 9p ET / 6p PT. This is 'Unfinished Business' from a fight between Kimbo and me that was supposed to have happen in October of 2008.

Unfortunately, I got a nasty cut near the eye (accidental headbutt by sparring partner) that required stitches. I asked the doctor to double stitch the cut and then went to the commission letting them know that I was all set to fight. They refused my request and would not let me fight.

This was a big announcement that has kept the entire Shamrock Team very busy this past week doing interviews and scheduling appearance requests.

So that there is no confusion, I am still fighting a Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) bout against James Quinn this year. This bout is scheduled sometime early September, but right now I am fully concentrating on the fight with Kimbo.

This fight announcement has really energized my fans-- and I am sincerely enjoying the outpouring of support that is being shared on social media.  It feels great to be in a MMA competition again. This is in my blood and is who I am.

For clarity, I’m NOT returning from ‘retirement.’ Some had thought I had “retired” from combat sports. That could not be further from the truth--- no such announcement has ever been made.

So, why am I fighting? There are a few reasons why:

1.       Why not? I feel great; there is nothing, at all, standing in my way to compete at a very high-level.  No one knows my body like I know my body, and I know I am healthy, in great psychical shape, and mentally prepared for these upcoming fights. So, I plan to give my fans, and the fans of MMA, something to cheer about. I plan to bring a lot of excitement.

2.       It makes good business sense. If I am capable to fight, then I should fight. It’s a money-maker and simply another way to diversify revenue streams. As a businessman and teaming with my business partner, Des Woodruff, I have interest in several business ventures. Recently we announced that I have become co-owners of the world’s largest amateur MMA league--Fighter’s Source, LLC.  I am also the owner of a Sport’s Agency (ProRage Agency), and I have my own (first ever) 'technical fitness drink' called ShamrockSlam. There are other major endeavors  that will be announced this year. We have some very big plans. Taking this fight is a calculated business decision as much as it is a genuine love that I have for MMA.

3.       If you haven't yet noticed, fighting is in my blood. It’s who I am. Others may prefer to play golf, go fishing or hunting. Not me, I want to fight. This is who I am, and I think my fans appreciate this about me.

This is my third blog post. I hope you are enjoying them. 

This week has been "Bag Week," and I am getting a lot of bag time in. 


Time sure flies when you're in training. I am now three weeks into my training, and I feel really good! Typically at this point of the training, overall conditioning is typically dialed-in fairly well, and it has been with me. Most of my muscle soreness  is gone. 


I really feel that I am beginning to hit my stride. My new Shamrock Slam drink has given me the needed energy and branch chain amino acid replenishment that my intense workouts require.


Let me tell you how much the positive Tweets and Facebook comments have meant to me. During training it's typical to become acutely focused on the conditioning of the body. Each day, when I complete a session of training, I go shower and have a healthy meal. When I settle in for the night I love going to Twitter and Facebook to read the day's comments. Your uplifting posts/comments have been encouraging, and I want you to know how much I appreciate your kind words.  I want to thank those writers and publishers out there who have written articles on me and have done interviews with me. 

Thank you all for being great fans! 


God bless,

Ken

PS. Oh, I want to give a HUGE shout out for all the recent birthday wishes. Furthermore, I watched some stellar video tributes of me that blew me away. Kudos to you who have done these. I tried to send you personal thank you messages. They are cool. 

So, it has begun. After a decent break away from fighting, I have gone back into training to prepare for an upcoming and highly anticipated Bare Knuckle Fight in the great country of England.

I am a couple of weeks into my training and, as to be expected, I am sore.  The first couple of weeks are always the hardest when starting to train. Dan Freeman of FightLabs.com, has been training me. Our focus has been on diet, weight training, and conditioning. Dan has been working me hard and it has been awhile since I have sweat this much. It really feels great!

I am finding this experience quite satisfying.  Not only do I get to perform again for my fans, I also get to compete again for myself. Furthermore, I am training alongside my son, Sean, which is a blessing. Sean is training to continue his endeavor as a MMA fighter. Soon enough, I will be getting training support from my other son, Ryan, while in San Diego. I could not ask for more. 

My performance drink of choice is the Shamrock Slam (no sugar, low caffeine, 2,500mg BCAAs and only 25 cals.). Boom! The energy this technical fitness drinks gives you comes from the huge dose of BCAAs that it contains in 12oz. 

I am stocked up and slamming them during my workouts.


God bless,

Ken

PS. BTW, Des has uploaded a bunch of my latest training pics and videos in the hidden place of my website. You have to find the Easter egg (secret hidden link) to see them all. Goodluck finding it. The link is very small.  It's worth it. Go find it.

Competitive combat sports is in my blood. A person either has it, or they don’t-- I have it.

To have the chance to reconnect with my roots and compete for self-fulfillment and entertainment is truly a gift. Having a heart of a champion makes me strive for excellence and drives me to continue to do what I love to do. Some say that age should stop me from doing the sport that I love. Why would I ever stop doing something that I love to do? Do champs stop because someone says they should hang it up, and that there is nothing more to prove? If a competitor is healthy and still living life to his/her fullest, why not kick it up a notch and continue to do great feats. Never allow someone to control your life, as these very people are merely ‘average.’  

Many are asking why I have chosen to enter the lesser-known sport, Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB). If you haven’t yet noticed, I like being at the forefront of upcoming combat sports. I was the first heavyweight Pancrase champion in Japan; created the first MMA team (Lion’s Den); first to submit opponents with leg-locks; first MMA fighter to go into WWF; first fighter in MMA history to capture a championship in two countries. Likewise, I want to get in on the rise of bare knuckle prizefighting.

If you remember right, during the time of No-Holds-Barred (NHB) fights, fans didn't originally like the fights going to the ground. You often heard fans yelling “Stand up and Fight like a Man!” It’s simple. People want to see their fighter punch their opponent in the face. There is nothing more raw and organic than Bare Knuckle Boxing. Two men square off and punch it out until someone is knocked out or has had enough and throws in the towel. This is smash-mouth no-gloves boxing. When the bout is over, both men, full of respect, shake hands and hug it out. It doesn't get any more exhilarating than this, and this is precisely why this extreme sport is aggressively growing a fan base across the globe.

Bare knuckle prizefighting is the next big attraction.

Just like the early days of NHB, people tried to outlaw the extreme sport labeling it barbaric and dangerous. However, the underground demand continued to grow and the sport rose from all the opposition to become one the fastest growing sports of our time. The same opposition is leveled against BKB. Many have and are trying to hinder the BKB movement. However, the fans of the extreme sport keeps it alive and well. BKBs rise to a professional organized level appears to be inevitable. Where there is a demand there will be organizations to meet that demand. For this reason, I am getting involved to help the success of this exciting emerging sport.   

But isn't bare knuckle boxing barbaric and dangerous? Well, perhaps it’s perceived barbaric, but it is arguably less dangerous than traditional boxing or MMA competitions. How is bare knuckle boxing safer than traditional boxing or MMA? Today, all the fighters wear gloves, which is the problem. Wearing gloves protects your hands, not the head. Gloves allow a fighter to punch much harder than he would not wearing gloves. The gloves promote harder punching, which ultimately increases the trauma to the brain. Think of it this way. Hang a bowling ball from a chain. You would most likely punch it softer if you were not wearing gloves.  The same concept is applies to BKB. The fact is, concussions are an epidemic that the health professionals are taking quite seriously nowadays. Bare knuckle boxing will certainly decrease this serious problem. In BKBCredit you will see more cuts, bruising, bleeding and maybe broken hands or jaws. But, in BKB, a fighter will not be in nearly as much danger of eventually forgetting his/her mother’s or kid’s name.

_____________________________________________________

UPDATE: This fight will take place in a hexagon boxing ring. Neither of us will be wearing gloves, or gloves with cutout knuckles. Furthermore, we will not have wrapped fists either. This is the way a true BKB should be—bare fists.
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This April, I square off against UK’s legendary Irishman, James Quinn McDonagh in the United Kingdom. He’s undefeated and that’s not to be taken lightly. James will be a formidable opponent. This will certainly be an incredible fight. One NOT to miss. The Shamrock team and I are ready to head to England. I will be there, and there to win. Also, it has been brought to my attention that some people are grossly misinformed on a previous fight that never came to be. To set the story straight for those whom need to be educated, I NEVER duck a fight. I am a businessman. The deal has to be good and promises need to be kept. If things fall apart on the business side, and sometimes it does, everything derails. Make no mistake, this is a business, and as long as business continues, I continue.

Fortunately, this fight will be Pay-Per-View event so all will have the opportunity to see this groundbreaking, as-real-as-it gets, fight. This is history in the making. No one will want to miss this big bare knuckle bout!

Sponsors Wanted: If you want your logo on my fight-banner or shorts for the world to see, please contact my business partner Des Woodruff at des@kenshamrock.com or Jay T Warsh at jayttropix@gmail.com.

Send me your love. Click on CONTACT, select FAN and send me your message. I LOVE reading them. I’ll try to respond to as many as I can. You can reach me via Twitter too @shamrockken.