Getting on Dana White‘s bad side has proven to be an unenviable place to be over the years, and it appears Ken Shamrock has worked his way back onto the UFC President’s radar.
There has been no love lost between White and the former UFC champion and MMA pioneer over the years, but the grudge between the two parties had fallen by the wayside for the most part. Shamrock attempted to sue Zuffa in 2009 for allegedly releasing him from his contract early, but he failed, and there hasn’t been much cannon fodder traded between the two parties since.
Those conditions changed last week when “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” blasted White on Twitter for his treatment of fighters who helped the promotion establish itself as the premier organization in mixed martial arts with particular emphasis on Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and his half-brother Frank.
The veteran also launched into the issue of fighter pay during his online rant, accusing White of failing to pay the fighters who have paved the way accordingly.
It appears Shamrock’s efforts to get White’s attention have worked, and the UFC front man addressed the matter at the media scrum held Tuesday for the “Silva vs. Weidman 2″ fight.
“I don’t even want to mention this guy’s f****** name,” White said. “Ken Shamrock bursts back onto the scene like, ‘Hey, I’m trying to save everybody.’ No, trying to become relevant again is what you’re trying to do. Let’s not forget that Ken Shamrock tried to sue us about his contract.
“Ken Shamrock owes me $175,000, and I’m coming for it Ken. I’m coming for it you f****** piece of sh**. You should have stayed where you were, hidden under the f****** porch somewhere. The guy owes me $175,000 because him and his scumbag lawyer put together some phony lawsuit that he lost, and he owes me $175,000 in attorney fees. He’s out there talking about what he doesn’t have and what guys aren’t getting, but he’s trying to make himself relevant again. If anybody can’t see that, you’re just f****** stupid.”
White has never been trigger-shy when dealing with the criticism from former UFC fighters over the years. His current beef with Shamrock comes at a time when he’s also in the midst of trading public barbs with former UFC champions Ortiz and Jackson, who he believes are stirring up commotion for the sake of bringing publicity to their upcoming bout under the Bellator banner.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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