For one night, Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice captured the world’s attention.
The Bellator 138 main event saw the 51-year-old Shamrock come just a hair shy of finishing the fight with an early rear-naked choke. Remarkably, Slice survived and would escape from Shamrock’s back mount. From there, it was all Kimbo, as he nailed Shamrock with a volley of right hands and earned the shocking knockout victory.
Now, Shamrock returns to his mobile home with a great deal to consider. While a return to the cage is far from a certainty with Shamrock, it remains a legitimate possibility. If he opts to get back into the cage, who are some potential challenges for the World’s Most Dangerous Man? Read on!
Another Aged MMA Legend
When Shamrock approached Bellator President Scott Coker about coming out of retirement, he wasn’t angling for a fight against Kimbo. He wanted a crack at old rival Royce Gracie. While Slice may have punched some of the motivation out of the former UFC heavyweight champ, a fight against another aged legend might just be enough to lure him back into the cage.
So who could it be? Well, Gracie is the most obvious candidate. While he is currently employed as the Bellator “promotional brand ambassador,” the three-time UFC tournament winner certainly seems like a man looking for a fight given his recent grappling match with Kazushi Sakuraba and his Angus-level beef with Eddie Bravo.
There are plenty of other candidates too, judging from Coker‘s ability to attract MMA pioneers. Ten-years-too-late superfights against Randy Couture, Fedor Emelianenko or (gulp) Frank Shamrock all feel far, far more possible than they should with Bellator.
Jeff Jarrett
While MMA fans remember Shamrock for his time in the original UFC tournaments and his rivalry with Tito Ortiz, WWE fans remember him for his feuds with the Rock and the Undertaker and for winning the 1998 King of the Ring tournament. With Shamrock looking pretty darn good from a physical standpoint right now, a return to the squared circle may not be a bad idea.
While the rigors of a full-time pro wrestling schedule are likely too much for any 51-year-old, even Shamrock, part-time gigs are all the rage right now. A renewal of his rivalry with Jeff Jarrett in the recently founded Global Force Wrestling could work depending on the organization’s direction.
Herschel Walker
There is a very real chance Shamrock becomes the second-oldest fighter in Bellator very soon. Speaking with Luke Thomas of MMAFighting.com, former Strikeforce fighter and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker expressed his interest in returning to the cage. With Bellator still actively looking to sign anyone with name value, it’s hard to imagine it turning down his service.
A Shamrock vs. Walker fight makes sense for all parties, as both men are seeking big-name opponents while Bellator is looking for a solid, plug-and-play main event to lure in fans. This fight would fit perfectly into the headlining spot for a standard-issue Friday night card. This is one worth making for the promotion and a bout worth taking for Shamrock, if he is still up for it.
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