Tag: Bellator

Ken Shamrock on Kimbo Slice: ‘I’m Going to Smash This Guy’

If you ask Ken Shamrock if he’s fighting for money, he’ll say “Of course I am.” He’s a professional. It’s what he’s done his whole life. But after five years away from MMA, he feels that he’s earned the r…

If you ask Ken Shamrock if he’s fighting for money, he’ll say “Of course I am.” He’s a professional. It’s what he’s done his whole life. But after five years away from MMA, he feels that he’s earned the right to fight for fun.

The 51-year-old UFC Hall of Famer is scheduled to make his return to fighting on June 20against Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson in Bellator, in a fight that will air live on Spike TV.

Shamrock is the latest in a series of MMA legends to make appearances for Bellator since Scott Coker took the reigns of the Viacom-owned fight promotion last year.

But while legends of the sport like his UFC 1 foe Royce Gracie enjoy the fights from the outside, Shamrock has been waiting for his opportunity to get back inside the cage. He told B/R MMA that the Kimbo fight was one that he has wanted for quite some time, saying:

I’ve always had one foot in, and one foot out.  I’ve always wanted the opportunity to fight certain people.  I’ve always had one foot in, waiting for these type of opportunities to come my way.  This one did, and we definitely jumped on it.

He isn’t coming back to fight top-ranked fighters. He understands that his time competing at the very top of the sport is in the past, and not being the type for hunting and fishing in his retirement, Shamrock is still looking to challenge himself and enjoy the sport that he pioneered in the early 90s.

He feels that he can have fun and also serve a purpose in his relationship with Bellator MMA. He thinks that, much like his 2002 return to the UFC against Tito Ortiz at UFC 40, this is an opportunity for him to elevate an MMA promotion.

Shamrock’s past issues with the UFC are well-documented, and it isn’t shocking that he would align himself with a rival MMA organization. But he considers this an opportunity to give fans an alternative choice for mixed martial arts, saying:

I’ve always jumped up to the challenge.  I’ve been involved with a lot of companies that were just starting out, and needed a shot in the arm.  Like in the UFC, when I first came back with Tito Ortiz.  They were dead.  I saw an opportunity there to bring my fans in, all the fans I built along the way that would follow me into that fight. I’ve been a part of a lot of start-ups, and a lot of opportunities where I have been able to help different organizations grow.  This is no different.  I have an opportunity here to really give fans another option, and that is really what excites me the most, is for fans to really have options in MMA.

The Shamrock vs. Slice fight was originally booked for October 4, 2008 in EliteXC. Shamrock suffered a cut the day of the fight, and he was infamously replaced by Seth Petruzelli, who knocked out Kimbo and EliteXC alike in 14 seconds.

When it was announced that the man they call Kimbo would be fighting in Bellator, Shamrock was already planning on heading across the pond for a bare-knuckle boxing match with the mighty James Quinn-MacDonagh, an Irish Traveller featured in the 2011 documentary Knuckle.

When Scott Coker found out Shamrock was planning on engaging in underground, unsanctioned combat, he decided to offer Shamrock a fight in Bellator. When Shamrock heard about the possibility of finally fighting Kimbo, he jumped at the opportunity, telling B/R MMA:

When this came to me, I told my manager to get that fight. I said “I want that fight.” So when he did, and they came back and they were interested, I almost did a few backflips.  Because I know what my abilities are.

Shamrock’s career ended with more losses than wins. In fact, he was only victorious in three of his final 12 fights over an eight-year period. He’s been out of the game since 2010 but says that he fought through injuries that are behind him now.

Kimbo Slice hasn’t competed in MMA since his 2010 UFC loss to Matt Mitrione, and both he and Shamrock see the other as a stepping-stone to a return to active competition. However unlikely a second career run might be for either man, they are still two guys who want to fight each other and are confident others will watch.

Shamrock was pivotal in MMA’s growth during its early years, and he plans on putting on a show for the fans that have stuck by him over past two decades. He feels physically capable, and is extremely motivated at the idea of finally getting his hands on Kimbo Slice:

I’ve had time to really sit back, train hard, work hard, but let my body recuperate and recover, and it’s been a tremendous difference from when I was fighting six years ago, as opposed to what you will see on June 20. I am going to smash this guy and people are going to go “Where did that come from?”

 

Michael Wellman is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Bellator 134 Results: Winners, Scorecards from the British Invasion Fight Card

Bellator 134 features a good number of compelling scraps on Friday night. The card is billed as the British Invasion because of the amount of fighters competing who hail from the United Kingdom. The main event features light heavyweight champion Emanuel “Hardcore Kid” Newton against dangerous British contender Liam McGeary. There were also preliminary bouts […]

Bellator 134 features a good number of compelling scraps on Friday night. The card is billed as the British Invasion because of the amount of fighters competing who hail from the United Kingdom. The main event features light heavyweight champion Emanuel “Hardcore Kid” Newton against dangerous British contender Liam McGeary. There were also preliminary bouts […]

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Bellator 134: The British Invasion Live Results, Play-by-Play and Highlights

Bellator MMA puts on their biggest event thus far for 2015 Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The show, titled “The British Invasion,” features a light heavyweight title fight in the main event between defending champion Eman…

Bellator MMA puts on their biggest event thus far for 2015 Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The show, titled “The British Invasion,” features a light heavyweight title fight in the main event between defending champion Emanuel Newton and undefeated British prospect Liam McGeary. The card also features “King” Mo Lawal jumping up to heavyweight to take on UFC veteran Cheick Kongo. 

The main card takes place at 9 p.m. ET on Spike, and the preliminary card will be streamed on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Bleacher Report MMA will have complete results from Mohegan Sun Arena and play-by-play for the televised main card. Scroll down for results, highlights and a live blog of the action on the main card of Bellator 134.  

Bellator 134 Fight Card:

Emanuel Newton vs. Liam McGeary

Paul Daley vs. Andre Santos

Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Linton Vassell

Muhammed Lawal vs. Cheick Kongo

Brennan Ward vs. Curtis Millender

Preliminary Card:

Matt Bessette vs. Josh Laberge

Raphael Butler vs. Josh Diekmann

Tamdan McCrory vs. Jason Butler

Neiman Gracie vs. Bobby Flynn

Marvin Maldonado vs. Blair Tugman

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Thank You, MMA Gods: Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock to Headline June 20th Bellator Event

And there’s PLENTY MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM. (*cries*)

When it was announced that Bellator had signed Kimbo Slice after a five year hiatus from the sport, we were confused.

When we tried handpicking who he should fight for his big debut, we were cautious, but hopeful.

When Bellator broke the news that Slice would be fighting Ken Shamrock — 51 year-old, bare-knuckle boxing, security guard to the stars(ish) Ken Shamrock — earlier today, we fell to our knees and thanked the Gods, for a great blessing had been bestowed upon us.


And there’s PLENTY MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM. (*cries*)

When it was announced that Bellator had signed Kimbo Slice after a five year hiatus from the sport, we were confused.

When we tried handpicking who he should fight for his big debut, we were cautious, but hopeful.

When Bellator broke the news that Slice would be fighting Ken Shamrock — 51 year-old, bare-knuckle boxing, security guard to the stars(ish) Ken Shamrock — earlier today, we fell to our knees and thanked the Gods, for a great blessing had been bestowed upon us.

If you recall, Slice and Shamrock were actually scheduled to fight at Elite XC: Heat back in 2008, until a last-minute cut suffered in pre-fight warm-ups saw Shamrock forced out of the bout. He was replaced by UFC alum (and light heavyweight) Seth Petruzelli, who yadda yadda something something EliteXC collapsed.

This, is the greatest piece of news we have heard in quite some time. Seriously, just when you think that Mickey Rourke’s face will be the weirdest thing you’ll see all week, the MMA Gods make their presence known and just…(*kisses fingers*). According to ESPN, Slice vs. Shamrock will transpire on June 20th and be televised live on Spike TV from St. Louis, Missouri. That being said, only the noobiest of TUF noobs would not do everything in their power to see this thing live. I’m already checking TripAdvisor for the cheapest travel/hotel combo. Does the 10 a.m. Greyhound to Ferguson seem like a good idea?

We’ve been publicly stating our desire to see Bellator go full freakshow (“embrace the crazy,” if you will) for some time now, and one Justin-McCully-in-a-clown-rapist-mask at a time, they have been answering our prayers. But this, this is the pinnacle of it all. This is PRIDE. This is Super Hluk. This is the Coker era.

Bless you, MMA, and bless you, Bellator. Scott Coker is our shepherd; we shall not want.

Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock Set for Bellator Bout June 20

Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock, two of the biggest novelty attractions of this or any other MMA era, are scheduled to square off June 20 for the Bellator promotion.
Bellator officials announced the pairing Thursday, according to a report from Brett Okamo…

Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock, two of the biggest novelty attractions of this or any other MMA era, are scheduled to square off June 20 for the Bellator promotion.

Bellator officials announced the pairing Thursday, according to a report from Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com. 

Neither of the two heavyweights—combined age 92 years old—has fought since 2010. 

Nevertheless, Bellator’s interesting piece of matchmaking could draw big eyeballs, as the two remain the subject of interest even at this late stage of their athletic careers, thanks to their charisma and fascinating career paths. 

“Ken, I owe you this a– whooping,” Slice (real name Kevin Ferguson) said in a statement released to Okamoto. “No more running! No more hiding!”

That’s a clear reference to 2008, when the two men were originally set to meet in the now-defunct EliteXC promotion. Shamrock ultimately pulled out of the contest on the night of the event, leading to widespread ridicule.

Shamrock (28-15-2) is now 51 years old but has been working on the fringes of combat sports for years. In January, Shamrock was connected to a bareknuckle boxing match in Ireland, though it is unclear when or whether such a bout might actually materialize. For the most part, major promotions have been reluctant to take a chance on Shamrock, despite his relative fame, most likely because of his age.

I am back. It’s good to be performing again for my fans,” Shamrock said in the statement, according to the ESPN report. “I feel great and my health is great. Age should never be a factor if an athlete is healthy, in great shape and has the drive to continue their sport. I will quit fighting when I want to. Kimbo Slice and I have some unfinished business. I am a fighter. That’s who I am.”

No matter what happens in June, Shamrock’s place in MMA history is secure. The first King of Pancrase lost at UFC 1 to Royce Gracie and was technically the UFC’s first belt-holder, donning the open-weight Superfight Championship back in 1995. That title later became the UFC heavyweight championship.

Slice’s place in the sport is a little more nebulous. The 41-year-old Florida native (4-2) came to fame by winning backyard street fights that were posted on YouTube. The thick-muscled, thick-bearded knockout artist oozed charisma and was given a chance with EliteXC. In his second bout for the promotion, however, Slice was knocked out in 14 seconds by Seth Petruzelli.  

Slice later got a shot in the UFC, where he competed on the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter and went on to post a 1-1 record in the promotion. 


Scott Harris covers all aspects of MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter. 

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Bellator 134: Paul Daley Is Back, What Took so Long?

Welcome back, Paul Daley.
You punched your own ticket out. But now, you’re back on American soil, back on basic cable, back below the brighter sections of the limelight. For fight fans, that’s cause for a tip of the cap—and a scratch of the head….

Welcome back, Paul Daley.

You punched your own ticket out. But now, you’re back on American soil, back on basic cable, back below the brighter sections of the limelight. For fight fans, that’s cause for a tip of the cap—and a scratch of the head.

When he takes the cage this Friday to face Andre Santos at Bellator 134, the British welterweight (35-13-2) will still be fairly young at 32. With 26 career knockouts to his name, including in each of his last six victories, he still seems to have the same things going for him that he did before he was banished to the MMA hinterlands nearly five years ago.

Still the same Semtex in his hands. Still the same quotatiousness in front of the microphone. Still the same winning ways.

So where has he been? And perhaps more importantly, why? And why is he back? Is that a good thing?

It all starts with some sort of rumination on how one split second of impulse can change a life forever. Or one punch, to be specific. In that sense, Paul Daley is sort of the Kermit Washington of MMA.

In 2010, Josh Koscheck was a brilliant plume in any fighter’s cap. And there was no question that at UFC 113, he was the biggest opponent of Daley’s career. Daley likes to knock people out. But being the elite fighter that he was, Koscheck knew that and used his top-level wrestling to immobilize Daley and his power, stubbing him out like a cheap cigar for three full rounds.

Koscheck—never the world’s most beloved fighter either among fans or other fighters—allegedly whispered a lot of smack to Daley in the final moments of the affair.

After the final horn, Daley, frustrated eight ways from Sunday, sucker-punched Koscheck in plain view of everyone who cared to be viewing. It was a bad move. It was a stupid move. It was the wrong thing to do.

And at the post-fight news conference, the axe fell, with UFC President Dana White issuing a lifetime ban. 

“He’s done,” White said at the time. “I don’t give a s–t if he’s the best 170-pounder in the world. He’ll never come back here again.”

Daley first denied the move then—in the face of White’s announcement and, presumably, the video evidence—issued a lengthy apology.

I would like to apologise to the UFC and the Athletic Commission for what I’ve done as well as all the fans and sponsors that support me. I would also like to offer my sincerest apologies to Josh Koscheck who did not deserve the cheap shot I threw. … I fully deserve to be punished for what I did and hope that everyone I have disappointed can forgive my rash decision. … It will be a long road back from where I am now to earning the trust and respect of the UFC and the MMA fans that have supported me for so long, I know I’ve let you all down but I’m determined to make it up to you all.

A long road, indeed. There was a fight in Australia, then one in Amarillo, Texas. Then Strikeforce snapped him up. That was a good run until UFC parent company Zuffa bought and liquidated Strikeforce, and Daley was back on the sidewalk.

He bounced around a little more until in 2012, he debuted for Bellator, winning that debut by first-round TKO. But that grounded to a halt almost as soon as it began, with allegations of Daley’s involvement in a bar fight leading to his release from the promotion. 

What did or didn’t happen in that bar remains murky, but the charges against Daley were dropped. Nevertheless, Bellator, then under the leadership of Bjorn Rebney, claimed that ongoing visa difficulties would make it hard for Daley to fight in America, thus justifying his release.

Fast-forward to 2014 and new Bellator regime under Scott Coker. One of the first moves of that new leadership was for Coker—who had helmed Strikeforce during Daley’s tenure there—to sign Daley.

So what about those visa issues?

“You tell me,” Daley said Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast with host Ariel Helwani. “It’s like I was dealing with spoiled children. Because I’m a little hard to deal with, they were trying to ice me out. There was no bar fight. If there was, how did I get my visa again?”

Who knows? Daley, for one, doesn’t seem to be holding any grudges. He told MMA Junkie that he has reached out to the UFC more than once for his job back, though, so far, the requests have fallen on at least semi-deaf ears. That’s an interesting thing given the UFC’s stated interest in granting that mythical second chance we all like to talk about.

It gave it to Chael Sonnen. It gave it to Thiago Silva, who was arrested by a SWAT team after domestic abuse and murder allegations. Though Silva was later re-released after additional allegations surfaced, White said at the time of the reinstatement that Silva “deserve[d] to be able to make a living again” in the UFC.

There’s also the case of Anthony Johnson, who faced his own domestic abuse issues. And these are just two of the nearly countless other fighters who have faced various legal troubles, failed drug tests and the like but have been later welcomed back. There doesn’t seem to be a ton of consistency in how these things are decided and enforced.

In any case, Daley seemed content during his interview Monday, where he spoke to Helwani from Miami. He was taking the chance to stop in on some old friends, like the Blackzilians and American Top Team camps in Florida.

“Just burning some calories,” he noted.

Leave the larger questions for another day, then. For now, Daley is happy he’s back. Fans should be, too. And if he brings his knockout prowess to bear at Bellator 134, he might make his new employers the happiest of all. Their investment could look pretty darn smart in pretty short order.

“I like Scott Coker,” Daley said Monday. “He knows my positives, and he knows my negatives.”

Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. For more stuff like this, follow Scott on Twitter.

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