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Conor McGregor Reveals His Top 5 GOATS of MMA

Conor McGregor Reveals His Top 5 GOATS of MMA Conor McGregor recently unveiled the five fighters he considers to be the greatest of all time. Shockingly, he wasn’t…

Conor McGregor recently unveiled the five fighters he considers to be the greatest of all time. Shockingly, he wasn’t one of them.

‘Mystic Mac’ was recently featured on a live stream hosted by online gambling site Duelbits where he was asked a series of questions, one of them being who he considers as the five GOATS of mixed martial arts. With the snap of a finger, McGregor rattled off four notable names, though he needed a moment or two to come up with a fifth pick.

“Top-5 MMA GOATS,” McGregor said. “Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell… how many is that? Three, four? Four? The OGs… Bas Rutten. Bas Rutten, yeah. Europe’s own. Europe’s first is Bas Rutten. What a man Bas Rutten is.

“Serious shape he’s in now. Bas, I’m right behind you, bro. I see you, Bas. I see you, Bas. I’m right behind you” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Inspired to train in martial arts after seeing the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon, Bas Rutten established himself as a world-class kickboxer before becoming the first UFC champion from the Netherlands following a split decision win against Kevin Randleman at UFC 20 in May 1999 to claim a heavyweight title.

Rutten never defended the title due to injuries, but went on to cap off his iconic fighting career with an impressive 28-4-1 record with noteworthy wins over Frank Shamrock, Maurice Smith, Guy Mezger, and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

Rutten was inducted into the UFC Hall Fame Pioneer Wing in 2015.

Breaking down Conor McGregor’s GOAT List

The other four names on McGregor’s list were all prominent figures in mixed martial arts who, in one way or another, helped to bring MMA out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Perhaps the most famous of which was Royce Gracie. Winning the inaugural UFC tournament in 1993, Gracie quickly became the de facto face of the promotion’s early days. Then there was his half-brother, Rickson Gracie, whose accomplishments have been touted as something straight out of mythology.

Ken Shamrock helped bring the UFC to another level during the promotion’s developmental years and Chuck Liddell is often credited as being MMA’s first true superstar, capturing the hearts of fight fans with his high-octane style of fighting before crossing over into the world of film and television.

With McGregor himself accounting for eight of the 10 highest-grossing pay-per-views in UFC history and becoming the first-ever simultaneous two-division champion in the promotion’s history, it’s a little surprising he didn’t include himself.

Do you agree with McGregor’s list?

From No-Rules Brawls to Combat: Ken Shamrock on the Evolution of MMA

Ken Shamrock discusses the evolution of MMA over the past 30 years. The US-born Shamrock has been there since…

Ken Shamrock discusses the evolution of MMA over the past 30 years. The US-born Shamrock has been there since the very beginning as he was competing in mixed rules combat even before the UFC began, and then competed in the very first UFC event.

Ken Shamrock on the Evolution of MMA

The early UFC events were brutal. No rules, no gloves, no weight classes, and no time limits. The sport was quickly outlawed. Fighters often engaged in brutal exchanges with few restrictions, such as prohibitions against biting and groin shots.

In Japan, Pancrase was the mixed rules form of combat and it was an extension of professional wrestling, but real grappling, rather than street toughs that the UFC was promoting. Pancrase used catch wrestling style shoots and open hand strikes.

Over time, the UFC implemented more rules and regulations and became recognized as a real sport by athletic commissions. Pancrase would change its rules to be MMA rather than catch wrestling.

Speaking in an interview, MMA pioneer and legend Ken Shamrock explained:

“Back then, it was very much a street fight with basically no rules. Like we just discussed, there were no weight classes, no biting, no groin shots. I watched a fight where a guy punched Joe Son in the groin three times, and Joe Son had to quit. Even though that was illegal, the other guy still won because Joe Son couldn’t continue. So obviously, looking at it now, it’s organized, sanctioned, and there’s safety involved to some extent. It’s still fighting, but it’s much more professional.”

Not only the fights themselves, but the training is entirely different also. Ken Shamrock continued:

“It would involve being more educated about your opponent and adapting to new training conditions. Back in the day, conditioning was about enduring long, continuous fights without rounds. Today, fighters can go hard, rest for a minute, and then go again. Conditioning now is more about handling explosive bursts and recovery between rounds.”

Joe Rogan admitted that some of the early pioneers of MMA would still do well in today’s competition, such as Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. Shamrock appreciated the compliment:

“I appreciate that. I do believe guys like myself and Royce Gracie could definitely hold our own today. We were probably among the few with what we call professional skill sets in grappling. My expertise in leg locks, for example, would definitely give me an edge. There aren’t many people who fully understand them even now, because they weren’t used in amateur events, so nobody practiced them. When I fought in Japan, leg locks were all we used. My knowledge in that area was far more advanced compared to what is common in today’s MMA.”

From No-Rules Brawls to Combat: Ken Shamrock on the Evolution of MMA

Ken Shamrock discusses the evolution of MMA over the past 30 years. The US-born Shamrock has been there since…

Ken Shamrock on the Evolution of MMA

Over time, the UFC implemented more rules and regulations and became recognized as a real sport by athletic commissions. Pancrase would change its rules to be MMA rather than catch wrestling.

Speaking in an interview, MMA pioneer and legend Ken Shamrock explained:

“Back then, it was very much a street fight with basically no rules. Like we just discussed, there were no weight classes, no biting, no groin shots. I watched a fight where a guy punched Joe Son in the groin three times, and Joe Son had to quit. Even though that was illegal, the other guy still won because Joe Son couldn’t continue. So obviously, looking at it now, it’s organized, sanctioned, and there’s safety involved to some extent. It’s still fighting, but it’s much more professional.”

Not only the fights themselves, but the training is entirely different also. Ken Shamrock continued:

“It would involve being more educated about your opponent and adapting to new training conditions. Back in the day, conditioning was about enduring long, continuous fights without rounds. Today, fighters can go hard, rest for a minute, and then go again. Conditioning now is more about handling explosive bursts and recovery between rounds.”

Joe Rogan admitted that some of the early pioneers of MMA would still do well in today’s competition, such as Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. Shamrock appreciated the compliment:

“I appreciate that. I do believe guys like myself and Royce Gracie could definitely hold our own today. We were probably among the few with what we call professional skill sets in grappling. My expertise in leg locks, for example, would definitely give me an edge. There aren’t many people who fully understand them even now, because they weren’t used in amateur events, so nobody practiced them. When I fought in Japan, leg locks were all we used. My knowledge in that area was far more advanced compared to what is common in today’s MMA.”

From No-Rules Brawls to Combat: Ken Shamrock on the Evolution of MMA

Ken Shamrock discusses the evolution of MMA over the past 30 years. The US-born Shamrock has been there since…

Ken Shamrock on the Evolution of MMA

Over time, the UFC implemented more rules and regulations and became recognized as a real sport by athletic commissions. Pancrase would change its rules to be MMA rather than catch wrestling.

Speaking in an interview, MMA pioneer and legend Ken Shamrock explained:

“Back then, it was very much a street fight with basically no rules. Like we just discussed, there were no weight classes, no biting, no groin shots. I watched a fight where a guy punched Joe Son in the groin three times, and Joe Son had to quit. Even though that was illegal, the other guy still won because Joe Son couldn’t continue. So obviously, looking at it now, it’s organized, sanctioned, and there’s safety involved to some extent. It’s still fighting, but it’s much more professional.”

Not only the fights themselves, but the training is entirely different also. Ken Shamrock continued:

“It would involve being more educated about your opponent and adapting to new training conditions. Back in the day, conditioning was about enduring long, continuous fights without rounds. Today, fighters can go hard, rest for a minute, and then go again. Conditioning now is more about handling explosive bursts and recovery between rounds.”

Joe Rogan admitted that some of the early pioneers of MMA would still do well in today’s competition, such as Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. Shamrock appreciated the compliment:

“I appreciate that. I do believe guys like myself and Royce Gracie could definitely hold our own today. We were probably among the few with what we call professional skill sets in grappling. My expertise in leg locks, for example, would definitely give me an edge. There aren’t many people who fully understand them even now, because they weren’t used in amateur events, so nobody practiced them. When I fought in Japan, leg locks were all we used. My knowledge in that area was far more advanced compared to what is common in today’s MMA.”

Ken Shamrock Recalls Joe Rogan’s Lion’s Den Extreme Training: “Tougher than what you’d face in a fight”

Joe Rogan has often spoken about his experiences training with Ken Shamrock and his legendary team, the Lion’s Den….

Joe Rogan has often spoken about his experiences training with Ken Shamrock and his legendary team, the Lion’s Den. This experience showed Rogan with an early look at one of the most rigorous training environments in MMA history.

Ken Shamrock and Joe Rogan Training

The MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock trained through the legendary Pancrase system and nearly died in that gym. He then took those exact same standards, to his gym, the Lion’s Den, in the USA.

The Lion’s Den was one of the first true MMA teams. It was known for its brutal training regimen designed to prepare fighters for the toughest challenges in the ring. Shamrock’s philosophy was simple: make training harder than any fight.

Joe Rogan has described the Lion’s Den as one of the most difficult teams to join. The tryouts for the Lion’s Den were notoriously grueling. Prospective members had to complete a series of physically demanding tasks, including hundreds of squats, push-ups, and sit-ups, as well as sprints and runs while carrying a partner of equal weight. This was followed by hours of sparring.

When asked about this in an interview, Ken Shamrock reflected on his time with Joe Rogan and explained:

“Yes, the concept of our training was to make everything in the gym tougher than what you’d face in a fight. We’d put fighters in extremely difficult situations to prepare them. For example, in Japan, I was constantly pushed by fresh opponents every minute, which made me work hard to stay on top. I brought that same concept to the Lion’s Den. Our training aimed to ensure that no matter how tough a fighter got, they would be ready for any challenge.

“We held brutal tryouts to find individuals with the right mindset for our type of training. Those who passed would live in a house together, allowing us full control over their conditioning and training. This setup was different from what the Gracies were doing in Brazil. The Gracies were more focused on belt testing and didn’t train as a cohesive fighting team. The Lion’s Den was specifically structured for fighting, with consistent training among the same group of fighters.“

UFC legend Ken Shamrock likens Sean Strickland to Conor McGregor: ‘He crossed the line a few times’

Octagon legend Ken Shamrock believes the UFC needs to tread carefully when it comes to their new middleweight world champion, Sean Strickland. On September 9, Strickland shocked the world with a stunning unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya to capture his first piece of UFC gold. Strickland, who was known more for his outlandish and […]

Octagon legend Ken Shamrock believes the UFC needs to tread carefully when it comes to their new middleweight world champion, Sean Strickland.

On September 9, Strickland shocked the world with a stunning unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya to capture his first piece of UFC gold. Strickland, who was known more for his outlandish and sometimes vile commentaries, entered the bout as a massive 7-to-1 underdog, but that didn’t stop him from shutting down Adesanya’s offense over the course of their 25-minute affair and nearly put ‘The Last Stylebender’ away in the opening round.

Strickland drops Adesanya!!pic.twitter.com/JzuaNBTx5R

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) September 10, 2023

Before booking the UFC title tilt earlier this month, Adesanya suggested that the promotion was hesitant to pull the trigger for fear that Strickland would “embarrass the company” during his press appearances. As it turns out, ‘Tarzan’ almost didn’t even make it that far after claiming that he had punched an unruly fan in the streets of Australia ahead of his first title fight.

Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick revealed that the promotion nearly pulled his fighter from the event, replacing him with one-time title challenger Jared Cannonier after ‘Tarzan’ had essentially ratted on himself.

Ken Shamrock Hopes the UFC Keeps Sean Strickland on the Leash but with a Lot of Slack

With Sean Strickland operating as a bit of a loose cannon, many believe the UFC needs to try and reign in Strickland a bit to avoid any potential unwanted attention. UFC icon Ken Shamrock echoed those sentiments during a recent interview with InsideFighting. The proprietor of the legendary Lion’s Den gym suggested that Strickland’s brash attitude is very reminiscent of Irish megastar Conor McGregor which is certainly not a bad thing when it comes to promoting fights and making money, but believes it could come back to bite the UFC if they aren’t careful.

“To me, I think that, especially in the world of fighting, you’ve got all kinds of characters and you’ve got to be ready for them. It’s marketing. As long as people want to hate you, or they like you, just as long as they tune in. So it doesn’t matter,” Shamrock said.

“I think McGregor is the perfect example. He crossed the line a few times on things that were a little bit questionable, but it still raises the viewerships. As an owner or as a person promoting fights, you want that, but you’ve got to be able to keep it somewhat under wraps, where it’s not going too far, where you’re hurting people in the process. So, I don’t mind it. I think everybody has character. Everybody is going to be who they’re going to be, and you have to allow that to a certain point. Trying to make everybody go by the same rulesets when it comes to character is a mistake” (h/t MMA News).

Strickland is yet to book his first middleweight title defense, but recent reports suggest that ‘Tarzan’ is hoping to return at UFC 296 in December. Who would you like to see the new 185-pound king defend his crown against first?