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Ken Shamrock: “Legends Division” Is MMA’s Next Big Thing

At Thursday’s Bellator 149 press conference in Houston, TX, event headliner Ken Shamrock discussed working on a “legends division” in MMA for older fighters. Shamrock said fans still want to see seasoned veterans of the octagon in action, but that it’s…

“I’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Shamrock told MMA Fighting. “A legends division, because the fans want to still see those guys. It was unique. It’s different now because everybody does the same thing, but there were those 10 years of MMA that just were very unique, and the fans locked on to them. There were a lot of legends that were created during that time, and a lot of those guys are still capable of getting into the ring and fighting. Obviously not fighting for a world title, but there are guys who, fighting other guys who are basically the legendary status, they will still pack the house because people want to see them. Royce (Gracie) did it, I did it, many other ones have done it, (Pat) Miletich has done it — there’s guys who have kept themselves in tremendous shape and can still go.

“We don’t have the recovery or the reaction time we used to, so we’re not going to compete with the guys who are young. But we could compete with the guys around our time who the fans want to see fight again, and I think there’s a huge market for that. Scott Coker has bitten into that, and I think he has bitten into something very unique. If he keeps going with this, he’s going to see this thing really blow up.”

Shamrock explained some of the motivation to head up a legends division, citing his passion for the sport, and that veteran fighters would be in for bigger paydays now than earlier in their careers.

“Hey, I want to do it. I fight for fun. I enjoy it. Shoot me. I’m doing what I love doing. And now I’m starting to see it turn around. I’m starting to see people embrace it. I’m starting to see guys coming out of the woodwork, like Miletich just the other day, saying I want to fight the winner. Dan Severn wants to fight.

“For me, to see these guys come out and continue to fight, and be able to dip in to some of the things that are happening today, with the money that’s being made for some of these fighters — not anything like they should be making, but they’re making some money now. More than we were doing at the time. And so to see these guys come out and actually get a piece of that pie, it makes me happy for them,” Shamrock says. “They deserve it.”

Ken Shamrock fights Royce Gracie at Bellator 149 in Houston, TX on Friday, February 19th.

Ken Shamrock: “Legends Division” Is MMA’s Next Big Thing

“I’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Shamrock told MMA Fighting. “A legends division, because the fans want to still see those guys. It was unique. It’s different now because everybody does the same thing, but there were those 10 years of MMA that just were very unique, and the fans locked on to them. There were a lot of legends that were created during that time, and a lot of those guys are still capable of getting into the ring and fighting. Obviously not fighting for a world title, but there are guys who, fighting other guys who are basically the legendary status, they will still pack the house because people want to see them. Royce (Gracie) did it, I did it, many other ones have done it, (Pat) Miletich has done it — there’s guys who have kept themselves in tremendous shape and can still go.

“We don’t have the recovery or the reaction time we used to, so we’re not going to compete with the guys who are young. But we could compete with the guys around our time who the fans want to see fight again, and I think there’s a huge market for that. Scott Coker has bitten into that, and I think he has bitten into something very unique. If he keeps going with this, he’s going to see this thing really blow up.”

Shamrock explained some of the motivation to head up a legends division, citing his passion for the sport, and that veteran fighters would be in for bigger paydays now than earlier in their careers.

“Hey, I want to do it. I fight for fun. I enjoy it. Shoot me. I’m doing what I love doing. And now I’m starting to see it turn around. I’m starting to see people embrace it. I’m starting to see guys coming out of the woodwork, like Miletich just the other day, saying I want to fight the winner. Dan Severn wants to fight.

“For me, to see these guys come out and continue to fight, and be able to dip in to some of the things that are happening today, with the money that’s being made for some of these fighters — not anything like they should be making, but they’re making some money now. More than we were doing at the time. And so to see these guys come out and actually get a piece of that pie, it makes me happy for them,” Shamrock says. “They deserve it.”

Ken Shamrock fights Royce Gracie at Bellator 149 in Houston, TX on Friday, February 19th.

Bellator 149 Weigh-In Results

Bellator MMA officials held the weigh-ins for Bellator 149 on Thursday and you can watch them here: Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie will take place on February 19, 2016 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event will air live in prime time on Spike TV while the prelims will air live on Spike.com.

The post Bellator 149 Weigh-In Results appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Bellator MMA officials held the weigh-ins for Bellator 149 on Thursday and you can watch them here:

Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie will take place on February 19, 2016 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event will air live in prime time on Spike TV while the prelims will air live on Spike.com.

Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie will headline the event while Kimbo Slice vs. “Dada 5000” will serve as the co-main event. The main card features five bouts. This is the first pole event for the promotion in 2016.

Here are the weigh-in results:

Main Card

Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. “Dada 5000” (2-0)

Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Campos (15-6)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Wren (11-2) vs. Juan Torres (4-4)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Davis Sylvester (5-3) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Charlie Ontiveros (6-4) vs. James Christopherson (2-2)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Ruben Esparsa (1-0) vs. C.J. Hancock (Debut)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Adrian Yanez (3-1) vs. Ryan Hollis

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Isaac Villanueva (9-7) vs. Richard Knepp (3-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Trinh (2-3) vs. Angel Zamora (2-2)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Langellier (2-0) vs. Anthony Ivy (1-0)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Manny Lozoya (Debut) vs. Jacob Norsworthy (1-5)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Amateur Bout: Leomana Martinez (2-0) vs. Casey Jones (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Chris Solis (2-0) vs. Alex Macedo (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Jonathan Davis (2-0) vs. Shawn Solis (1-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Amateur Bout: Hunter Scott-Gregg (1-0) vs. Ricardo Deluque (1-0)

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Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie 3 Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

On Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, two of the biggest names in MMA will clash for the third time. Royce Gracie will face Ken Shamrock in the main event of Bellator 149.
Gracie is 49 years old, and Shamrock is 52. This bout sh…

On Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, two of the biggest names in MMA will clash for the third time. Royce Gracie will face Ken Shamrock in the main event of Bellator 149.

Gracie is 49 years old, and Shamrock is 52. This bout should be contested in MMA’s senior division—if such a thing should even exist.

If that wasn’t bizarre enough, the co-main event pits two notorious street brawlers against each other. Kimbo Slice will take on Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris in what should prove to be a short, brutal and amateurish brawl. While the combined age of the combatants in the co-main event is less than a century, neither Slice nor Harris is a spring chicken.

Slice is 42, and Dada 5000 is 38 years old. Nevertheless, the fights will go on. Here’s the viewing information, full TV card and predictions for the televised fights.

When: Friday, February 19 at 9 p.m. ET

TV: Spike

Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3); Shamrock by TKO
Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0); Slice by TKO
Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5); Newton by unanimous decision
Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Campos (15-6); Campos by submission
Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11); Sanchez by TKO

You can see the entire card at Bellator.Spike.com.

In Shamrock’s last fight, he lost via TKO to Slice at Bellator 138 in June 2015. In this Vine from Bellator MMA, Shamrock said he believes Gracie is looking to take advantage of him:

MMA Roasted, among others, poked fun at the Bellator main event:

ESPN.com’s Brian Campbell, however, lauded Bellator‘s success with “guilty pleasure MMA.”

This is the type of card that has to be put into the proper perspective to enjoy. Traditional MMA fans who look for substance in each fight may be put off by the main event and co-feature. However, those who are able to look at it as a one-off, circus-like event that doesn’t take itself too seriously will likely tune in.

Shamrock Is Too Strong

It’s always hard to predict an outcome when two over-the-hill fighters clash. Oftentimes, the one who would have had an edge when the two were younger will be at a disadvantage in the post-prime scrap.

That will be the case on Friday. In their first meeting, Gracie defeated Shamrock via rear-naked choke back in 1993 at UFC 2. The second fight happened in 1995 at UFC 5, and it ended in a draw. Here we are 21 years later, and the two legends are set to battle again.

Like most of Gracie’s opponents, Shamrock will be bigger and stronger than the Brazilian legend. That wasn’t the deciding factor in the two previous scraps, but it will be on Friday. At Gracie’s age, he’ll have an issue overcoming the strength and size of Shamrock.

Neither man will have a surplus of stamina, so the first to gain an advantageous position should win. The prediction here is that it will be Shamrock who gains top position and wins the fight via TKO from ground-and-pound.

Slice Is King of the Streets

In another fight that figures to be decided in the first round, Slice’s edge in organized combat will be the difference. He’s had seven pro boxing bouts and seven MMA matches. Dada 5000 has had only two MMA scraps.

While it may appear that these two are simply going to duke it out in a back-alley brawl, Slice is smart enough to know that he has a rare technical advantage in this fight. He’ll pick his spots early and take advantage of Dada 5000’s clumsy footwork and tightness.

Expect Slice to land a big right hand that puts Dada 5000 in peril early. Slice will pounce and win by first-round TKO.

Newton by Decision

Rematches fill the card, as former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton will face off with Linton Vassell for the second time. Their first fight was a war.

Newton won by submission (rear-naked choke) in the fifth round. Both men landed some heavy strikes, but The Hardcore Kid proved to be the toughest. He will again outlast Vassell to snap a two-fight losing streak.

Newton lost his title to Liam McGeary in February 2015, and Phil Davis defeated Newton by submission in September 2015. Vassell lost his last bout against Muhammed Lawal on the same card.

The 32-year-old from England has always been a tough out, but he’s never shown the ability to beat the best fighters in Bellator‘s light heavyweight division.

That trend will continue on Friday.

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Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Video: ‘Shamrock/Gracie/Kimbo/Dada 5000’ Full Spike TV Special

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuQ3smBJQIM

The pre-Bellator 149 promotional show “Shamrock/Gracie/Kimbo/Dada 5000” premiered this past weekend on Spike TV, and has now been added to Bellator’s YouTube channel. The special is about 39 minutes long and is devoted to Bellator 149 headliners Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, and co-headliners Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000.

The event takes place this Friday in Houston, TX, and will feature the third fight between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie in their legendary careers. Gracie defeated Shamrock at UFC 1 via submission, and they fought to a draw at UFC 5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuQ3smBJQIM

Turn Back The Clock: Top 10 Old School MMA Legends

Mixed martial arts (MMA) has come a long way. Titles have changed hands, promotions have died, disciplines have transformed, and fighters have evolved in just a short period of time. The state of today’s sport is one jam-packed with skill, high-level expertise, highlight reel finishes, brutal blood fests, and international opportunity for prospects around the

The post Turn Back The Clock: Top 10 Old School MMA Legends appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) has come a long way. Titles have changed hands, promotions have died, disciplines have transformed, and fighters have evolved in just a short period of time.

The state of today’s sport is one jam-packed with skill, high-level expertise, highlight reel finishes, brutal blood fests, and international opportunity for prospects around the world. It is the product of promotional development, eager bank accounts, and the sport as a whole being absorbed by the mainstream.

But in order to truly appreciate where MMA is today, the pioneers of the sport must be the recognized. From former champions to trend-setting pathfinders, from ground-and-pound wizards to one-punch knockout artists, the cage has played host to an assortment of memorable and equally influential characters.

In accordance with championships won, life-time victories, everlasting footprints around the sport, and downright barbaric tendencies, here are the Top 10 old school legends in MMA history.

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