It’s a rare occurrence to see a corner throw in the towel in the modern era of MMA, despite the fact there have been clear cases where it seemed like the right thing to do to save a fighter from an unnecessary beating. However, there’s a stigma attached to a fight being stopping this way, not
It’s a rare occurrence to see a corner throw in the towel in the modern era of MMA, despite the fact there have been clear cases where it seemed like the right thing to do to save a fighter from an unnecessary beating.
However, there’s a stigma attached to a fight being stopping this way, not to mention confusion among some about the legality of throwing in the towel and fears over how the fighter will react to it, which means that it’s generally just left to either the referee or the fighter themselves to make the final decision on when to call it a day.
That being said, there are times when the towel has been thrown in, both in the ‘dark ages’ of the sport when it was actually one of the few ways to legitimately stop a fight, right up to the modern day.
In this article we’ll highlight some of the most memorable examples of the towel being thrown in (both literally and metaphorically) in the two biggest MMA promotions of all time, UFC and PRIDE.
When Ken Shamrock was popped for steroids in his drug test for his Bellator 149 fight against Royce Gracie, the MMA world wasn’t exactly shocked. When Royce Gracie himself found out, he didn’t even seem to care.
“I don’t think too much about it,” Gracie told MMAFighting.com when asked about Shamrock’s drug test failure for their long-awaited trilogy fight. “It doesn’t make any difference. It made no difference.”
In 2009, Shamrock also tested positive for steroids after a win over Ross Clifton on a smaller MMA event. Apparently Gracie wasn’t aware of that fact either.
“I don’t follow Shamrock,” he said, “so I didn’t even know he was caught (for steroids) before.”
Regarding the controversy surrounding the finish to their Bellator 149 fight earlier this month, Gracie feels there was no controversy at all. Instead, it was simply a case of Shamrock being Shamrock.
“Shamrock was always famous for complaining and making excuses,” said Gracie. “He was kneed in the stomach, it wasn’t a low blow. I told him after the fight, ‘if you want to complain, complain to the referee’. But when I saw the replay, it wasn’t a low blow. The second knee hit his face and he kind of went out. He was lost, and woke up when he hit the ground.”
When Ken Shamrock was popped for steroids in his drug test for his Bellator 149 fight against Royce Gracie, the MMA world wasn’t exactly shocked. When Royce Gracie himself found out, he didn’t even seem to care.
“I don’t think too much about it,” Gracie told MMAFighting.com when asked about Shamrock’s drug test failure for their long-awaited trilogy fight. “It doesn’t make any difference. It made no difference.”
In 2009, Shamrock also tested positive for steroids after a win over Ross Clifton on a smaller MMA event. Apparently Gracie wasn’t aware of that fact either.
“I don’t follow Shamrock,” he said, “so I didn’t even know he was caught (for steroids) before.”
Regarding the controversy surrounding the finish to their Bellator 149 fight earlier this month, Gracie feels there was no controversy at all. Instead, it was simply a case of Shamrock being Shamrock.
“Shamrock was always famous for complaining and making excuses,” said Gracie. “He was kneed in the stomach, it wasn’t a low blow. I told him after the fight, ‘if you want to complain, complain to the referee’. But when I saw the replay, it wasn’t a low blow. The second knee hit his face and he kind of went out. He was lost, and woke up when he hit the ground.”
(It’s a trick question: They both have meth in them.)
Easily the most shocking, unpredictable news to hit MMA this year was that of Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock’s failed drug tests prior to Bellator 149. It was a development that literally none of us could have seen coming, if only because most of us were under the impression that Bellator didn’t drug test its fighters.
Well, the results are in on both men’s drug tests, and without giving too much away, we will say that the above photo can no longer be considered libel.
(It’s a trick question: They both have meth in them.)
Easily the most shocking, unpredictable news to hit MMA this year was that of Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock’s failed drug tests prior to Bellator 149. It was a development that literally none of us could have seen coming, if only because most of us were under the impression that Bellator didn’t drug test its fighters.
Well, the results are in on both men’s drug tests, and without giving too much away, we will say that the above photo can no longer be considered libel. MMAFighting has the deets:
Slice tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and also had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. Shamrock tested positive for nandrolone and methadone, an opioid used to treat pain or detoxify in people with a drug dependency. Shamrock also had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio.
Shamrock’s T-to-E ratio was 12.4:1, while Slice’s was 6.4:1. The Texas and World Anti-Doping Agency limit is 4:1. The two men submitted urine samples in a pre-fight collection.
I hope that was as good for you guys as it was for me.
Anyway, you might be interested to learn that the duo of drugs found in Shamrock’s system is completely different than the norandrosterone, noretiocholanolone and stanozololin cocktail he was busted for back in 2009 after a win over Ross Clifton at WarGods: Valentine’s Eve Massacre. Which, say what you the man, but don’t you dare claim that his MMA game hasn’t evolved over the years. Next up, I presume, will be a positive test for actual meth following a controversial TKO loss to Dan Quinn at WSOF 40.
Now, onto the no doubt lengthy suspensions that both Shamrock and Kimbo are surely in for…
The punishments for Shamrock and Slice are still pending. The typical maximum penalty in Texas for a failed drug test is a 90-day suspension and $5,000 fine. It’s unlikely the TDLR would license either man for a period of a year after the positive test, sources said, but after 90 days the suspension would not extend to the other states.
90 days? That’s it?! Well shit, it looks like we might be getting that Severn vs. Shamrock trilogy fight in the near future after all. And thank God for that.
Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock both failed drug tests for anabolic steroids at Bellator 149, according to a report from MMA Fighting. Slice fought Dada 5000 in the co-main event while Shamrock fought Royce Gracie in the main event. Slice tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and also had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. Shamrock, on the
Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock both failed drug tests for anabolic steroids at Bellator 149, according to a report from MMA Fighting.
Slice fought Dada 5000 in the co-main event while Shamrock fought Royce Gracie in the main event.
Slice tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and also had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. Shamrock, on the other hand, had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio.
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation have yet to hand out punishments but are expected to. The maximum discipline is a 90-day suspension and $5,000 fine in Texas, but there have been reports that Slice and Shamrock will both be suspended for one year.
Bellator 149 took place on February 19, 2016, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event aired live in primetime on Spike TV while the prelims aired live on Spike.com.
The event averaged 1.964M viewers, which shattered the old record held by Bellator 138 with 1.58M. Slice vs. Dada 5000 peaked with 2.5 million viewers.
As noted, Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice failed their drug tests for their Bellator 149 fights in February. Until today, however, it was unclear what the two MMA stars tested positive for.
On Monday, MMAFighting.com was the first to report that Shamro…
On Monday, MMAFighting.com was the first to report that Shamrock and Kimbo both tested positive for steroids for their fights in Houston, Texas last month.
In Kimbo Slice’s case, he tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and also had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. Meanwhile, Shamrock tested positive for nandrolone and methadone. He too had an elavated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio.
What the repercussions will be for Shamrock and Slice remain to be seen. The maximum penalty in Texas for a positive drug test is a 90-day suspension and a $5,000 fine.
As noted, Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice failed their drug tests for their Bellator 149 fights in February. Until today, however, it was unclear what the two MMA stars tested positive for.
On Monday, MMAFighting.com was the first to report that Shamro…
On Monday, MMAFighting.com was the first to report that Shamrock and Kimbo both tested positive for steroids for their fights in Houston, Texas last month.
In Kimbo Slice’s case, he tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and also had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. Meanwhile, Shamrock tested positive for nandrolone and methadone. He too had an elavated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio.
What the repercussions will be for Shamrock and Slice remain to be seen. The maximum penalty in Texas for a positive drug test is a 90-day suspension and a $5,000 fine.
