Recently, something happened that seemed to go mainly unnoticed by the MMA media. Frank Shamrock retired. I know words like “legend” and “pioneer” get thrown around a lot in this sport, and I’m definitely guilty of it, but Frank was both of those things. He was one of the first guys to truly have a complete game – seamlessly mixing punches, kicks, take downs and submissions. He won multiple titles and beat some of the best, like Tito Ortiz, Dan Henderson, Bas Rutten and Masakatsu Funaki. When MMA was in its dark ages – kicked off cable and existing underground – he stood as an amabassador, trying to get it approved by state athletic commissions. He was also a maverick of sorts – not letting disputes with his adopted brother Ken, or even UFC President Dana White stop him. His last few fights were disappointments – losses to Cung Le and Nick Diaz – but they do not outweigh all the sucess and influence he has had over the years. I really liked his farewell speech – very classy, but also a little bit sad. But this is not really good-bye – Frank now works as an analyst for Showtime, and still has his academies and other MMA-related businesses. So, we’ll see you around, Legend.
Me with Frank Shamrock in 2003 at the Arnold Classic in Ohio, about a month before Frank’s WEC win over Bryan Pardoe.
