Ken Shamrock
Shamrock in 2016
Born	Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick (1964-02-11)February 11, 1964 (age 61) Warner Robins, Georgia, U.S.
Other names	The World's Most Dangerous Man
Residence	Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Division	Heavyweight Light Heavyweight
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Style	Shootfighting
Fighting out of	Reno, Nevada
Team	Lion's Den
Teacher	Masakatsu Funaki
Years active	1993–1996; 2000–2002, 2004–2006, 2008–2010; 2015–2016 (MMA) 1994 (Kickboxing) 1997–1999; 2009; 1989–2022 (Professional wrestling)
Kickboxing record
Total	1
Wins	0
Losses	1
By knockout	1
Draws	0
Mixed martial arts record
Total	47
Wins	28
By knockout	3
By submission	22
By decision	3
Losses	17
By knockout	11
By submission	4
By decision	2
Draws	2
Other information
Spouse	Tina Ramirez ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 2002)​ Tonya Shamrock ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	7, including 3 step-children
Notable relatives	Frank Shamrock (adopted brother)
Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Ken Shamrock[1] Shamrock Vince Torelli[1] Wayne Shamrock[1]
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[2][3]
Billed weight	243 lb (110 kg)[2][3]
Billed from	Sacramento, California[2][3] San Diego, California
Trained by	Nelson Royal Bob Sawyer Buzz Sawyer Bret Hart[4] Leo Burke[4] Gene Anderson[5][6]
Debut	1989[7]
Retired	August 6, 2022

Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (néKilpatrick, laterNance; born February 11, 1964)^[8][9] is an American retiredprofessional wrestler andmixed martial artist. He is currently signed toWWE under a Legends contract. He is best known for his time inUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC), WWE and othercombat sports.^[10] An inaugural inductee into theUFC Hall of Fame, Shamrock is widely regarded as an icon and pioneer of the sport.^[11][12] He has headlined over 15main events and co-main events in the UFC andPride FC and set numerous MMApay-per-view records.^[13] In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named "The World's Most Dangerous Man" byABC News in a special called "The World's Most Dangerous Things".^[14] The moniker has stuck as his nickname.

Shamrock became known early on in the UFC for his rivalry withRoyce Gracie. After fighting to a draw in the inaugural UFC "Superfight", he became the firstUFC Superfight Champion when he defeatedDan Severn atUFC 6; the title was eventually replaced by theUFC Heavyweight Championship when weight categories were introduced to the UFC.^[15] He was also the first foreign MMA champion in Japan, winning theKing of Pancrase Openweight title. During his reign as the UFC Superfight Champion, he was widely considered the #1 mixed martial artist in the world,^[16] and in 2008, Shamrock was ranked byInside MMA as one of the top 10 greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time.^[17] He is the founder of theLion's Den mixed martial arts training camp, and is the older brother of fellow fighterFrank Shamrock.

In addition to his mixed martial arts career, Shamrock has had considerable success in professional wrestling, particularly during his tenure with theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). There, he is aone-timeIntercontinental Champion, aone-timeWorld Tag Team Champion and the1998King of the Ring. Shamrock also wrestled forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is aone-timeNWA World Heavyweight Champion – the firstworld champion under the TNA banner – and a 2020 inductee in theImpact Hall of Fame. He headlined multiple pay-per-view events in both promotions, including 1997'sD-Generation X: In Your House, where he challenged for theWWF Championship. Additionally, Shamrock was also one of the first wrestlers to use theshoot style of wrestling in America, being credited by WWE with popularizing thelegitimateankle lock submission hold.^[18]

A "military brat," Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick was born atRobins Air Force Base, inWarner Robins, Georgia on February 11, 1964,^[19] where he lived for his first four years. His father, Richard Kilpatrick, was aUnited States Air Force enlistee, and his mother, Diane Kilpatrick, was a waitress and dancer who had her first son when she was 15. Kilpatrick had three brothers and grew up at a predominantly black neighborhood ofAtlanta, Georgia.

Kilpatrick was often left to fend for himself, and, without his parents' supervision or guidance, got into many fights. His father abandoned his family when Kilpatrick was five, later on figuring out that his father did not abandon him. Kilpatrick’s Mother ran off with step father and didn’t say anything to Kilpatrick’s father. His mother married an Army aviator named Bob Nance, and the newly formed family moved toNapa, California, Nance's hometown. Kilpatrick and his brothers were outsiders in this community, coming from a poor background and speaking in aSouthern accent. They continued to cause trouble and get into fights and began using drugs. Nance, who fought in the Vietnam War, joined the localfire department and also worked in roofing and upholstery. Kilpatrick became involved in and excelled at sports at a young age, playing inLittle League baseball andPop Warner football. Nance remembered a veteran coach telling him that he had never seen a player with as much heart and tenacity as the young Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick was not as involved with drugs as his brothers, such as his brother Richie, who enjoyed smoking marijuana and eventually usingheroinintravenously, but who also played football.^[19]

At age 10, Kilpatrick ran away from home for the first time, and was stabbed by another child on the run, ending up in the hospital. When he was 13, his stepfather kicked him out of their home, and each of the brothers went their own ways. Kilpatrick lived in stolen cars and would often rob people at knifepoint as a means to survive, before being placed in a foster home.^[19][20] Kilpatrick went through seven group homes and served time in ajuvenile hall. He moved between several more group homes before being placed in Bob Shamrock's Boys' Home inSusanville, California at age 14, where he turned his life around. Bob Shamrock legally adopted Ken as his son, and Ken changed his last name from Kilpatrick to Shamrock in Bob's honor.^[19]

At Lassen High School, Shamrock (known there as Kenny Nance) excelled in football andwrestling. Shamrock credits organized sports, as well as his adoptive father, Bob, for his life turning around. As a senior, he qualified for the state championships in wrestling, but broke his neck in practice days before the competition and underwent neck surgery.^[19] Due to the injury, he received no scholarship offers from any big colleges, and doctors told him his sports career was likely over. Against doctors' orders, he joined theShasta College football team, where he was voted team captain in his final season.^[19] TheSan Diego Chargers of theNational Football League later offered him a tryout, but he declined in order to pursue a career inprofessional wrestling, where he debuted in 1989 in theNorth Carolina–basedSouth Atlantic Pro Wrestling promotion.^[19]

In 1988, Shamrock trained as a professional wrestler underBuzz Sawyer, Nelson Royal, andGene Anderson.^[5][6] He debuted in 1989 in Royal's North Carolina–based Atlantic Coast Wrestlingpromotion under thering name Wayne Shamrock. After ACW folded, he moved on to the George Scott/Paul Jones-run companySouth Atlantic Pro Wrestling (which initially promoted under the banner of the North American Wrestling Association) and changed his ring name to Vince Torelli. Later he adopted the nickname "Mr. Wrestling" and a more villainous persona.

In June 1990, after being inspired byDean Malenko, Shamrock applied for the American tryouts of JapaneseUniversal Wrestling Federation in Florida. As it was ashoot style promotion, where real strikes and holds were used, Shamrock was put to spar legitimately against other participants, among themBart Vale.^[21] After passing another tryout in Japan, he was eventually accepted, and in October he had his debut match in UWF, wrestling under the name of "Wayne Shamrock" and defeatingYoji Anjo. He became instantly popular and was put on a match againstMasakatsu Funaki next.^[21] UWF folded shortly after, and Shamrock followed Funaki and other wrestlers to its successor promotion,Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, led byYoshiaki Fujiwara.

Even though he had not started his mixed martial arts career yet, Shamrock had his first fighting experience in Fujiwara Gumi, as the results of many matches were chosen by having the wrestlers partake in competitive grappling at the gym.^[22] He had his first high level bout with Duane Koslowski,Dennis Koslowski's twin brother and a1988 Summer OlympicsGreco-Roman wrestler, whom Shamrock submitted twice before working their actual match.^[22] A different situation happened withKazuo Takahashi, as he broke the script andshot on Shamrock in their November 1991 match, leading the American to fight back and knock him out with asoccer kick to the face at 1:27.^[22] They wrestled a rematch in 1992, with both wrestlers working heavilystiff, though with no more incidents. Shamrock himself praised Takahashi as a wrestler, comparing him to himself.^[22]

Shamrock made his WWF debut as aface on the February 24, 1997, episode ofMonday Night Raw, the same episode of Raw whereECW promoted their first pay-per-viewBarely Legal 1997. On March 23, 1997, Shamrock, identified as Ken Shamrock and billed as "The World's Most Dangerous Man"—a name given to him byABC News—refereed asubmission match betweenBret Hart andSteve Austin atWrestleMania 13.^[2]

Shamrock returned to the ring following WrestleMania,squashingVernon White (one of his Lion's Den students) in his debut WWF match.^[2] He went on tofeud withVader, Bret Hart, andThe Hart Foundation throughout 1997. Shamrock's feud with Vader continued in Japan, through a working agreement between the WWF and FMW, Shamrock wrestled Vader in an Ultimate Rules Steel Cage match for FMW's Kawasaki Legend 1997 super show featuring 4 other promotions. The match ended in a TKO win for Vader as Shamrock was suffering from internal bleeding from a lung infection and a rib injury.

Shamrock's rivalry with the Harts led to his first WWF pay-per-view main event atIn Your House 16: Canadian Stampede and culminated in a bout between him andThe British Bulldog for theEuropean Championship atSummerSlam which Shamrock lost by disqualification after hitting the Bulldog with a can of dog food. Shamrock went on to wrestle Bret Hart to a no-contest in a match for the latter'sWWF Championship on the edition of October 21 ofRaw. He again challenged for the WWF Championship in the main event of December'sD-Generation X: In Your House, defeating championShawn Michaels by disqualification whenTriple H interfered.

Throughout early 1998, Shamrock feuded withThe Rock and hisNation of Domination stable over Rock'sIntercontinental Championship. On January 18 atRoyal Rumble, during a match the refereeMike Chioda was distracted by The Rock's team Nation of Domination when The Rock's teammateD'Lo Brown's foot was stuck in the ropes, before The Rock usedbrass knuckles to hit him. He then disposed of the brass knuckles inside his trunks behind the referee's back. Shamrock was originally set to win the match and defeat The Rock. The Rock appealed to Chioda who discovered the foreign object. Shamrock objected to using the brass knuckles to Chioda before Chioda reversed the decision and took the Intercontinental Championship belt from Shamrock and gave it back to The Rock, making The Rock the winner via disqualification. After the match, Shamrock attacked Chioda for taking the Intercontinental Championship belt from him. Two months later on March 29 atWrestleMania XIV, Shamrock originally defeated The Rock, though the decision was reversed when Shamrock continued to apply his ankle lock after The Rock had submitted, and The Rock was declared the winner by disqualification.

In June 1998, Shamrock competed in the1998 King of the Ring tournament, eliminating Nation membersMark Henry,Kama and The Rock, as well asJeff Jarrett, to win the tournament. Following the King of the Ring, Shamrock feuded briefly with the returningKing Mabel, who had interfered to attack him in a rematch with Jarrett, and whom Shamrock defeated in a singles match injuring his leg.^[23] He next feuded withOwen Hart: Hart defeated Shamrock in a "Hart Family Dungeon match" atFully Loaded, and Shamrock defeated Hart in a "Lion's Den match" atSummerSlam. In September, he formed a short-livedstable withMankind andThe Rock.

Shamrock turnedheel in October 1998 and won the vacant Intercontinental Championship on the October 12 episode ofRaw is War, defeatingX-Pac in the finals of aneight-man tournament. Shamrock retained the title in his first title defense against Mankind, six days later atJudgment Day: In Your House. In November, Shamrock participated in theDeadly Games tournament for the vacant WWF Championship atSurvivor Series. He defeatedGoldust in the first round, before losing to eventual winner The Rock in the quarterfinals. The following night, onRaw is War Shamrock joinedMr. McMahon'sCorporation after McMahon offered him "a family" in exchange for his services.^[24] Shamrock successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Steve Blackman atCapital Carnage.

In December, Shamrock and his Corporation teammateBig Boss Man began pursuing theWWF Tag Team Championship, unsuccessfully challenging rival factionD-Generation X (DX) membersNew Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn andRoad Dogg) for the titles atRock Bottom: In Your House. However, the following night, on the December 14 episode ofRaw is War, Shamrock and Boss Man defeated New Age Outlaws for the Tag Team Championship, making Shamrock a dual champion. On the January 11, 1999 episode ofRaw is War, Shamrock'skayfabe sister,Ryan made her WWF debut, with both Billy Gunn andVal Venis making overtures to her. It led to a match between Shamrock and Gunn for the Intercontinental Championship atRoyal Rumble. Shamrock retained the title. The following night, on the January 25 episode ofRaw is War, Shamrock and Boss Man lost the Tag Team Championship to Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart.

Val Venis continued to flirt with Ryan, leading to Shamrock defending the Intercontinental Championship against Venis atSt. Valentine's Day Massacre, with Billy Gunn as the guest referee. Shamrock lost the match after Ryan slapped him and Gunn delivered a fast count. Shortly after losing the title, Shamrock also began feuding withGoldust, who also began flirting with Ryan. This led to Shamrock competing in afour way match for the Intercontinental Championship atWrestleMania XV. The reigning champion Road Dogg, was able to retain his title by pinning Goldust after Shamrock and Venis were counted out while brawling outside the ring.

In early mid-1999, the Corporation began feuding withThe Undertaker and hisMinistry of Darkness, with The Undertaker's minions repeatedly ambushing Shamrock and kidnapping Ryan, sacrificing her on The Undertaker's symbol. After breaking away from the Corporation, thus turning face once more, Shamrock went on to feud with The Undertaker atBacklash and lost.

After losing to The Undertaker, Shamrock,Big Show,Mankind andTest formedThe Union, a stable of wrestlers in opposition to theCorporate Ministry. The Union dissolved soon after defeating the Corporate Ministry atOver the Edge in May. Shamrock briefly feuded with Jeff Jarrett before beginning a rivalry with martial artistSteve Blackman that saw he and Blackman fight one another in a series of unorthodox matches. The feud ended atSummerSlam, where Shamrock defeated Blackman in a "Lion's Den weapons match". He went on to feud with the newly debutedChris Jericho until departing the WWF in late 1999 in order to resume his mixed martial arts career. His departure was attributedon screen to an injury inflicted by Jericho's bodyguard,Mr. Hughes.

However, during his 2024 interview withChris Van Vliet, Shamrock revealed the reason he left WWF at the time was that he was uncomfortable with the incest storyline, which includedAlicia Webb, who debuted using Shamrock's real life son's name as a part of Webb's ring name, and stated that theMontreal Screwjob Incident that caused his mentor Bret Hart to leave WWF hurt his career, as Hart was the person who helped him get into the wrestling business along with his character gimmick. Shamrock also stated that he had no creative direction by WWE due to them not knowing what to do with him.^[25]

Shamrock made a one-night return on New Year's Eve 2000 teaming with UFC fighterDon Frye losing toKeiji Muto andNobuhiko Takada at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye in Osaka, Japan.

Shamrock returned to professional wrestling in March 2002, refereeing aRing of Honor match betweenBryan Danielson andLow Ki.

Then on February 20, 2004, Shamrock defeatedSylvester Terkay in a double disqualification atUltimate Pro Wrestling. A couple of weeks later he foughtShinsuke Nakamura to a draw at Inoki Dojo in Hollywood, California.

Shamrock made an appearance in theindependent Wrestling companyJuggalo Championship Wrestling during their flagship annual event,Bloodymania III, defeatingJimmy Jacobs with Dan Severn as the special guest referee.

In December 2013 at "Amo del Hexagono" in Costa Rica, he made his return by attackingCarlito and challenging him to a match.

In May 2002, Shamrock signed a one-year deal with the newly formedTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion. On the inaugural TNA pay-per-view on June 19, Shamrock won the vacantNWA World Heavyweight Championship in aGauntlet for the Gold match and is recognized as TNA's first ever World Champion. After feuding withMalice for several weeks, Shamrock left TNA shortly after losing the title toRon Killings on August 7.

Shamrock made two appearances forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) between 2003 and 2004. He defeatedTakashi Iizuka at NJPW Ultimate Crush II in May 2003. He then lost toJosh Barnett bydisqualification at NJPW Nexess.^[26]

Shamrock made a special return to NJPW on October 27, 2022, atRumble on 44th Street, escortingClark Connors to the ring for his match againstMinoru Suzuki, in which Suzuki was victorious. After the match, Suzuki and Shamrock stared off, hinting a brawl, however both instead embraced in the ring.^[27]

Shamrock briefly returned to TNA in July 2004. In his return, he only wrestled twice: for the NWA Heavyweight Championship in agauntlet match,^[28] and an eight-manguitar-on-a-pole match.^[29] In both matches, he was unsuccessful in winning. Shamrock then departed TNA again shortly after the latter match.

Shamrock returned to professional wrestling on November 30, 2018, for Battle Championship Wrestling inMelbourne, Australia.^[30] He defeated BCW Tag Team Champion Gabriel Wolfe in a singles match before teaming with Carlo Cannon in an impromptu BCW Tag Team Championship match against Wolfe and Big Cuz, in which Shamrock and Cannon were successful in capturing the BCW tag team titles.^[31] These matches were Shamrock's first since 2009^[32] and his first championship since the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in the summer of 2002. They would go on to hold the titles for nine months to the day losing them to The Preston Kindred (Jonathan Preston & Sean Preston).^[33]

In August 2019, it was announced that Shamrock would be returning to TNA, now known as Impact Wrestling, for the first time since 2004. He returned at the September 5Impact! TV taping inLas Vegas, Nevada, and furthered his feud withMoose that began over social media.^[34] Shamrock faced Moose at the 2019Bound for Glory event in a losing effort.^[35] On the October 29 episode ofImpact!, Shamrock was challenged to a match by Joey Ryan. The following week, Shamrock defeated Ryan, winning his first match since 2002. In February 2020, he was inducted into theImpact Hall of Fame.^[36] On March 17, ICU interrupted Shamrock's interview withJosh Mathews. The mysterious figure threw a fireball into Shamrock's eyes. He took off the mask and it was revealed to beSami Callihan. Callihan would take his phone and the lights would go off and he would disappear. The feud would culminate atRebellion 2020 Night 1 in anUnsanctioned match, where Shamrock submitted Callihan to anankle lock. Ken Shamrock turned heel when he aligned himself with Sami Callihan and attacked Eddie Edwards before leaving the promotion once more.

Shamrock returned for a one-night appearance for Battleground Championship Wrestling in Philadelphia on August 6, 2022, defeatingDavey Boy Smith's sonHarry Smith.

Shamrock had announced that he re-signed with the now-renamed WWE on September 19, 2024 under a Legends Contract during his interview withChris Van Vliet.^{[citation needed]}

The origins of Shamrock's professional fighting career began while working as abouncer incollege and the early years of his professional wrestling career inNorth Carolina. He made money by winningToughman Contests andstreet fights.^[37][38] Shamrock later joined theshoot-style Japanese pro wrestling organizationFujiwara Gumi. On October 4, 1992, at theTokyo Dome, a legitimate match between "Wayne Shamrock" (Shamrock'sring name in Japan) and kickboxerDon Nakaya Nielsen took place.^[13] Shamrock submitted Nielsen in 45 seconds, first threatening him with arear naked choke and then locking aneck crank/keylock combination for the win.^[22] The success of this match made young professional wrestlers Shamrock,Masakatsu Funaki andMinoru Suzuki question what they had been told since entering into predetermined wrestling: that nobody would ever pay to see real matches.^[13] Funaki and Suzuki then founded a group of professional wrestlers and decided to pursue marketable legitimate matches. The two formed the pioneeringmixed martial arts (MMA) promotion calledPancrase, which Shamrock later joined.^[13]

Shamrock made his mixed martial arts debut at Pancrase on September 21. Using professional wrestling rules—no closed fisted punching to the head and breaks on the ropes—but fighting for real without predetermined finishes, Shamrock beat Funaki by arm-triangle choke in the main event of the first Pancrase show on September 21, 1993.^[13] Shamrock considered this a big victory, as it had been the first time he beat Funaki in all his time as Funaki's apprentice,^[6] and the show attracted a sell-out audience of 7,000.^[13]

He followed up with victories overYoshiki Takahashi, Takaku Fuke and Andre Van Den Oetelaar, and was slated to fight co-founder Minoru Suzuki on January 19, 1994. According to Shamrock, he was asked by Pancrase management not to injure Suzuki during the match, as the Japanese was already affected by a back injury.^[39] However, during the match Suzuki refused to release akneebar after Shamrock had grabbed the ropes to escape, which injured the American's leg and forced him to forfeit the fight. The incident angered Shamrock, but there were no consequences.^[39]

His ninth match, againstMatt Hume, would be a controversial one too. The bout was finished by Shamrock performing a professional wrestlingnorthern lights suplex floated over into a Kimura lock and was widely considered to be aworked shoot. When Shamrock was asked about the matter in 1998, he revealed that Hume and him had agreed to work the match in an exhibition format.^[39] Later, in 2015, he would answer to a similar question: "I talked to Matt and I said that we would go in with each other but I wouldn't hurt him. I wouldn't hurt him, because he had been so green. [...] So those were understandings I had with guys because I was so much better than they were. And I'm not going to go in there and abuse these guys."^[39]

He defeated world kickboxing championMaurice Smith andAlex Cook in the opening round of the 16-manKing of Pancrase Tournament and Masakatsu Funaki andManabu Yamada in theSecond round to become the firstKing of Pancrase in December 1994.^[13] With this win, Shamrock became the first ever foreign champion in MMA history in Japan. He then defended his King of Pancrase title againstBas Rutten in 1995, submitting him with akneebar. He lost the title in his next fight against Pancrase co-creator, Minoru Suzuki.^[40][41]

In addition to his MMA bouts in Pancrase, Shamrock also competed in a kickboxing match in 1994 with Dutch championFrank "The Animal" Lobman, who holds a pro record of 110-6 with a 90%KO ratio. The American had only rudimentary striking experience, but he took the fight expecting it to help him to work on proper kickboxing.^[22] Shamrock broke Lobman's nose with a right cross early in the bout but was ultimately defeated byTKO due toleg kicks.

Shamrock eventually had a falling out with Pancrase management in early 1996 and left the company to compete in the UFC full-time. Shamrock left Pancrase with a record of 17–3.^[41]

From there he went to the newly formedUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a fighting tournament that would take place in America.^[42] Although Shamrock initially believed it to be aprofessional wrestling event, he decided to sign up nonetheless,^[43] supported by Pancrase membersMasakatsu Funaki andTakaku Fuke.^[44] The event,UFC 1, was held under a one-night tournament format, but Shamrock only realized it would be real fighting after watchingGerard Gordeau knock outTeila Tuli in the first bout.^[43]

In the first round, Shamrock was pitted againstkickboxing stylistPatrick Smith, who he made short work of by throwing Smith to the mat and submitting him with aheel hook. His next opponent wasBrazilian jiu-jitsu exponent and eventual tournament winnerRoyce Gracie. Shamrocksprawled a takedown and manoeuvred on top of Gracie, but the latter escaped from under hismount attempt and returned to his feet. The Brazilian then pulledguard, so the American grabbed his ankle and sat back to attempt another heel hook. According to Shamrock, however, Gracie had wrapped hisgi around Shamrock's arm, and when the latter sat back, it pulled Gracie on top of him.^[45] With his arm still entangled, the American could not apply his leglock, which Gracie capitalized on to secure a choke with his free hand and submit Shamrock.^[46] While the move is often listed as arear naked choke, Shamrock later stated it to be actually a gi choke, as Royce had wrapped the cloth of his gi around Ken's neck.^[44] The ending of the fight was also controversial, as the referee did not see the tap and ordered the two fighters to continue fighting after Gracie had let go of the hold.^[47] Shamrock paused for a few seconds but declined, admitting to the ref that he tapped out and that it would not be fair for him to continue fighting.^[47]

After the fight, Shamrock admitted that he had underestimated Gracie. In 2008 he said: "I didn't know who Royce Gracie was... When I saw him in his gi, I thought he was somekarate guy [with no grappling skills]."^[48] On the other hand, in 2015 Shamrock said he had watched theGracie Jiu-Jitsu: In Action before the event and showed it to Funaki and the rest: "So one thing led to another, they started to support me on it- they did know that that gi meant a lot- but when they saw it too they thought "Yeah, you'll be able to beat this guy pretty well." And I had confidence, too."^[44] Shamrock ultimately attributed his loss to the fact that he wasn't allowed to wearwrestling shoes during the fight, whereas Gracie had been allowed to wear his gi and choke Shamrock with it. "[Wearing shoes] is a lot of the set ups and the positions for my leglocks- being able to get my knee inside, being able to spin and push off, and being able to secure the leg. You take the shoes off, it's like being on ice on the mat if you've never done it before."^[49]

Shamrock was originally scheduled to compete atUFC 2 but broke his hand after blocking a high kick while sparring with a teammate. He still wanted to compete, but when doctors told him that he might never fight again if he injured his hand any further, he reluctantly withdrew.^[46]

On September 9, 1994, Shamrock returned to the octagon atUFC 3 in an event that was marketed by the UFC as the ultimate rematch between two-time champion Royce Gracie and #1 contender Shamrock.^[50] Shamrock's first fight, now wearing better shoes, was against top ranked judo practitionerChristophe Leininger.^[50] Shamrock's next fight was in the semifinals against kickboxer Felix Mitchell. Shamrock defeated Mitchell with the popularized rear naked choke. With this win, Shamrock advanced to the finals ofUFC 3. However, Shamrock refused to compete in the finals after he learned Gracie had dropped out of the tournament after his win overKimo Leopoldo, combined with a knee injury he suffered during his match with Leininger.

On April 5, 1995, atUFC 5, Shamrock got his rematch with Gracie in a match called "The Superfight," which would determine the UFC Champion. At the time, Gracie had a reputation as being seemingly unbeatable.^[51] Gracie came into the octagon at 190 pounds, while Shamrock cut his weight down to 205 pounds for the bout.^[47] Mere hours before the event, the UFC suddenly instituted a 30-minute time limit, mainly due to pay per view time constraints. Both Gracie and Shamrock were upset at the sudden rule change. Shamrock and Gracie fought for the entire allotted time of 30 minutes along with 5 minutes of overtime before the match was declared a draw. Had there been ringside judges, UFC matchmaker Art Davie believes that Shamrock would have been declared the winner.^[52] Gracie left with a melon sized welt closing his eye, a result of a standing punch due to a sudden change of the rules in which both of the fighters were restarted on their feet. Shamrock was not satisfied with his performance against Gracie, saying "it's certainly not a win. You gain nothing (with a draw)".^[53] Shamrock expressed desire to fight Gracie again for a third time in 1996, saying that if it went to a draw again, he would have Gracie declared the winner and Shamrock would forfeit his UFC Superfight Championship belt to Gracie.^[53]

Shamrock was then matched up withUFC 5 tournament championDan Severn atUFC 6 on July 14, 1995, to determine the reigning champion of the UFC. The "superfight", a match presented as a fight between the "best of the best", was still the match that would determine the UFC champion and the tournament winner would be considered the #1 contender for the newly createdUFC Superfight Championship (later replaced by theUFC Heavyweight Championship when weight categories were introduced to the UFC). Their feud began at the pre-fight press conference. After most of the attention from the media was given to Shamrock, Severn got up and walked out of the door without explanation.^[50] Shamrock took Severn's action as a sign of disrespect. Severn later said that he walked out because he felt that it would be unfair to Shamrock for him to be present in the room while Shamrock was discussing his fight strategy to the media. Shamrock became even more furious when he found a newsletter back at the hotel that explained to readers how Severn was going to destroy Shamrock.^[50] During the match, Shamrock forced Severn to tap out to a choke in 2:14 to win the UFC Superfight Championship.

On September 8, 1995, atUFC 7, Shamrock successfully defended the UFC Superfight Championship againstUFC 6 Tournament Champion "The Russian Bear"Oleg Taktarov. Shamrock stated in his autobiography that he was uncomfortable fighting Taktarov, as Oleg trained with theLion's Den and he did not wish to injure his friend and teammate. InBeyond the Lion's Den, Shamrock states; "In addition to being his friend, I was also trying to get him into Pancrase and if I broke his leg it would be a while before he could recover and he needed the money. I figured my best chance of winning without seriously hurting him was to beat on him with punches... If I could open a cut and get him to start pouring blood, I could get a referee stoppage. It might not have been the best plan going into a fight, but considering the options it seemed like the best option available. And it turned out fine. I battered him around for the duration of the match, the bout was declared a draw and when Oleg recovered he went on to fight in Pancrase."

Shamrock then defended his belt againstKimo Leopoldo atUFC 8 in February 1996 inPuerto Rico. In the bout, Shamrock secured a kneebar, forcing Kimo to submit. With the win, Shamrock defended his UFC Superfight title for the second time.^[54]

Shamrock was then scheduled to face number one contender and rivalDan Severn atUFC 9 in a rematch of their fight atUFC 6, which Shamrock won byguillotine choke in 2:14. Their rematch at UFC 9 was marketed as the "Clash of the Titans 2" and took place in theCobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan, in Severn's home state.

UFC ownerBob Meyrowitz, refereeJohn McCarthy and a team of lawyers were in court until 4:30 p.m. on the day of the fight battling with the District Attorney of Michigan, who was trying to prevent the UFC from holding the event in the state.^[50] An ultimatum was issued: the fight could go on as long as there were no closed fisted strikes to the head and no headbutts.^[50] The UFC, desperate to put the show on, agreed to the terms. Fighters were warned hours before the show that they would be arrested if they punched to the head with a closed fist. When Shamrock learned of the sudden rule change, he made up his mind that he was not going to fight. While training for the match, Shamrock suffered atorn lateral meniscus, a partially tornACL, a broken nose, and cracked ribs.^[55] His injuries, combined with the rule change, meant he did not think he could win the fight because all of his weapons were taken away from him.^[41][50] Shamrock was also fearful that he would be arrested; the troubled boys from his father's foster home would be watching him and he was afraid of setting a bad example.^[56] If Shamrock withdrew, the main event would have been cancelled and the UFC could have suffered substantialmonetary damage. After UFC owner Bob Meyrowitz and other UFC officials pleaded with Shamrock to go on with the show, Shamrock, despite the injuries and new rules, reluctantly gave in to the pressure.^[50]

In a fight that would be called "The Dance in Detroit", both Severn and Shamrock circled each other with little to no contact for a combined total of almost thirty minutes. "I took the center of the ring understanding that I was going to be fighting for my life and Dan never came at me," Shamrock said.^[50] Severn later said that his strategy was purposely not to engage with Shamrock and wait for the fans to boo, hoping that the booing would affect Shamrock psychologically and force him to make a mistake that Severn could capitalize on.^[41] Finally, after over 15 minutes of stalling, Severn shot for a takedown, but was unsuccessful and following a brief scramble, Shamrock put Severn on his back infull mount. Shamrock held the mount for close to five minutes, throwing open fist palm strikes to Severn's head and an occasional closed fist punch to the body. Shamrock felt as though he would have damaged Severn badly and perhaps finished him from this position of full mount had he been allowed to punch Severn in the face with a closed fist. Severn eventually gave his back in an attempt to get out and the risk paid off as Shamrock slid off Severn's back and onto his back in full guard. Severn landed aheadbutt to open a cut above Shamrock's eye and followed with elbow strikes and punches from Shamrock's guard. Shamrock eventually got back to his feet and after six more minutes stalling, the fight went to a judges' decision. The judges gave a split decision win to Dan Severn, which upset Shamrock because he felt as though Severn had broken the rules by utilizing the banned closed fist punches to the head and headbutts. Chants of "boring!" and "Let's goRed Wings!" were echoed throughout the arena during the fight. Shamrock later stated that going through with this fight was the biggest regret of his fighting career.^[57]

After taking time off away from the octagon to heal injuries, Shamrock entered the UFC'sUltimate Ultimate 1996 in December 1996. Shamrock appeared as a guest on the mainstream Americantelevision programLate Night with Conan O'Brien to promote the event.Frank Shamrock served as Ken's head cornerman for the event. Shamrock's opponent in the quarterfinals of the tournament was Judo black belt, kickboxer, andGolden Gloves championBrian Johnston. Shamrock eventually tapped Johnston out with a forearm choke and advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. Shamrock, however, broke the same hand during this fight that kept him out ofUFC 2 and had to withdraw from the tournament. If Ken Shamrock was not injured, he would have faced Tank Abbott in the semifinals and more than likely would have defeated Tank to then go on to the finals of the tournament and face Don Frye. Betting odds had Ken Shamrock as a huge favorite to beat Don Frye in the finals and win the whole one nightUltimate Ultimate 1996 tournament.

AfterUFC 9,United States SenatorJohn McCain was successful in pulling UFCpay-per-view broadcasts from numerous cable systems, includingTCI Cable, which greatly hurt pay-per-view revenue. Combined with money drying out, the need to support his family and being burnt out from fighting, Shamrock left MMA for professional wrestling signing with the World Wrestling Federation.

On January 30, 2000, at thePride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round,Guy Mezger, one of Shamrock's fighters, foughtKazushi Sakuraba, who at the time was considered to be one of the bestpound for pound fighters in the world. Mezger took the fight on two weeks' notice and had a broken foot going into the fight. The contract that Mezger signed stipulated that the fight would be one 15-minute round with no overtime. The fight mostly consisted of Mezger controlling the fight by stopping Sakuraba's takedown attempts while landing strikes from the outside. The round ended and Mezger expected the fight to go to the judges, but Pride officials wanted the fight to go to overtime.

According to Mezger, Pride did not like the outcome of the fight and changed the agreement/contract on the spot in order to give Sakuraba another chance to win the fight.^[58][59] Ken Shamrock, Mezger's corner man, entered the ring and an argument ensued. Mezger was then ordered out of the ring and back to the locker room by Shamrock, who was livid at the decision to extend the fight because of Mezger's foot injury and the fact that he had taken the fight on short notice.

Mezger said, "For some reason, I had a tremendous amount of energy for that 15 minutes, but I started to kind of wilt near the end. Then they called it a draw and I'm like, "What?" Everyone blames Ken for being unprofessional. Really, Ken was protecting his fighter. We had an agreement.^[60] Sakuraba said, "I wanted to go another round, thinking it would be possible to salvage the match, but when it was decided to extend the fight, Ken Shamrock was making scary faces. Later I heard that Mezger's contract was only for a one-round fight. I thought, "Ah, then it couldn't be helped." But Shamrock didn't have to get so angry like that. Seeing Mezger getting scolded by him, I felt sorry for (Mezger)."^[60]

Later that night, the president of Pride FC made a public apology to Mezger at the Tokyo Dome for the miscommunication. Braverman added, "We had a big meeting (with PRIDE). We were able to get some concessions out of them, money and guarantees of future fights. They wanted to make it right. One thing I said in the meeting was, "Do you want me to call Kenny back in here and see what he says?" "No, no, no, no!"^[60]

In early 2000, Shamrock made a comeback to the mixed martial arts scene following his 4-year hiatus in the WWF. Ken Shamrock was supposed to face Josh Barnett at SuperBrawl 16 February 8, 2000, but withdrew due to pay issues, Shamrock was the favorite to win the bout and was replaced by former fellow UFC Superfight Champion Dan Severn, He signed withPride Fighting Championships and defeatedAlexander Otsuka by KO due to punches at thePride Grand Prix 2000 Finals in the superfight, his first fight back from the WWF. During the match Shamrock was able to totally knock out the tough Otsuka, a feat which renowned strikers likeIgor Vovchanchyn andWanderlei Silva failed to do. This was the first ever Pride event to be broadcast live in America^[61] and Pride strategically used Shamrock's drawing power in America by making his Superfight with Otsuka the co-headliner of the event.

On August 27, 2000, Shamrock fought consensus top 10Heavyweight "Ironhead"Kazuyuki Fujita atPride 10 - Return of the Warriors. Shamrock came into the fight with Fujita noticeably smaller than his previous fight with Otsuka, dropping roughly 15 pounds of weight. During the time before the fight, Shamrock was going through a divorce and had to take care of his young kids during the day, which severely cut into his training time for the fight. Despite this, Shamrock dominated Fujita throughout the entire fight, stopping takedowns from the Japanese wrestling champion and landing hard strikes, but eventually had his corner throw in the towel because he felt like he was having a heart attack. He was evaluated after the fight and it was determined that he was suffering fromheart palpitations.^[62]

In March 2001, Shamrock was scheduled to fightIgor Vovchanchyn atPride 13 - Collision Course, but re-injured his neck during training two weeks before the fight, the same serious neck injury that ended his WWF career.

Shamrock engaged in a feud withDon Frye during his career in thePride Fighting Championships, whose background wasDon Frye's trash talking. In 1999,Alicia Webb (also known as Ryan Shamrock) dated Ken Shamrock until early 2003. Frye made comments to the effect that Shamrock cheated on and divorced his wife to date a young girl (Alicia Webb was 19 and Ken Shamrock was 35 when they started dating). Frye also joked that Ken's (at the time) estranged father Bob and brother Frank would be in Frye's corner for the fight. Ken Shamrock was enraged by Frye's trash talk, causing a feud between Shamrock and Frye. Since then, Frye has stated that he only resorted to personal trash talk to make Ken want to fight him. Frye said: "I saw Ken Shamrock whoop him (Dan Severn) at UFC 6 and I thought, "That's a guy I gotta fight. Anybody who can whoop Dan Severn like that has gotta be a man and I want to test my size against his size. I had the chance to talk trash and they gave me the fight; I crossed the line. I wasn't professional about it, but Ken was and after the fight, we shook hands and went our separate ways."^[63]

The feud ended on February 24, 2002, atPride 19, where Shamrock fought Frye in the main event in a match that potentially had PRIDE Heavyweight Championship title implications (PRIDE FC considered giving the winner of this fight a title shot against Pride heavyweight championAntônio Rodrigo Nogueira). Frye got the edge on a series of clinch battles, while Shamrock dropped down for anankle lock and transitioned into both akneebar and atoehold, wrenching Frye's leg badly; however, despite the damage, Frye refused to tap out and managed to knock Shamrock down in a subsequent punching exchange. The bout moved to the mat, where Shamrock attempted another ankle lock, only for Frye to try to counter with one of his own and finally refusing to tap out by sheer will until the time ran out. Frye won the fight via spit decision,^[13][64] and the two hugged after the fight ended, putting an end to their rivalry.

In October 2005, Shamrock lost toKazushi Sakuraba inPride: Fully Loaded by TKO. Three minutes into the bout, Sakuraba struck through Shamrock's guard with a left hand. Shamrock staggered back and ultimately fell into the ropes, his head hanging out of the ring and his back turned to Sakuraba. Sakuraba rushed in to follow up, but before any meaningful offense could be launched, the fight was halted by refereeYuji Shimada. Shamrock got up following the KO and protested vigorously. Opinions were mixed regarding the KO's legitimacy, though Ken's adopted brother and rival,Frank, stated to believe the stoppage was justified.^[65]

A feud between Shamrock'sLion's Den camp andTito Ortiz began to build on January 8, 1999, atUFC 18. After upsetting top UFC fighter and Lion's Den memberJerry Bohlander, Ortiz mimicked shooting at Shamrock and put on a shirt in the octagon which read "I just f**ked your ass".

On March 5, 1999, atUFC 19, after Ortiz won by referee stoppage in his rematch withGuy Mezger, he immediately flipped off the Lion's Den corner and then put on a shirt that said "Gay Mezger is my Bitch". After Shamrock saw the shirt, he yelled into the octagon "Hey Tito, don't let me see you wearing that shirt!". Shamrock leaped onto the top of the cage, screaming at Ortiz and angrily waving his finger in Ortiz's face. RefereeJohn McCarthy picked Ortiz up and carried him across the octagon to prevent the situation from escalating further. The situation was escalated to the point that police and security had to be called in to monitor the situation.

On November 22, 2002, atUFC 40, nearly four years after the confrontation atUFC 19, Shamrock returned to the UFC to fight Ortiz in a title match for theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Shamrock's apparent size advantage did not factor into the fight, however; Shamrock experienced difficulty cutting weight for the first time and cut too much weight, weighing in at 201 lbs, 4 lbs under the 205 lb. limit. Ortiz shed light upon his feelings before the fight in his bookThis is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion; "Ken Shamrock is a real good fighter. I was not intimidated by him, but I guess you can say I was a little bit afraid."^[66]

The match garnered mainstream attention from media outlets such asESPN andUSA Today.^[67] UFC PresidentDana White credited Shamrock for the show's success. White said, "the reason we did so well on UFC 40 was because of Ken Shamrock and the fact that everyone knew who he was."^[68] Shamrock briefly buckled Ortiz to his knees with a punch, however Ortiz would go on to control most of the bout with his wrestling and ground and pound, causing Shamrock's corner to throw in the towel before the fourth round.

After the fight was over, Shamrock revealed that he fought Ortiz with a tornACL. He also seriously contemplated retirement from MMA, citing the fact that he had never lost two fights in a row in his career before and he had a buildup of injuries. In 2003, Shamrock had surgery to repair his ACL. Shamrock has said that since his knee injury, he has had difficulty shooting and taking people down,^[69] which resulted in Shamrock changing his primary style from a wrestler/grappler and moving more towards a standup fighter.

On November 21, 2003, atUFC 45, Royce Gracie and Shamrock became the first inductees to theUFC Hall of Fame. UFC PresidentDana White said, "We feel that no two individuals are more deserving than Royce and Ken to be the charter members. Their contributions to our sport, both inside and outside the Octagon, may never be equaled."^[70]

AtUFC 48 on June 19, 2004, a 40-year-old Shamrock returned to fight the 244 lb (111 kg; 17.4 st)Kimo Leopoldo in a rematch of theUFC 8 Superfight Championship match, which Shamrock had won via submission due to a kneebar. The rematch saw Shamrock once again win, this time by way of KO. Shamrock injured his shoulder during the fight against Kimo. He originally thought it was just "wear and tear", but anMRI revealed a tornrotator cuff. Shamrock then had to have surgery to repair it.^[71]

On April 9, 2005, atThe Ultimate Fighterfinale Shamrock facedRich Franklin. Shamrock applied a heel hook early in the fight that put Franklin on crutches for a week,^[72] but Franklin escaped and defeated Shamrock by a TKO.^[73]

On November 19, 2005, atUFC 56,Dana White, the UFC president, announced that Shamrock would be one of the coaches (along with Tito Ortiz) for the upcoming third season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Shamrock was portrayed badly on the show, feuding with his fighters and often appearing uninterested. Shamrock admitted to doing a poor job with his fighters: "I failed them miserably, completely. So I have to figure out a way to get this...back in the driver's seat", Shamrock said during the show.^[68] Shamrock responded to his critics in an interview: "I trained three fighters that were the first three (UFC) Middleweight Champions:Jerry Bohlander,Guy Mezger andFrank Shamrock. And I've trained dozens of guys to be champs in other organizations. In Pancrase, I had eight fighters in the top ten at one point. I was the champion and (Masakatsu) Funaki was the number one contender. The rest were all Lion's Den fighters. My reputation doesn't have to be spoken for or defended. The UFC and Spike TV did what they thought they needed to do for ratings, but in the end, my fans, my family and my God know exactly who I am."^[75]

On July 8, 2006, atUFC 61, the rematch between Shamrock and Ortiz took place. Shamrock lost the rematch with Ortiz in 1:18 of the first round by a technical knockout. During the match, refereeHerb Dean deemed that Shamrock was no longer able to intelligently defend himself and stopped the fight. Shamrock and the crowd were furious at the early stoppage and Dana White immediately put together a rematch on television.

AtOrtiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter on October 10, 2006, Shamrock was defeated again by Ortiz by KO after referee John McCarthy stopped the fight following multiple undefended fist strikes. Immediately after the fight, Ortiz initially celebrated his victory with a mocking "grave digger" routine and a T-shirt that said, "Punishing Him Into Retirement" after giving him the finger. However, Shamrock approached Ortiz and, after the two talked for several seconds, Shamrock said they could put all of their animosity aside as it was always "just business", shaking hands and burying the hatchet. UFC President Dana White said the day after Shamrock's fight with Ortiz, "Last night was a turning point for the UFC. This will further drive the evolution of mixed martial arts into a mainstream sport."^[76]

Shamrock was rumored to fight Englishman Steve McDonald atUFC 75,^[77] but he was ultimately released from his UFC contract in June 2007. Shamrock stated that the UFC released him solely because of his decision to coach in theInternational Fight League.^[78] Shamrock then engaged in a feud with White in the media and ultimately sued the UFC for breach of contract, citing that he had one fight left on his deal that the UFC had to honor.^[78] Shamrock ultimately lost his suit against the UFC and was ordered by the court to pay Zuffa's attorney fees, totaling $175,000.^[79]

In early 2007, Shamrock became the coach of theNevada Lions for theInternational Fight League (IFL).Roy Nelson, one of Shamrock's fighters, was the reigning IFL Heavyweight Champion when the league was bought out and disbanded.

On March 8 at theCage Rage 25, Shamrock fought Robert Berry, but lost in the first round byTechnical knockout due to punches.^[80] It was announced on August 25 that Shamrock's next opponent would beKimbo Slice atElite XC Saturday Night Fight Special on October 4, 2008. Shamrock, however, was injured before the match and could not compete for at least 45 days.^[81]

Ken Shamrock Productions co-promoted an event with War Gods on February 13, 2009, in which Ken fought in the main event against 6'6, 380 lb. Ross Clifton. Shamrock knocked Clifton down with a right hand and finished him via arm bar from side control in the first round.^[82] Shamrock was then scheduled to fightBobby Lashley, but tested positive for steroids after the Clifton fight and received a one-year suspension. Shamrock's attorney and former manager Rod Donohoo said Shamrock adamantly denied the allegations.

Shamrock facedPedro Rizzo on July 18, 2010, at an event calledImpact Fighting Championships in Sydney, Australia. Shamrock lost by TKO due to leg kicks. His next fight was against Johnathan Ivey for the USA MMA promotion on October 16, 2010. Shamrock earned a unanimous decision against Ivey, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27. He then fought Mike Bourke on November 25, 2010, inDurban,South Africa for theKing of the Cage promotion. Shamrock knocked Bourke down with a punch but was injured shortly after during a scramble and subsequently lost the bout via TKO (injury) in the first round, as he was unable to continue due to a leg injury.^[83]

Shamrock was scheduled to face Antony Rea atWEF 46 on April 22, 2011. Ken withdrew from the fight with Rea due to a staph infection.^[84] Shamrock was also planning on returning to MMA to take onIan Freeman for 'The Legends World Title' on July 27 at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, England.^[85] The fight with Freeman was cancelled due to contractual issues on Shamrock's part.

On January 8, 2015, Shamrock announced that he would fight James Quinn in the United Kingdom in a Bare Knuckle Boxing match. The match was set for April 2015, but never took place.^[86]

On February 27, 2015, duringBellator 134, it was announced that Ken would return to fightKimbo Slice atBellator 138 on June 19, 2015. During the fight, Shamrock had managed to take Slice down twice and the second time establish arear naked choke. Slice refused to tap, however, and eventually wriggled free from the submission and was able catch Shamrock with one of his trademark powerful right hooks resulting in a TKO loss for Shamrock at 2:22 in the first round. The fight was controversial with many believing Kentook a dive.

At Bellator 145, it was announced that Shamrock would face rival Royce Gracie in a trilogy fight on February 19, 2016, atBellator 149, almost 21 years after their most recent fight.^[87] Gracie won the bout via TKO in round one after taking Shamrock down and battering him with hammerfists. Though there was controversy, as replays showed Gracie kneeing Shamrock in the groin before taking him down. On March 11, 2016, it was revealed by Texas Combat Sports commission that Shamrock had failed his pre-fight drug test. His licence to fight was revoked.^[88]

In July, 2019 via his Facebook page, Shamrock, aged 55, announced that he has "no plans to fight again."^[89] However in March, 2023 Shamrock confirmed he was only retired in MMA, not professional wrestling.^[90]

Shamrock has been criticized by some in the MMA media for fighting too far past his prime. Jeremy Botter ofHeavy.com wrote: "Ken Shamrock used to be the baddest man on the planet. In the early days of mixed martial arts, it was tough to find anybody who inspired more fear than Shamrock. His muscled and ripped frame...his intensity was unequaled in the sport at the time, and his bag ofsubmissions made him a very real threat to any opponent he faced during those early years. But those early years were a long time ago, and Shamrock is no longer even a shell of the man he once was."^[91]

After theImpact FC 2 show,Dave Meltzer wrote: "Impact Fighting Championship's pay-per-view show from Sydney was a sad reminder of what the future may hold for many of today's top stars. Ken Shamrock,Carlos Newton,Murilo Bustamante,Pedro Rizzo andJosh Barnett were all at various points either UFC champions or groomed to be top stars. But there they were, on the other side of the world, fighting before quiet, small crowds in an atmosphere that hardly felt like they were part of a booming sport."^[92]

Dana White said in 2008; "Ken Shamrock was in a beef with us over his contract. We thought he retired, he was claiming he didn't and still had one fight. And my attitude was, I'd rather pay Ken Shamrock to not fight. I'd rather pay him to not fight and just say, "stay home, Ken". Ken isway past his prime, it gets to the point where it's dangerous for that guy to still be fighting."^[93] WWE announcerJim Ross said before Shamrock's scheduled fight withBobby Lashley in early 2009; "There was a time that I could see the veteran, 45-year-old Shamrock, a former WWE superstar, schooling the MMA rookie Lashley but that ship has long since sailed. I have great respect for Ken but he's outstayed his welcome in the octagon, cage, whatever and needs to teach and coach and stop fighting...Kenny is fighting for one more pay day while Lashley is fighting to help establish what he hopes will be a long term, lucrative, MMA career."^[94]

In Dan Wetzel's eulogy forKimbo Slice, he described Slice's opponent Shamrock as a "tomato can" in their scheduled October 2008 fight.^[95]

Shamrock's fighting style has varied over the course of his career. During Shamrock's prime, he was known as an explosive grappler with speed, power, agility, and physical strength.^[96][97] Fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz called Shamrock "out of this world strong", and added "I was in awe of his strength, it was definitely something I will not forget."^[98] Bob Shamrock, who ran a troubled boys youth home and eventually adopted Ken as his son, said, "I have had over 900 young men live with me in the past 30 years and I have never seen anyone with (Ken's) athletic ability."^[99] Shamrock learned the art ofshoot wrestling primarily fromMasakatsu Funaki in Japan and used this style during his fights in the 1990s.

In 2000, after Shamrock's three-year absence from MMA while he was participating in professional wrestling with the WWF, Shamrock returned to MMA showcasing a vastly different style of fighting. Shamrock sustained a large amount of injuries during his WWF career, including a serious neck injury and several knee injuries. Shamrock has stated that his knee injuries caused him difficulty in shooting and taking people down,^[69] which caused him to shift his style towards striking and abandon his grappling pedigree.

In July 2019, Shamrock announced he would begin his own bare-knuckle boxing promotion calledValor.^[10] The inaugural bare-knuckle event was held inNew Town, North Dakota, on September 21, 2019, featuring several UFC veterans.^[100]

Shamrock is ofIrish descent.^[101] Shamrock and his adopted brotherFrank Shamrock had an estranged relationship. Ken has claimed that Frank mistreated their foster father Bob, while Frank claims that the reason for the fallout with Ken is due to his feeling that Ken was trying to keep Frank's career from progressing. Frank asserts that he and Ken have never been close and that his attempts to mend their relationship were rejected by Ken.^[102] However, as noted in Frank's 2013Spike TV documentary, "Bound by Blood," Ken and Frank have reconciled. On January 14, 2010, Frank and Ken Shamrock's adoptive father, Bob Shamrock, died due to health complications from diabetes.^[103]

Shamrock has been married twice. His first marriage to Tina Ramirez ended in divorce in early 2004.^{[citation needed]} Together they have four children: Ryan Robert, Connor Kenneth, Sean Garret and one daughter, Fallon Marie. In 2005, Shamrock married a woman named Tonya whom he had known since childhood. He is now the stepfather to her three children. In total, Shamrock has seven children and seventeen grandchildren.^[104][105]

In August 2012, Shamrock was investigated for assault at a mall inModesto, California. According to a report, Shamrock intervened when he saw two people involved in a fight, and when he went to break it up, a female jumped on Shamrock's back and attempted to choke him. Shamrock threw her to the ground, with the force of the impact when she landed knocking her unconscious. Shamrock said he mistook her for a male, and would not have acted so aggressively had he realized she was a woman. No charges were filed as the Modesto police determined Shamrock acted in self defense.^[106]

Shamrock had appeared in numerousvideo games:WCW vs. the World,WWF War Zone,WWF Attitude,WWF WrestleMania 2000,WWF SmackDown!,WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role (Hidden character),WWF No Mercy,UFC: Tapout 2,UFC: Sudden Impact,EA Sports MMA,WWE '13,WWE 2K16 andWWE 2K24.

Shamrock was later the star of a low-budget martial arts film in 1997 calledChampions alongsideDanny Trejo.

Shamrock released his book,Inside The Lion's Den, on March 15, 1998.

In 1999, Shamrock appeared in an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger as a prisoner who was involved in an illegal fighting ring staged by the prison guards and warden.

Shamrock also appeared in episode 15 of the first season ofThat '70s Show as a professional wrestler, alongside fellow WWE wrestlerDwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

As part of the UFC, he appeared as a cage fighter in the 1995 movieVirtuosity, starringDenzel Washington andRussell Crowe.

• George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • George Tragos Award (2020)^[107]
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
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  • UFC Superfight Championship (one time, inaugural)
    • Two successful title defenses
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  • UFC 1 Tournament Semifinalist
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  • UFC Encyclopedia Awards
    • Fight of the Night (Two times) vs.Royce Gracie 1 andTito Ortiz 1^[108][109]
    • Submission of the Night (One time) vs.Dan Severn 1^[110]
  • Longest fight in UFC history (36 minutes) - withRoyce Gracie atUFC 5
  • UFC Viewer's Choice Award^[111]
• Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling
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    • One successful title defense
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• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
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• World MMA Awards
  • 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award^[114]

• Battle Championship Wrestling
  • BCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Carlo Cannon^[115]
• NWA: Total Nonstop Action/Impact Wrestling
  • NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[116]
  • Gauntlet for the Gold (2002 – Heavyweight)^[117]
  • Impact Hall of Fame (2020)^[118]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1997)^[119]
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  • Ranked No. 226 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[121]
• South Atlantic Pro Wrestling
  • SAPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[122]
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• World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)^[124][125]
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – withBig Boss Man^[126]
  • King of the Ring (1998)^[3]
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  • WWE Hall of Fame (2025) – Immortal Moment –RefereeingBret Hart vs.Stone Cold Steve Austin's no disqualification submission match atWrestleMania 13

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