MMA legend Ken Shamrock forays into bare-knuckle boxing

MANILA, Philippines – After nearly 5 years since he was last seen in action, mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Ken Shamrock announced his next move in his prizefighting career by venturing into bare-knuckle boxing.

The 50-year-old Shamrock publicly disclosed his foray into the underground sport on Thursday, January 8 (PH Time) and is booked to take on veteran brawler James Quinn McDonagh.

“Shamrock knows that bare-knuckle boxing is a sport with great potential to grow well beyond where the sport is today. His involvement in this sport is to show support and help its success,” a press release read on Shamrock’s official website. 

However, no other details of the fight were released, including an exact date and venue, but the statement contended that Shamrock is in great shape to compete.

“Shamrock is in great health and feels invigorated by this opportunity to continue to compete and to continue giving back to his fans. Shamrock is going back to his roots as a fighter. Knowing his body well, Shamrock knows that his decision to re-enter the ring for the love of this sport is a sound decision,” the announcement wrote.

Shamrock (28-15-2) spearheaded his MMA run prior to the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event, fighting three times under the banner of the Japanese organization Pancrase.

The 6-foot-1 MMA pioneer emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining over 15 fight cards in the UFC and the now-defunct promotion PRIDE during the course of his prime and setting numerous pay-per-view records with his drawing power.

In July 1995, “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” captured the first UFC super-fight championship belt by submitting Dan Severn with a guillotine choke.

Shamrock was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame along with Royce Gracie in November 2003, but he still made sporadic appearances in various minor MMA leagues such as Cage Rage, Impact FC and King of the Cage, to name a few.

Stretching his MMA stint for more than 17 years, Shamrock had his final match in November 2010 when he faced super heavyweight Mike Bourke in a losing effort.

While he has spent almost five years on the sidelines, Shamrock’s camp remains optimistic that there are still great moments to come.

“With all his accomplishments in fighting, Shamrock is not done. Fighting is in his blood, and he still has the fire to do what he has always been passionate about,” the media statement said.

On the other hand, McDonagh has well-documented footages of his unsanctioned bouts on YouTube, similar to the pre-UFC days of Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson.

In the video below, the Englishman takes part in a scuffle where he is supposed to either knock out his opponent or pummel him until he waves the white flag.

– Rappler.com