5 ways Ken Shamrock impacted MMA
When looking back at the history of both the UFC and MMA as a whole, it's hard to overlook Ken Shamrock's contributions. 'The World's Most Dangerous Man' not only contributed inside the cage, but made a significant contribution outside of it as well.
Shamrock made his UFC debut at the promotion's first event. He entered the tournament and made quick work of Patrick Smith, defeating him by submission. In the next round, Shamrock lost to eventual tournament winner Royce Gracie, whose submission skills were far superior.
In 2003, Shamrock made history when he, along with Gracie, were inaugural inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame. Shamrock's career began in the Japanese-based promotion Pancrase in 1993 and ended in Bellator MMA.
During the early years of the sport, Shamrock was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. In addition, Shamrock had a lasting impact on the UFC and MMA as a whole. This list will look at 5 ways UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock impacted MMA.
#5. Ken Shamrock established the first MMA team
Kicking off this list is Ken Shamrock's establishment of The Lion's Den which became the first MMA team. Long before teams like American Top Team, AKA, and Jackson Wink burst on the scene, there weren't any true MMA teams. Instead, there were gyms that focused on one discipline such as kickboxing, boxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That all changed when Shamrock created The Lion's Den and set a blueprint for success.
In 1994, @ShamrockKen assembled The Lion's Den.
#UFC25Years In Short | | Streaming NOW on UFC Fight Pass https://t.co/FFPFJN37eP
Shamrock created The Lion's Den as a way to train with like-minded fighters to best prepare for upcoming fights. After testing the will power of each hopeful, the remaining fighters were officially made members of The Lion's Den. The tryouts consisted of a series of workouts and a fighting portion that forced all of the athletes involved to be resilient.
THE LION’S DEN: The Story of the First Mixed Martial Arts Team
👉 bit.ly/2Nr3VHG
In 1994, I assembled the first ever #MMA team & showed that success in the ultimate individual sport was a team effort. #KenShamrock #UFC #LionsDen #Fighter #History https://t.co/C316JbmdrN
The Lion's Den demanded nothing less than one hundred percent in every training session. The mentality was that if somebody could make it through a rigorous tryout, they possess the ability to become champions.