Ken and Frank Shamrock have been two of the most notable names in UFC history. Each of them found their own unique success in the promotion and became legends in the MMA world. Ken Shamrock competed in several tournaments and was the inaugural UFC Super-fight Champion. He holds the record for the longest match in UFC history with Royce Gracie at UFC 5. On the other hand, Frank Shamrock was undefeated in the UFC, holding the Light Heavyweight Championship and setting the record for the fastest submission in this division. But still, there are many things about the Shamrock brothers that people are unaware of.
10. They are adoptive brothers
Many MMA fans believe that the Shamrock brothers are related by blood, but this is not true. Ken had a tumultuous childhood that included running away, being stabbed and living in cars, but he eventually ended up in a foster home. Bob Shamrock officially adopted Ken and he became a Shamrock. Frank had a similar journey until he was adopted by Bob. He often found himself on the wrong side of the law before he was finally adopted.
9. The brothers had rough relationship for years
Both of them have had a very stable relationship recently, but both of them haven’t been close in decades. In fact, the word stable can be a stretch because it seems like the Shamrock brothers just tolerate each other and try not to fight at every possible moment. Frank claims that his issues come from what he believes is Ken trying to stop Frank from moving forward in his career.
8. Ken was the first Foreigner to become a champion in Japan
Ken Shamrock has a lot of feats that have gone under the radar, but that doesn’t mean that they are not impressive. Nowadays, we see many foreign stars excelling in different countries in different sports, but it wasn’t an easy thing during the early stages of Ken’s career. He defeated many high-caliber fighters in the King of Pancrase tournament and became the MMA Champion in Japan. This is an amazing feat that shows how skilled and exceptional Ken was during his peak.
7. Frank did color commentary for various promotions
Some fighters have difficulty finding out what they want to do after fighting for most of their career, but Frank had few ideas. He tried many different career paths, from acting to various forms of advocacy, but a lot of companies were interested in his commentary. Frank Shamrock ended up doing color commentary for several promotions, such as Bellator, Glory, Showtime, and more. Having someone as skilled as Frank on commentary was a great idea.
6. Ken was TNA’s first Heavyweight champion
There are very few UFC fans who care about wrestling. Ken being an inaugural champion in a completely different field than MMA shows his excellence. He won the NWA World Championship of TNA. It’s a big deal to have someone headline a new promotion for the first time and Ken was a great choice to generate some buzz. Although he stayed with the company for a few months during his first contract, Ken put in a lot of work feuding with the likes of Malice and going up against the fans favorite Ron Killings.
5. Frank retired as an Undefeated champion from UFC
It’s hard enough to remain undefeated in the UFC, but it’s a completely different thing to retire as an undefeated champion. When Frank entered the UFC, not many people expected him to defeat an unbeaten gold-medal Olympian, but he did so in just 16 seconds. He defeated Kevin Jackson via submission and won the inaugural UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. In his next five UFC bouts, Frank managed to win in dominant fashion each time. Unfortunately, he ended one man’s career with a dangerous slam.
4. Ken promotes Bare-Knuckle fighting
For fighters who are interested in the business side of combat sports and MMA, the best post-fight career option is promotion. Promoting a new business is one of the most difficult tasks for any person, but with the rise in popularity of bare-knuckle boxing, Ken has hit on the right game.
3. Frank was once scouted for ECW
While Ken was the family’s wrestling icon, Frank still had a strong interest in getting into professional wrestling. Both brothers were equally dangerous, but Paul Heyman seemed eager to sign Frank for some appearances in ECW. However, the offer was declined by Frank and MMA fans who enjoy wrestling from more extreme eras likely felt deprived of some of the brutal matches. Seeing a fighter like Frank go head-on with the likes of Taz or Tommy Dreamer could have given some of the most entertaining matches.
2. Ken trained Frank originally
Ken and Frank are both legends in the MMA world, but UFC fans may be surprised to know that Ken was the man who originally trained Frank. MMA fans can probably dream of seeing the two brothers compete at their peak, but both of them were shaped by working with each other. Ken trained Frank in catch wrestling. As Frank’s passion for fighting grew, he decided to train and officially join Ken’s school.
1. Frank once saved a sports announcer’s life
MMA fans have their own personal opinions on the Shamrock brothers, but no one can deny that Frank Shamrock is a real hero. Sports announcer and commentator Mauro Ranallo revealed that once he was choking and that time his life was saved by Frank when he jumped in to perform the Heimlich maneuver. MMA enthusiasts often forget that fighters have a lighter and heroic side, and this story is a perfect example of this fact.
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