Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock

Kenneth Shamrock (born Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick; February 11, 1964) is an American semi retired mixed martial artist, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer, and professional wrestler. He emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of mixed martial arts, headlining over 15 main events and co-main events in the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships during the course of his career and set numerous pay-per-view records. Shamrock is widely considered to be a legendary figure and icon in the sport of mixed martial arts. In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named The World's Most Dangerous Man by ABC News in a special called "The World's Most Dangerous Things". The moniker has stuck as his nickname. Shamrock became known early on in the UFC for his rivalry with Royce Gracie. After fighting to a draw with Gracie in the inaugural UFC 'Superfight', he became the first UFC Superfight Champion when he defeated Dan Severn at UFC 6; the title was eventually replaced by the UFC Heavyweight Championship when weight categories were introduced to the UFC. He was also the first foreign MMA Champion in Japan, winning the title of King of Pancrase. During his reign as the UFC Superfight Champion, he was widely considered the #1 mixed martial artist in the world. Shamrock was ranked by Inside MMA as one of the top 10 greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time in 2008. He is the founder of the Lion's Den mixed martial arts training camp, and is also the older adopted brother of Frank Shamrock. In addition to his mixed martial arts career, Shamrock enjoyed considerable success in professional wrestling, particularly during his tenures with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now Impact). In the WWF, he is a one-time Intercontinental Champion, a one-time World Tag Team Champion and the 1998 King of the Ring. In TNA, Shamrock is a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and a 2002 Gauntlet for the Gold winner. He headlined multiple pay-per-view events in both promotions, including 1997's D-Generation X: In Your House, where he challenged for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. WWE has credited Shamrock with popularizing the ankle lock submission hold.

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