he Lion's Den was highly successful for many years and was widely regarded as one of, if not the best, mixed martial arts schools in the world throughout the late 1990's and into 2000. Fighters such as Guy Mezger, Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, and Jerry Bohlander all became UFC Champions. Mikey Burnett came very close to winning the UFC Welterweight Championship, losing a controversial split decision to Pat Miletich at UFC Brazil. Guy Mezger was consistently ranked in the top 10 as a Light Heavyweight during his time with the UFC and PRIDE, and was ranked as high as the #6 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world in 2001, behind such notable names as Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, and Vitor Belfort.[4] The Lion's Den was also dominant in the King of the Cage promotion in the early 2000s, which at the time was a upper echelon MMA promotion. Vernon White and Joe Hurley both achieved championship gold in KOTC.
It was fighters who had roots in the Lion's Den that were the original champions in three of the UFC’s first four weight divisions.[5] Ken Shamrock was the original UFC superfight champion in 1995, beating Dan Severn, which became the UFC heavyweight championship.[5] Frank Shamrock was the first UFC middleweight champion in 1997, beating Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Kevin Jackson, which is now the UFC light heavyweight championship.[5] Jens Pulver, who trained briefly at the Lion's Den in 1999 before joining Bob Shamrock's "Shamrock 2000" MMA gym and then moving on to MFS, beat Caol Uno to become the first UFC bantamweight champion in 2001, which is now the UFC lightweight championship.[5] Mikey Burnett lost a close split decision to Pat Miletich for the creation of the UFC lightweight championship in 1999, which is today’s welterweight title.[5]
Other fighters, such as Tra Telligman and Pete Williams, earned the respect of the MMA world by defeating giants of the sport in upset fashion. Telligman defeated one of Pride's best fighters, Igor Vovchanchyn, at Pride 13 in a stunning upset. After this victory, Tra was ranked as the #10 Heavyweight fighter in the world in MMA.[6] Williams knocked out former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman with a high kick to the head in overtime at UFC 17, and eventually earned a UFC Heavyweight Championship title shot. Pete Williams was also ranked as high as the #6 Heavyweight fighter in the world as of May 2000.[7] The Lion's Den was also successful in the Pancrase organization. Ken Shamrock and Guy Mezger became King of Pancrase multiple times, and Frank Shamrock won the interim King of Pancrase title.
Lions Den lost in time. Sad but true. Just faded away. I used to like Pete Williams don't really kno y but I really liked him. 
How could anybody forget the Lion's Den? They were a HUGE deal back in the day. The original Lions Den team was one of the greatest fight teams in the history of the sport in my opinion.
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train track pics in 3, 2, 1.....
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Dust in the wind?
LOL.. who cares?
AMC, Hammer House, MFS, RAW, and even Team Quest, not to mention Chute Box and Brazillian Top Team, have all evolved and absorbed into somthing else these days.
The Idea of being loyal to one camp for years at a time, has given way to cross training among camps, and also bringing other elements, such as Sport Science, into the mix.
BUT..
The Lions Den was THE first "world-class" MMA school in the USA. That is a big deal!
Also, the FACT that most of Ken's top students started with either NO training, or TMA training, and still went on to be some of the toughest and most respected fighters of their times.. is also very impressive!
This is part of the reason why Ken Shamrock's influence on MMA runs so deep, and is often so underrated.
The Lions Den set the standard of MMA training in the USA.
Remember Jerry Bohlander vs. Scott Ferrozo?.....
Sure,today lots of smaller fighters could take a big tough guy, (who descisioned Tank), like that..
But for a kid like Bohlander to train for about a year, and then step into the Octogon, in those days, against a big bruiser like Ferrozo.. and make the bigger man tap??!! ...
.. That was impressive!
Sure, Royce beat bigger, and stronger, and better guys than Ferrozo.. But Royce was training BJJ his whole life. BJJ was his life.
Jerry was a "newb" to any kind of grappling, or real fighting.. and the stuff Ken Shamrock tought him worked, in a cage, in the big show, against a truly scary man!
This fight, and many other Lions Den fights, show just how far ahead of the times Ken Shamrock really was. Both as a fighter, and a teacher.
VERY MUCH RESPECT TO THE ORIGINAL LIONS DEN.. TOUGH MOTHERFUCKERS!!!
Vernon White
Tre Telligman
Mikey Burnette
Jerry Bohlander
Pete Williams
Guy Mezger
Frank Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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All due respect to the great Jerry Bohlander, but you can't take a guy that wrestled for years, give him a year of MMA training, and then claim he just trained for 1 year.
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GladiatorGannon - All due respect to the great Jerry Bohlander, but you can't take a guy that wrestled for years, give him a year of MMA training, and then claim he just trained for 1 year.
OK.. fair enough on that point.
But Bohlander didnt use wrestling to beat the MUCH bigger Ferrozo..
He used a guillotine choke, He used submissions. He used Ken's training, and Ken's system.
If he had only had his wrestling experience to use.. he would not have won this fight.
Ken taught these guys ways to beat any man on the planet.
This was real MMA, before MMA was popular.
Sure, the Gracies, (among others), were doing this in Brazil for a long time..
But Ken was the FIRST, REAL, MMA fighter and teacher for the USA.
The Lions Den is a HUGE part of MMA history!
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I think Mikey Burnett is one of the most underrated fighters ever. (does he still post here?)
He had lightning quick hands, excellent takedown defense, incredible powerlifting strength and good submission skills. He was an incredible athlete who was armed with very, very good mixed martial arts skills. I thought it was BS that he lost that decision to Pat. Had he won the decision and became the first UFC lightweight champion I think this new generation of TUFers would recognize him for how good he used to be.
GladiatorGannon - All due respect to the great Jerry Bohlander, but you can't take a guy that wrestled for years, give him a year of MMA training, and then claim he just trained for 1 year.
Besides.. that was just one example.
"The Lions Den is a HUGE part of MMA history!
You have ignored this user.
"
Definitely true!
Funaki Masakatsu - I think Mikey Burnett is one of the most underrated fighters ever. (does he still post here?)
He had lightning quick hands, excellent takedown defense, incredible powerlifting strength and good submission skills. He was an incredible athlete who was armed with very, very good mixed martial arts skills. I thought it was BS that he lost that decision to Pat. Had he won the decision and became the first UFC lightweight champion I think this new generation of TUFers would recognize him for how good he used to be.
Yup..
He was so strong!!
Good posts, and good grasp of MMA history, Funaki Masakatsu.
This is a great thread..
I hope to see it continue on because there are lots of great fights, stories, and debates, surrounding The Lions Den.
TTT for Ken Shamrock's Lions Den!
The first great MMA team.
Who gave us the greatest team photo in MMA history that will never be topped.
ttt
Who remembers Shamrock 2000?
FWIW) Jens Pulver,Nick & Nate Diaz were part of Lion`s Den/Shamrock 2000 before Jens moved onto MFS & Nick & Nate moved over to Cesar Gracie.
Funaki Masakatsu - I think Mikey Burnett is one of the most underrated fighters ever. (does he still post here?)
He had lightning quick hands, excellent takedown defense, incredible powerlifting strength and good submission skills. He was an incredible athlete who was armed with very, very good mixed martial arts skills. I thought it was BS that he lost that decision to Pat. Had he won the decision and became the first UFC lightweight champion I think this new generation of TUFers would recognize him for how good he used to be.
From one of the old interviews I remember reading, Frank Shamrock had a high opinion of him as a fighter.
Any one have any more Lions Den photo's?