Definitely not the best fight but one of the most important fights in MMA history.
Kevin Jackson was considered one of the most elite athletes on the planet at the time. A four time all american, 1992 freestyle wrestling gold medalist, 2x world champion and 2x gold medal pan-am champ. He was considered the best wrestler in the world at the time.
It took Frank 14 seconds to prove that mixed martial artists can contend with olympic caliber athletes. This also helped move MMA from "human cock fighting" into a legitimate sport.
Agree?
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2pydc_frank-shamrock-vs-kevin-jackson_sport
blue name help with video. thanks
Was an eye opener for me.
Agreed SCTom!
TTT
Edit: confused Bohlander's fight with Shamrock's. Oops.
Frank Shamrock a true legend and pioneer of MMA that the UFC fails to recognize and noobs will never know about.
Rickson's Aura - Frank Shamrock a true legend and pioneer of MMA that the UFC fails to recognize and noobs will never know about.
But the TUF n00bs say Jackson wasn't any good!
In all seriousness, this was a titanic win for Shamrock and submission fighting. A terrific upset and a terrific performance. I think this was Frank's last fight with the Lions Den, too, wasn't it?
Frank gave excellent wrestlers like Kevin Jackson and Dan Henderson a lesson in submissions and he gave the much bigger and stronger Tito Ortiz a lesson in technique and cardio. On top of all that, he could work the mic like nobody else and is one of the rare fighters to draw outside the UFC/Pride.
ECW had been trying to recruit him for a while after his UFC title run and I'm sure if he did a pro wrestling stint and came back, he would have been an even bigger draw.
I remember rewinding my bootleg VHS tape of that armbar and watching the submission like 20 times in a row. Frank Shamrock was definitely "THE" man in those days.
frank was the man in those days. mofo started training at 22 with no priorwrestling or even tma. badass.
it sucks hearing him get so disrespected online so often.
Yep, Frank was the machine.
cincibill - Yep, Frank was the machine.
So much so that he tore his body up horribly :( It really does suck that the UFC purposefully excludes anything to do with him from their history. Seems most fans today know nothing about him aside from his losses to Diaz and Le.
Frank was definitely the man. Anybody know what happened to his academy?
Such a shame be chose to sit out the majority of his prime.
Fought Elvis in 2000 and then had a couple of nothing matches in 03 (Brian Pardoe) and 06 (Cesar Gracie) before finally returning full time in 2007, only to be DQd vs Renzo Gracie.
Thats basically 7 years away from top competition, the length of an entire career for many fighters.
Rickson's Aura - Frank gave excellent wrestlers like Kevin Jackson and Dan Henderson a lesson in submissions and he gave the much bigger and stronger Tito Ortiz a lesson in technique and cardio. On top of all that, he could work the mic like nobody else and is one of the rare fighters to draw outside the UFC/Pride.
ECW had been trying to recruit him for a while after his UFC title run and I'm sure if he did a pro wrestling stint and came back, he would have been an even bigger draw.
Really? Never heard that.
Bobby Lupo - It was amazing, then beating Zinoviev who was really dangerous just as quickly says a lot about how great Frank was.
Zinoviev was one of the most well rounded fighters in the sport at the time. Good kickboxing & Sambo. And Frank retired him in 24 seconds. Anyone that thinks Rampage's powerbomb on Arona is the greatest slam ever is crazy.
William Colosimo -cluster - Controversial finish though that tarnishes it.
Doubtful it would have ended any differently if it had been allowed to continue, but all the same....
wtf fight did you watch? there was no controversial finish. Jackson tapped. He didnt deny it. what more do you want?
hes probably confusing the Bolander fight with this one.
I also believe this was Jackson's first loss. He did have two draws before this I think.
I have never done this before but I think I will ttt my own thread.
ttt
Frank even said in the prefight interview that he was going to submit Jackson. Jackson said he was "intrigued" I believe.