Ken needs to retire. If he's working fights like many suspect, he needs to stop and leave the sport on principle. If his recent results are not works, he clearly does not belong in the big leagues anymore and fighting in B-level shows is below him. Ken is my favorite fighter, but his career is over. It's time to start his career as a commentator or a promoter. Sad day, IMO.
I've always wondered how Ken could be anyone's favorite fighter. He is the most boring, arrogant, excuse making trash talker in the sport. And he's not good and never has been.
I doubt this fight was a work sounds like he got caught froze up turned his back and ate a couple of punches.
I've read on several websites that it was a major premature stoppage.Even so bad that Ken started laughing cause he couldn't believe it.
Sad to say, but IMO churrle is right. Time for Ken to move on.
sakuraba OWNED ken ...
end of story.
lol @ the work callers.. early stoppage, MAYBE... but so was Chonan/Hendo, Jens/Taisho etc. etc.
Ken threw some hard combos.. lol @ work.
the stoppage wasn't nearly as bad as people are making it out to be. ken turned his back, went to a knee and stuck his head through the ropes and ate a couple more punches. a little early, yea, but ken had pretty much given up at that point.
Sham, Frye, Severn, Coleman...
All guys who have pro-wrestled who have disgraced MMA
another contender for retard post of the year. Well done
I agree with Goku. Shammy lost his mystique when Tito elbowed him into a bloody mess.
early stoppage yes. ken could have went another 20 minutes
hell he could have fough another fight
b.s. Pride ref was told the first chance you get to stop the fight in favor of the jap sakarabe DO IT. Thats what the ref was told and did.
Who up here has actually seen the fight?
I only saw the ending, but the stoppage looked very legit to me.
Ken turned his back and stuck his head through the ropes. I don't know if that was intentional to buy time, but it didn't look like it to me, and it shouldn't matter either way.
Sak caught him.
Why does everyone cry work..I've watched the ending and it may have been stopped a little bit early but it did meet the criteria for a legit stoppage..Without being a hater what has Ken done other that pancrase that justifies him as a great unstopable fighter..just wondering..he had a very unimpressive ufc run.. and has been very look warm as of late.Why can people not fathom that he could lose to sak.
sak hAs pro wrestled!
That fight was no work. Only Shammys jockriders think so. Its an convinient excuse when ones old favourite gets beat up though...
BTW: Hadnt the ref stopped the fight Shammy would still got CTFO when on his knees like a cheap hooker...
It might have been an early stoppage, but it was clearly not a work. If it was, Ken would have laid down and feigned that he was out from the punch instead of standing up and denying it.
dont turn your back and stick your head through the ropes if you dont want the ref to stop it...he got hit fair and square and knocked down.
i agree, Ken needs to retire and concentrate on training others
let me make this clear: I LOVE sakuraba and HATE ken, but even I will admit that fight needed to go on for at least 5-10 more seconds. In stopping it so early sak was robbed of a legitimate win. Ken is one of those guys who will admit when he lost, but an ending like that sucks for one of our sport's legends.
4 l8rs