SOUTHAVEN, Miss., Feb. 10 Frank Shamrock (Pictures) fancies himself the best middleweight in mixed martial arts history. The rest of us were supposed to have the veil of uncertainty lifted from our eyes tonight when the former UFC champion dismantled veteran Renzo Gracie (Pictures).
Afterwards, Shamrock suggested that Renzo had somehow lost the will to compete, seemingly forgetting the fact that he had been controlled during their round and a half in the cage.
The battle of last names was intended to be the culmination of an important night, as Showtime jumped headfirst into MMA during a period in which ink cant dry fast enough in the sports history book.
What unfolded, however, was an ugly attempt by Shamrock (21-8-1) to explain away his first loss in almost 10 years.
With Gracie controlling from the side, Shamrock, who earlier in the fight had been warned for rabbit punches, fired a short knee to the head a foul under todays widely used North American MMA rules.
As if to hammer home the point, both figuratively and literally, Shamrock again delivered a knee that forced referee Herb Dean (Pictures) to intercede on the Brazilians behalf.
He held my head to set up for the knee, Gracie said at 4 a.m. after being discharged from Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto. He knew that I was dominating him and he wanted a way out.
Gracie was in fact control of the bout. Whether Shamrocks knees came as a response is impossible to say.
Clearly Renzo and his camp have their theory. And Shamrock wasnt shy with thoughts regarding Gracie, the head coach of the International Fight Leagues New York Pitbulls, and his inability to continue.
Listening to his breath and hearing the way he was grunting when I was hitting him, he was ready to give up and he was ready to get knocked out, Shamrock, 34, said in his locker room after the fight. I was telling him I was going to knock him out. He was about 30 seconds away from going to sleep, and I think this is my personal opinion I have a lot of respect for Renzo: he took the easy way out.
The easy way out? For a man that once had his arm snapped in two by Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) but refused to tap never mind scream or wince?
How was I on the verge of going out? a puzzled Gracie asked. If I could knee from where I was that fight was over in 10 seconds. I had all the control. I could throw knees as much as I want, and I didnt because I obeyed the rules.
Gracie, who weighed 180 pounds on Friday, made the Adonis-looking Shamrock look bad in the opening five-minute frame in front of a purported 7,200 spectators inside the DeSoto Civic Center and an unknown number watching at home. Twice the respected New Yorker put Shamrock on the canvas. It was an impressive display, one even Gracies most ardent supporters had to think was unrealistic heading into the contest.
Shamrock and Gracie are throwbacks to a different time, when the discussion of rules centered on the lack thereof not their application. The fact of the matter is that in todays MMA world Shamrocks blows were blatantly illegal regardless if he acknowledges that or not.
There was no dirtiness to that move, said chairman of the Mississippi Athletic Commission, John Lewis (Pictures). It was a fair call. Its going to go on his record as a DQ loss, of course. It was one you start to question, but when you look at the video that was a blow that cannot take place in this game which disabled Mr. Gracie to where he couldn't continue.
Gracie rolled off Shamrock after the second knee, which replays confirmed had connected to Renzos head, though admittedly not with an incredible amount of force.
Twice Gracie failed to stand and he remained on the canvas under the supervision of Dean and ringside medical staff. Shamrock brazenly paced around the cage, jawing with fans, the Showtime broadcast team and Gracies corner.
I thought we was fighting, Shamrock was overheard to say. For those who missed it the first time, he happily repeated that sentiment during a post-fight interview with Jay Glazer, as well as for the media backstage several minutes later.
Beyond ridiculous was Shamrocks assertion that he was unfamiliar with rules outlawing knees or kicks to the head of a downed fighter.
The veteran backtracked in his dressing room.
I was just blowing hot air, Shamrock said of the comments. It just seemed so ridiculous to me that it went down like that. I mean, come on, Ive fought monsters and had my head bashed around and twisted around. I know what it is when you take a really hard shot and what its like to be near unconsciousness and that wasnt it.
Gracie (13-6-1, 1 NC) finally regained his footing and was helped out of the cage. Upon moving backstage, he said he fell ill and began vomiting an obvious symptom of a serious concussion.
I didnt intend to knee him, Shamrock swore. I was just throwing knees. He was just holding and hugging me. I never break the rules. Im a clean fighter, you know that. Ive never been disqualified. Ive never broken a rule. I live by the rules. But I was fighting and he was holding me and hugging me. I had my feet elevated on the cage and I couldnt see where my knees were going. I was just trying to make space and make him tired.
Perhaps Shamrock would have been better served by fending off takedown attempts instead of so easily acquiescing. It was obvious that when the fight played out on the feet the former UFC champ had a distinct advantage. But that didnt matter so much because Gracie seemed capable of putting the fight where he wanted, when he wanted.
To be honest it was an easy fight, Renzo said. I couldnt believe how easy it was. The fight was mine all the way. I couldnt believe that it turned out this bad. I think it was him trying to find a way out. Thats the only explanation I have.
After taking early warning for illegal punches to the back of Gracies head, the referee could not ignore Shamrocks outlawed knees and he moved in to deduct a point.
With Gracie in bad shape, he was given five minute to recover.
If it had been me, I would have Super Glued my face together and gotten back in there and fought, Shamrock said. On this night, however, Gracie was, depending upon whom you listen to, unable or unwilling and considering his history one would think it was the former.
Its anti-climactic, said EliteXC promoter Gary Shaw, who waited in the lobby as Gracie returned from the hospital. [Fans] came to see Shamrock and Gracie, and hopefully a knockout or submission. It just wasnt that type of night. But Im proud of this card.
I definitely want to fight him again, the 39-year-old Gracie said of Shamrock. I hope he has better training and is better prepared technically, because it was a walk in the park. I couldnt believe how easy it was.