When’s enough, enough?
Mixed martial arts. To think that these days it’s become a sport, a household name, something that some of the world’s best athletes aspire to compete in. The way I remember it back in 1993 was that it was a pretty experimental, barbaric mess that filled me with endless intrigue thanks to the bevy of martial art tournament films that dominated my youth (thanks Jean-Claude Van Damme). When MMA was first spawned stateside it was in the form of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, home today to some of the best fighters in the world. But back then it was a completely different story. The event sported style versus style match ups including boxing, karate, sumo, wrestling, and a little known art by the name of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was introduced to the world by Royce Gracie, son of the great Helio Gracie and arguably the most influential figure in MMA history. He was the first UFC tournament champion and the man who put the martial arts world on notice: if MMA was to continue and flourish into a sport, you better know your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. At some of the earlier UFC events, Gracie went head to head with fellow young upstart Ken Shamrock. The man was a three time King of Pancrase, a Japanese MMA organization Shamrock started with fellow fighters Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki, and an athletic beast with wrestling and grappling skills all his own. Shamrock was as formidable a fighter as any other at the time of the first UFC event back in November 1993. The two martial artist would advance to the semifinals of the one night tournament. Shamrock thought to use his grappling skills on Gracie when he mistook the Brazilian for a karate fighter due to his gi. Shamrock got a rude awakening as Gracie submitted the American by rear naked choke. The two wouldn’t meet again until UFC 5 where they hoped to settle their brewing rivalry. Unfortunately the fight ended in a draw, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of both combatants. Who knew that taste would linger for more than 20 years. Now that a third match between the two is slated for Bellator 149 on February 19, 2016, one has to wonder, why the hell are these two fighting again? Royce Gracie is 49 years old while Ken Shamrock is 51. Both men have so many years in the sport, illustrious careers marred by taking fights past their prime. What exactly pushes them to settle a rivalry from twenty years ago? There is nothing at stake but bragging rights, which in the current climate of MMA doesn’t mean all that much. Both men have established themselves as pioneers of the sport. There’s little reason to this contest between two individuals who have seen and done it all. The warrior’s spirit sometimes never dies, but when it fails to, maybe it’s a good idea to put it to sleep. I admire both guys for their drive and courage to step into the cage when they’d just as likely to be kicking their feet up on a sandy beach on vacation or retirement. Something very special has to be driving these men to do battle once more, but is it something we as MMA fans should condone? Though Gracie hasn’t received near as many devastating blows through his career, Shamrock has and to allow him to potentially continue to take punishment is a bit much. These two are grown men of course, with the ability to make their own choices, come to their own conclusions. But sometimes you have to be man enough to hang it up and let go of past glory in the hopes of seeing a fruitful future, a future where they can still speak and communicate with their loved ones, where they can pic their grand kids up without falling apart. Whatever the end result is, it’s not as if my opinion will make the difference, but it’s just a thought. Do you think Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock should still be fighting? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter.
