UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock came up short in a bid to sue his former employer for not allowing him to complete the second and final fight of his UFC contract.
In a lawsuit filed back in 2008, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" claimed he made a two-fight deal with the UFC that would allow him a second fight after finishing his trilogy with Tito Ortiz at UFC: The Final Chapter back in October of 2006.
Shamrock had the option of not fighting for a second time if he chose to retire after his final bout with Ortiz (which he did). Then in June of 2007, Shamrock had a change of heart and tried to return to the Octagon for his second fight but the UFC had already moved on, accepting Shamrock's October retirement as the end of their relationship.
The courts seemed to agree.
From UFC.com:
Zuffa, LLC, doing business as the Ultimate Fighting Championship® ("UFC®"), was awarded a legal victory today against former champion, Ken Shamrock. Shamrock, who claimed Zuffa had violated certain contractual provisions of his final fight agreement, was demanding several hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation he claimed was due and owing from the UFC. Following a trial before the Honorable Susan H. Johnson, the Court entered a sixteen page written decision concluding that Ken Shamrock was to "take nothing by way of its Complaint filed April 15, 2008, and judgment is rendered in favor of Zuffa, LLC dba the Ultimate Fighting Championship." Specifically, Judge Johnson ruled that Zuffa (1) did not breach the contract; (2) that the contract should be interpreted in manner advocated by Zuffa; and (3) that, in any event, Shamrock and his attorney/agent Rod Donohoo waived any purported breach by Zuffa.
Perhaps the UFC chose to accept his retirement at face value. Or perhaps Ken Shamrock is no longer a marketable fighter whose diminished skills puts him one fight away from serious injury.
Either way, the courts weren't about to force Zuffa to hand over the boatload of cash the Lion's Den founder was looking for.
Ken Shamrock will never (we think) fight again under the UFC banner -- but that won't stop him from competing. He's booked to face Seth Petruzelli at some point this Spring.
Is this a fight he can actually win? Time will tell.
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