Longtime fans of mixed martial arts (MMA) will have seen or know the name Ken Shamrock, a pioneer of the sport and one of the original fighters in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
But a new documentary aims to shed a little more light on "The World's Most Dangerous Man" and his thoughts about the twilight of his career. Set to air exclusively online June 18, it is no coincidence the film will air a day before the 51-year-old steps into the cage with former street fighting pugilist Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (more on that here).
Although Shamrock fans will have to wait until then to watch the documentary, WP Films and director Darren Wilson offers a sneak peak on YouTube into the mind of "Shammy" who seems to reveal a dark, inner battle:
"It feels like I'm fighting not to fail. You know when you go into quicksand and the harder you fight the more you sink? The harder I fought the less it seemed like nothing was working. And I just kept fighting and fighting and it's like... you get frustrated at times because no matter how hard you fight you can't get anywhere. The thing that you see in the mirror, whether you win or you lose or whatever, is disappointment. You look at yourself right in the mirror and you look at it and you're disappointed, you're depressed. That's the same person that you're fighting in the ring, is that disappointment. That thing that you're trying to overcome so much, that thing that you're trying to crush and smash out is that person that you are. Because you're afraid of people finding out who you are."
Fight fans can watch the worldwide premiere of the documentary on June 18 by purchasing a ticket for $7.99 at thegreatestfight.com.
Shamrock, who has a 28-15-2 professional MMA record, hasn't competed since Nov. 25, 2010 when he suffered a technical knockout loss to Mike Bourke when he injured his hamstring two minutes into the first round.
Perhaps most famous for his battles against legendary grappler Royce Gracie at UFC 1 and UFC 5, The King of Pancrase Champion will test his mettle against Kimbo Slice in the main event of Bellator 138 on June 19 live on Spike TV.
Although 10 years his junior, Slice is also coming off a five-year layoff, last seen competing inside the Octagon against Matt Mitrione at UFC 113. He was finished by strikes in the second round.
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