Hendo is out, Shammy is in.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Frank Shamrock will exhume himself from retirement to compete in a special grappling rules exhibition match under the Rizin banner, taking on 48-year-old Kazushi Sakuraba inside Marine Messe Arena on Oct. 15, 2017 in Fukuoka, Japan.
“The Legend” replaces the injured Dan Henderson.
Shamrock (23-10-2) was retired by Nick Diaz after a lopsided, technical knockout loss in their Strikeforce main event back in 2009. Now 44, the former Pancrase star — who still hasn’t made peace with Dana White -- will continue a rivalry previously made famous by his older brother Ken.
Sakuraba (26-17-1, 2 NC) retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) after losing five straight, a disastrous run that ended in four finishes. The grappling-savvy “Gracie Hunter” made a name for himself during the MMA boom of yesteryear, becoming the bane of Brazil and turning away top names like Vitor Belfort and Royce Gracie, among others.
Early predictions?
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