While people continue to dispute the ranking of former UFC lightheavyweight (then middleweight) champion Frank Shamrock, his legacy as a fighter and champion is really only tarnished as a result of contract disputes.
Foster brother of the man many consider the pioneer of mixed martial arts, Ken Shamrock, Frank began his career in Japan before Ken became a sensation stateside. While Ken started competing first, Frank also came up quickly in the Pancrase organization.
While Ken was a thick, well muscled submission fighter who gained quick fame for his conditioning and leg locks, Frank was a leaner fighter, who showed more finesse. While Ken had already fought at UFCs 1 and 2 when Frank made his debut in Pancrase, his talent quickly became clear, and even though he went 2-2 in his first four fights (though the competition went on to become legends in their own right) he quickly became a staple of the overseas scene.
While there were no weightclasses in the sport, Frank chalked up wins over some of the top heavyweights in the world and was a top contender in the sport until 1996.
In '96, Frank's carreer hit a three fight skid as he first started to change his style to use more standup and not the standard of submission fighting that his blood brother had developed.
He quickly found a niche and at UFC Japan, he made his debut in the organization that his brother had been a spokesman for. Because of his last name and raw talent, Shamrock become a major point for the UFC's first major weight class.
His first fight was against Kevin Jackson (then one of the UFC's most notable fighters, with an undefeated 3-0 record) and the reason why Japanese fans, who had come out to support Shamrock at the event, became clear. It was the first title fight for the belt that is now the UFC lightheavyweight title, and many considered Jackson a favorite because they thought that Shamrock's submission fighting was archaic. Shamrock sunk in an armbar at 16 seconds of the first round. It was the kind of fast paced, intelligent and skillful submission fighting that no one had seen since the Gracies had started receding away from the spotlight.
In his first fight with the UFC stateside, Shamrock was set to fight Russia Igor Zinoviev. While Zinoviev wasn't a well known fighter in the states and didn't have a reputation in MMA, or a serious record to speak of, he was, and is, a legend in the Russian Combat Sambo scene (Igor is also currently an IFL coach as head of the Chicago Red Bears), and many of the hardcore fans of the sport thought that it would be a war for Shamrock.
It would be Igor's final MMA fight, and it would end with a slam in 22 seconds that left the Russian unconscious, but it solidified Shamrock as a force to be tested in the division.
In the context of modern MMA, remember that Houston Alexander has spent more than 3 times as much time in Octagon as Shamrock did in his first two fights. As impressive as Alexander is, Shamrock was even more mindblowing for fans at the time, and his combination of conditioning, technique and physical power was something that hadn't really been seen in any fighter.
Shamrock then went on to destroy Jeremy Horn, John Lober and future champion Tito Ortiz.
Shamrock would announce his retirement after defeating Ortiz, and is the only fighter to retire with a title, not be stripped of it as result of a contract dispute or because of steroids.
While Ortiz would carry the belt for the UFC, Shamrock would return in December of 2000 to fight in K-1, when he defeated Elvis Sinosic.
Since his return, Shamrock has been a mercenary headliner, fighting in World Xtreme Cagefighting, Strike Force and Elite XC. While he has taken many hiatus-es to deal with coaching and his personal health, he has been dominant in his fights, his only loss coming by disqualification when he delivered knees to the head of Renzo Gracie, a move reminiscent of his Pancrase days.
While Shamrock probably won't be inducted into the UFC hall-of-fame for political reasons (mostly a major personal grudge with UFC president Dana White), Shamrock remains a legend of the sport, perhaps even more so than the already inducted Dan Severn.
With his coaching in the Internation Fight League, he'll continue to be an important force in the MMA game for years to come.
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