Frank Shamrock is an American mixed style fighter. He became the first UFC light heavyweight champion. The athlete left the organization undefeated. He became champion in Strikeforce World Extreme, Cagefighting and Pancrase. Shamrock has appeared in Burger King commercials, motion pictures and TV series. He co-produced the MMA documentary Fight Life.
Mexican American Frank Alicio Juarez III Best Fighter of the Year and Decade. He guest-starred on Season 8 of the hit-and-run series Tough Walker.
The beginning of the path to the heights
The biography of the future champion began in 1972. The child was born on December 8. He lost his family early. From the age of twelve, the boy changed many orphanages. The boy was adopted by Bob Shamrock. Juarez changed his last name as a tribute to him.
The athlete's half-brother is UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock. Ken started training with Frank in 1994. The youngest accompanied the elder to all fights, gradually getting carried away by mixed martial arts. Frank joined the Lion's Den team.
Shamrock Jr. competed in Japanese tournaments organized by the "Pancrase". As a professional, the young man made his debut for the first time in 1994, on December 16. He took part in the fights of the King of Pankration tournament.
Bas Rutten became the opponent of the fighter. The judges decided the outcome of the fight, which lasted 10 minutes, in favor of Shamrock. However, in the next fight, the young man lost to Manabu Yamada. Frank spent 9 fights in 1995. His victorious fight with Masakatsu Funaki, the fight that ended in a draw with Allan Goes, as well as the fight lost to Bas Rutten stand out.
Following the news that injury to Rutten, then a trimfighter, was preventing him from defending his title, Pancrase announced a bout for the interim champion title. It was attended by Shamrock and Minoru Suzuki. The fight took place in 1996, January 28, in Yokohama. Frank became the winner.
Success
A new meeting with Rutten took place at the championship competitions. The victory went to Bas with a technical knockout. Then Shamrock played the aforementioned match with Manabu Yamada and lost the fight with Yuki Kondo. Together with Ken, Frank left Pancrase.
At the 1997 Superbrawl 3 tournament, the athlete was declared defeated by the judges' decision. Most of the fight with Lobert took place in Frank's favor. The athlete was let down by insufficient physical training.
The defeat was the incentive to fully focus on participating in MMA. The result is a victory in the ongoing tournament. The opponent of the fighter was Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.
In November 1997, at the Vale Tudo Japan competition, there was a meeting with Anson Inoue. The prize was the right to fight in the UFC with Kevin Jackson. Athletes dominated in turn. Finally, the victory went to Shamrock. Subsequently, the fighter admitted that this fight was the toughest in his career. The result was a contract with the UFC.
The opponent was Johnson. Olympic champion 1992 no one could win. In a matter of seconds, Frank managed to take his title. The athlete had to defend his title again on March 13, 1998. Igor Zinoviev, the winner of Extreme Fighting, became his opponent. After a difficult fight, Igor's career ended irrevocably.
Return
Fights with Jeremy Horn and John Lober were successful. The victory in the duel with the latter was rendered by a judge's decision. Shamrock confirmed his UFC title in September 1999 at UFC 22. Ortiz was called the favorite of the fight, but Frank became the winner.
After the end of the battle, Shamrock told reporters that his opponent, due to his physical strength and manner of fighting, was very difficult for him. The victory reaffirmed the title of one of the greatest champions of the UFC. The fighter has already won victories with early completion of the fights.
The owner of the organization, with its announcement Jeff Blatnik, named the athlete the best. After this fight, Frank refused to continue his career. The athlete returned to the professional ring in 2000.
At the K-1 competition, Shamrock faced Elvis Sinosich and emerged victorious. During the fight between Ortiz and Sinosic for the UFC title In 2003, the famous fighter became the World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion after a fight with Brian Pardoye. March 10, 2006 at the Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie”again won a convincing victory.
New plans
Shamrock Mixed Martial Arts Academy, the athlete opened in the last month of 2005 in San Jose. They taught percussion and fighting techniques at school. The sports club "Team Shamrock" was launched.
Frank became the coach of the San Jose Razorclaws in June. The team took part in the International Fight League competitions. Shamrock met Phil Baroni on June 22, 2007. The victory brought the athlete the Strikeforce championship title.
On June 26, 2010, the outstanding athlete finally announced his retirement. The fighter made his contribution to the work on the series "Cool Cocker". He appeared in the guise of Hammer, the prison ultimate fighting champion.
He played the main character in an advertisement for the Burger King network, became Damien in the film Without Rules, and was a co-producer of the documentary film Fighting Life.
The athlete managed to arrange his personal life. In his first marriage, he had a son, Frank. Amy became the new chosen one of the fighter and his wife. A daughter, Nicolette, was born in the family on April 24, 2008.
Shamrock's book, Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies, has been published by John Wiley & Sons. A new facet of creativity was the appearance as a character and commentator in the game from "EA Sport's".
