Ken Shamrock Aims to Fight and Promote in 2009

Ken Shamrock is 45 years old and just a former shell of who he used to be 10 years ago.  Despite numerous calls by hardcore MMA fans for him to simply hang up his gloves and walk away, the "World's Most Dangerous Man" is not yet ready to give up.

"This is my life," Shamrock said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com.  "I helped build a lot of things in this business.  So these guys that stand out there and say I shouldn't do this and I shouldn't do that, they're basically telling me I need to get out and be unhappy."

I remember watching Shamrock fight in UFC 1, UFC 5, UFC 6, and UFC 7, and admired his fighting style as being one of the first people who could actually submit opponents.  As of late, however, I also remember watching Tito Ortiz, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Rich Franklin dismantle Shamrock while even Robert Berry was able to knock him out last year.

If he wants to continue fighting, then I don't think I'm the right person to try and tell him to simply give up something he's been doing since 1993.  And there are a couple more fights the 45-year-old looks forward to before he finally calls it a career: 

Aside from fighting this weekend against Ross Clifton in a freakshow MMA fight this Friday night, he wants to eventually fight a rematch with his adopted brother Frank Shamrock.  I honestly don't like his odds against Shamrock, and would expect him to get smashed through the ground.  If not Frank Shamrock, he'd like an opportunity to fight Tank Abbott, a bout that would likely be a train wreck that people would be curious to see.

Aside from fighting, I'm glad to see Shamrock try his hand at promoting smaller shows and up-and-coming fighters.  Friday night's "Wargods: Valentine's Eve Massacre" is a joint venture between Wargods and Ken Shamrock Productions (KSP), Shamrock's latest attempt at producing shows.

"We're going to be putting on a lot of shows.  We've got four lined up already.  We've got one down in San Diego, Fresno, one in Reno, and then another one back in Fresno."

Ken Shamrock is out of his prime?  Okay.  Fine.  But until he's ready to hang up his gloves for good, I'm willing to sit back and watch as he tries to make KSP a successful business for future shows.  Whether you love him or hate him, he's done quite a bit for the sport, and it looks like he wants to continue to promoting shows.

I'll gladly admit I'd rather see him put all of his focus in promoting and teaching his students, and letting the new generation of fighters continue to get better -- but we'll see what happens after this weekend.