Originally Posted by Sherdog.com

The contrasts couldn’t be clearer. Ken Shamrock is a grizzled veteran of mixed martial arts, a 44-year-old UFC Hall of Famer who has battled the most well-known fighters of the past 15 years in rings and cages across the world. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson is a baby in the sport, a tough street fighter who banks on his heavy hands to get him toward a respect to match his box office appeal.

Shamrock (26-13-2) knows these differences. But heading into a fight with the bearded brawler on national network television Oct. 4 -- the main event of EliteXC “Saturday Night Fights” on CBS -- Shamrock is thinking just as much about what he and Slice (3-0) have in common.

“Where I’m at in this stage of my career, this is probably the biggest fight in my life since I started fighting,” Shamrock said. “This is the biggest, because, you know, I’m at the stage of my career where it’s put up or shut up. And you know, Kimbo’s at that same stage. Put up or shut up.”

Shamrock, who has never met Slice, didn’t hesitate when asked to name the traits that make Slice a television draw.

“The way he looks, he’s very impressive looking,” Shamrock said. “He moves well for a big guy, before he gets tired, and talks well. He’s just got this image about him in the way he speaks. He’s a very, very intimidating person. He walks into the room, people look. When he talks, people listen. So he’s got that charisma. He’s got what it takes to be marketable. Now we’ll figure out whether he’s got what it takes to be a fighter.”

Shamrock is training at his Lion’s Den facility in Reno, Nev., and is looking to improve his punching power and his ability to cut angles on his feet. Shamrock first made his name using leg locks to submit boot-and-kickpad-wearing opponents in the Pancrase organization, but said he can handle Slice in all facets of the game.

“Honestly, I think I can test him anywhere,” he said. “He’s got big, heavy hands. Everyone says he punches hard and he probably does. But again, he doesn’t punch properly, in my opinion. He swings his hands, he moves his body back and forth trying to get as much power as he can, but there’s really no snap behind it. You can usually see the punches coming. I’m going to do what I need to do. If it goes to the ground, I’ll probably break his leg. I mean, no question. I will break his leg. If he gives it to me, I’m going to break it.”

One thing Shamrock said he needs to factor into his game plan is referees’ tendencies to stop his fights when he’s in deep waters. The stoppage in his second fight with Ortiz in 2006 touched off an audience backlash that compelled the UFC to put a rematch on free TV, and Shamrock feels he should have been given more time to regain his composure after being knocked down by “Buzz” Berry.

“I’m sure (referees) are concerned,” he said. “But they’ve got to keep in the back of their mind that I didn’t get to where I’m at by having people protect me.”

Originally Posted by Mikk
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I wanna see this, Shamrock rules
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