Back in 1993, MMA history was made when UFC 1 commenced. Undoubtedly the fight of the night was when Royce Gracie fought Ken Shamrock which changed the face of martial arts forever. Here, two grappling-based martial artists faced off in the octagon which saw Royce Gracie win and became the first ever UFC Champion. Since then, the pair faced off twice more with Royce Gracie getting the upper hand on Ken Shamrock. So, how did it all unfold?
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UFC 1 – Royce Gracie Vs. Ken Shamrock
The first MMA fight between Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock was the easiest for the Brazilian. In fact, it was over within 1 minute which saw Royce get to the finals that he eventually won. In this fight, Royce Gracie opted to wear the gi which was a nod to his BJJ roots and this was totally allowed in the earlier UFC events.
Remember, this took place in the early 90s when rules weren’t really known and everything was a bit more chaotic in the MMA world. Returning to the fight, it began with Royce Gracie shot for a takedown which was defended, and eventually pulled guard on Shamrock.
This was an offensive guard which Shamrock countered by standing up and dropping back for a foot lock. Gracie pounced on this and held mount for a few seconds before transitioning to side control. As Shamrock tried to stand up, he exposed his neck whereby Gracie submitted him with a rear naked choke whilst having one hook in.
Overall, it was a frantic fight and although Gracie won, you could tell that Shamrock was also a skilled grappler. It should be noted that although Royce Gracie represented BJJ, Shamrock represented Japanese shootfighting and was incredibly skilled when it came to leg locks.
UFC 5 – Royce Gracie Vs. Ken Shamrock
Just three years later in 1995, the pair faced off again and this time Shamrock put in a memorable performance that earned him a draw. This bout lasted 36 minutes which is the longest in UFC history and both men were exhausted. Remember, this was still early UFC, so back then fights didn’t have rounds and were meant to end relatively quickly.
However, this one went the distance and was a testament to both fighters skills and heart. Arguably, Shamrock got the better of Gracie in this fight as he was on top for most of the round. It also showed the importance of Royce Gracie’s guard, as he managed to keep Shamrock inside this position whilst offering some pretty aggressive strikes from his back.
As said earlier, these two really did pioneer early MMA and set the tone. Once more, Royce decided to wear a BJJ gi for this fight which would have surely made him sweat more and make for a less comfortable fight.
These days, you could make a point for Shamrock winning this fight under the modern point structure. However, this was back then and MMA history is filled with ifs and buts. For Shamrock though, it meant unfinished business as he wanted to defeat Royce, which led to their next fight…
Bellator 149 – Royce Gracie Vs. Ken Shamrock 3
Fast forward to Bellator 149 in 2016 and both men had now aged significantly and were past their prime. Shamrock was age 52 and his MMA career wasn’t as impressive as it once was, whilst Royce was 49 and hadn’t fought in MMA for 11 years. In short, this was like one of those fantasy fights that never happens, except this one actually did.
Here, Royce Gracie won in the first round and did so by beginning his assault inside a Thai clinch. After kneeing Shamrock in the face, he dropped and Royce ended with a flurry of hammer fists from a top position. Interestingly, the saga doesn’t end there.
Re-watching the fight, it’s clear that Royce knee’d Shamrock in the groin before kneeing his head. This would typically be stopped in MMA as it’s deemed an illegal move. However, the ref seemed to genuinely miss this. As a result, Shamrock was furious after the fight but eventually embraced Royce and both showed a mutual respect.
What’s interesting about this is that the UFC didn’t want to touch their trilogy fight, which marked a shift by Bellator into hosting older, prestigious fighters. Secondly, it was their first match without the gi and the entire fight had little grappling or Jiu Jitsu. This showed a move towards a more modern style of MMA by both fighters where Gracie ironically won by using Muay Thai.
Lastly, it was also iconic as it was their last ever fight. To this day both have remained retired after their trilogy fight. As they both approach age 60, it looks like it will stay this way. Interestingly, there have been whispers of a rematch as Shamrock felt he was wronged. Nonetheless, as he hasn’t defeated Gracie in three fights and gets older, it looks like this one was finally put to bed.
Was this the best ever MMA trilogy ever?
Arguably, Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock was the greatest MMA trilogy ever. Fighting in the earlier days and showcasing elite grappling for their time was one thing. However, to come back over 10 years later sounds like something from a Rocky movie.
What’s more, all fights were often filled with drama, where Shamrock often felt wronged whilst showing he could hang with Gracie at times. Overall, this trilogy was incredibly significant in the history of MMA and undoubtedly goes down with the respect it deserves by MMA and grappling fans.
If you’re a fan of these two, then check out their classic first match on DVD.
