Very Good or Great? Volume 6: Frank Shamrock

Set the standard for modern MMA in America in the days of Tank Abbot and the move to MMA from NHB.

Great athlete who started of as a sub wrestler, but made the 1st real effort, along with the likes of Bas Rutten to round up his skills so he could fight anywhere

GREAT fighter, but lack of top names in his prime means we can only really rank him as very good

 

Here's a guy that was truly great but again, years from now he would just be remembered as good. I mean we're laughing at Royce Gracie now and that was just 15 years ago.

Frank is one of my favorite fighter.

 

he is a legend so very good.

 

Great. Perhaps not resume wise, but skill wise, he's an ATG easily.

 

I'm inclined to pick great because Frank fought in the infant era of MMA and yet he had a style that was close to the modern form of fighting. What makes it a hard call for me, however, are the losses to less-than-stellar competition and the lack of big names on his resume. Rutten is probably his best win closely followed by Tito but Tito, as I stated before, is highly overrated. Also, Bas beat Frank more than Frank beat Bas so that kind of gets thrown out, as well.

I'm going to pick great because he did hold UFC hardware, he did revolutionize cross-training, and he did beat the next generation's superstar in Tito even if he was overrated. What sells me on great is the simple fact that this dude debuted a year after UFC 1 and he looks and fights nothing like the dudes that were rocking out at that show in mullets and parachute pants doing rolling karate kicks and the like.

 

Difficult pick for me, but I decided on great.

I wonder how he would do in the modern MMA era? Im guessing he would do very well if he was back in his best years.

Watching Frank make Tito Ortiz his ***** will always make me happy. Thank you for that Frank

 

It's an interesting question how he would do today. I think if you combined his Pre-Retirement ground game (or atleast, he was more willing to go to the ground, trying to out strike Cung Li for example) with his post retirement striking he'd be one of the best in the world

Probably has difficulty with the top class wrestlers and strikers at the 185-205 weight range, but he'd have more options as to where he's comfortable taking the fight

 

HAte to say it but Tito was making him his ***** before pulling out that sub. And that was a very green Tito.

Frank was a great fighter. The way he disposed of Zinoviev and Jackson were stuff og legends. He was the prototypical MMA guy who was competent at everything. As of now he would be remembered as very good. 10 years from now he would be remembered as good. 25 years from now, people might chuckle watching some of his fights.

 

Anyone else finding it hard to put some of these fighters into greats or very good? For the era they were about in they were clearly great but compared to now most of them would be beaten by a fair few easily.

 

Yup. This was the first one I've labeled great so far because he held a major title and he was a protoype of the modern fighter even as far back as '94, a year removed from mullets and Royce Gracie.

 

Thats why Popkin picks em

This was the first one i voted on - Frank was definitely a Great

Why no mention of his victory over Henderson?

 

Grappling exhibition, so not really MMA. I posted it in a Wandy v FS thread as an counter too he cant deal with wrestlers

On the subject of Great or Good. Im a big fan a Frank, but I voted Very Good when others I didnt expect voted Great

Go figure

 

Guess ATG Henderson squealing in agony was just for the "exhibition" then - he was such a puny *** back then

On that subject, Frank is indeed a great, i was surprised to see you voting otherwise