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Lion's Den (mixed martial arts)
Encyclopedia
The Lion's Den is a mixed martial arts
team and training facility that was based out of Susanville, California
and San Diego, California
but has recently moved its headquarters to Reno, Nevada
. The team was founded in the early 1990s by UFC
Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock
, and was the most dominant fight camp in the early UFC. It featured fighters such as Frank Shamrock
, Guy Mezger
, Vernon "Tiger" White
, Jerry Bohlander
, Tra Telligman
, Pete Williams, and Mikey Burnett
. The Lion's Den now features many new training facilities, including Lion's Den Arizona, Lion's Den Connecticut, and Lion's Den Reno.
began to take off in the early 1990s. Shamrock, who had fought at UFC 1
, had trouble finding adequate sparring partners to prepare for fights. Shamrock attracted the attention of American fighters Vernon White
and Guy Mezger
early on, and formed the first ever mixed martial arts team in the USA.
In trying to come up with a name for it, Shamrock recalled a documentary he saw about lions. The documentary showed how a group of lions hunted their prey and worked together. He felt his group of fighters should work the same way and be like a family, so he chose to name his gym the Lion's Den.
schools in the world throughout the late 1990's and into 2000. Fighters such as Guy Mezger
, Ken Shamrock
, Frank Shamrock
, and Jerry Bohlander
all became UFC Champions. Mikey Burnett
came very close to winning the UFC Welterweight Championship, losing a controversial split decision to Pat Miletich
at UFC Brazil
. Guy Mezger was consistently ranked in the top 10 as a Light Heavyweight
during his time with the UFC and PRIDE, and was ranked as high as the #6 Light Heavyweight
fighter in the world in 2001, behind such notable names as Tito Ortiz
, Wanderlei Silva
, Dan Henderson
, Chuck Liddell
, and Vitor Belfort
. The Lion's Den was also dominant in the King of the Cage
promotion in the early 2000s, which at the time was a upper echelon MMA promotion. Vernon White
and Joe Hurley both achieved championship gold in KOTC
.
It was fighters who had roots in the Lion's Den that were the original champions in three of the UFC’s first four weight divisions. Ken Shamrock was the original UFC superfight champion in 1995, beating Dan Severn
, which became the UFC heavyweight championship. Frank Shamrock
was the first UFC middleweight champion in 1997, beating Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Kevin Jackson
, which is now the UFC light heavyweight championship. Jens Pulver
, who trained briefly at the Lion's Den in 1999 before joining Bob Shamrock's "Shamrock 2000" MMA gym and then moving on to MFS
, beat Caol Uno
to become the first UFC bantamweight champion in 2001, which is now the UFC lightweight championship. Mikey Burnett
lost a close split decision to Pat Miletich
for the creation of the UFC lightweight championship in 1999, which is today’s welterweight title.
Other fighters, such as Tra Telligman
and Pete Williams, earned the respect of the MMA world by defeating giants of the sport in upset fashion. Telligman defeated one of Pride's best fighters, Igor Vovchanchyn
, at Pride 13
in a stunning upset. After this victory, Tra was ranked as the #10 Heavyweight
fighter in the world in MMA. Williams knocked out former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman
with a high kick to the head in overtime at UFC 17
, and eventually earned a UFC Heavyweight Championship title shot. Pete Williams was also ranked as high as the #6 Heavyweight
fighter in the world as of May 2000. The Lion's Den was also successful in the Pancrase
organization. Ken Shamrock and Guy Mezger became King of Pancrase multiple times, and Frank Shamrock won the interim King of Pancrase title.
The Lion's Den also attracted many top fighters from outside to seek help in their training, including UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman
, UFC 6
tournament Champion Oleg Taktarov
, and UFC Heavyweight Champion Maurice Smith. After losing at UFC 5
, Taktarov went to live and train with the Lion's Den, and subsequently went on to win the UFC 6
tournament. Maurice Smith, a world class kickboxer, offered to help the Lion's Den with their striking in exchange for help with his submission and ground skills. While training with the Lion's Den, Maurice Smith defeated Mark Coleman to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship, and became the first striker to survive the attack of a world class wrestler. Smith later joined forces with Lion's Den fighter Frank Shamrock
to form their own team, called The Alliance. Coleman, after losing two fights in a row to Lion's Den fighters, went to train with the Lion's Den and was coached and cornered by Ken Shamrock
at UFC 18
.
Shamrock wanted fighters that could get through this ordeal without quitting, even after their body had failed on them, in order to see how serious the fighter was about dedicating his life to MMA fighting.
The Lion's Den tryouts have even been criticised by some for their level of brutality. However, Lion's Den fighter and UFC champion Jerry Bohlander
said the difficulty of the tryouts are over-exaggerated: "Most of those stories are like urban myth. Don’t get me wrong, the tryout was hard, but far from impossible. We had a few guys that passed it that would never be good candidates for a pro fight. You had to be in shape and have a great deal of determination. I wish I could give you a good story, but most of them are the type that you would have had to experience in person." Bohlander added, "Most of the horror stories that you've heard were from guys that came in but couldn't cut it."
Ken Shamrock has since adjusted the tryout. Currently, The Lion's Den conducts tryouts by showcasing fighters' skills in a series of drills and live competition put on by Ken Shamrock. The new tryout format allows Ken to evaluate toughness and skill, while making cuts to determine who he wants to represent the Den.
. The feud began to build when Ortiz, with his fingers, acted like he was shooting at the Lion’s Den corner and coach Ken Shamrock after his win over Jerry Bohlander
at UFC 18
, and additionally put on a disrespectful shirt and in the octagon after the fight with Bohlander. The feud exploded after his second fight with Guy Mezger
at UFC 19
when Ortiz put on a shirt that said "Gay Mezger is my Bitch" and gave the middle finger to the Lion's Den corner. Ken Shamrock leaped onto the top of the cage and screamed at Ortiz, angrily waving his finger in Ortiz's face and ordering Ortiz to put a cease to the disrespectful acts. Ortiz's antics enraged the Lion's Den, especially Guy Mezger and leader Ken Shamrock.
Ortiz then fought Frank Shamrock at UFC 22
for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Shamrock defeated Ortiz via submission from strikes, and proceeded to make an obscene gesture at Ortiz's corner after the victory.
At UFC 40
, Ken Shamrock fought Tito Ortiz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in one of the biggest and most hyped MMA fights of all time. Ortiz defeated Shamrock by corner stoppage after the third round ended. After the fight was over, Shamrock raised Ortiz's hand and embraced him, seemingly putting an end to the rivalry. However, Shamrock fought Ortiz with a torn ACL (a severe knee injury), and when Shamrock made light of his injury, Ortiz took it as Shamrock making excuses for the loss and they began feuding again. The rivalry did not end until 2006 at Ortiz vs Shamrock 3 - The Final Chapter, where Ortiz defeated a 42 year old Shamrock by KO due to strikes.
The Lion's Den has also engaged in a feud with Gracie Jiu Jitsu. The Lion's Den claims that their submission fighting style is superior to Gracie Jiu Jitsu, while the Gracie's have maintained that their style is superior. Specifically, Ken Shamrock has been a longtime rival of Royce Gracie
, and Frank Shamrock has engaged in a feud with the Cesar Gracie
camp.
. Coached by MMA legend Ken Shamrock
, the Lion's Den took the place of the Nevada Lions
when the IFL decided to focus more on a camp-based system than a team-based system. Roy Nelson
, a member of the Lion's Den, was the IFL's final Heavyweight Champion before it disbanded.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
team and training facility that was based out of Susanville, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
but has recently moved its headquarters to Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. The team was founded in the early 1990s by UFC
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, and was the most dominant fight camp in the early UFC. It featured fighters such as Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion...
, Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger is a retired American martial artist who competed in professional combat sports ranging from full contact karate, kickboxing, and boxing, but is most recognized as a mixed martial arts fighter . He is associated with Lion's Den Dallas...
, Vernon "Tiger" White
Vernon White
Vernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
, Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight tournament at UFC 12. He was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den alongside other notable fighters such as Ken...
, Tra Telligman
Tra Telligman
Tracy Telligman is a retired American mixed martial artist and boxer who has fought in Japan, Russia and the USA...
, Pete Williams, and Mikey Burnett
Mikey Burnett
Michael Wayne Burnett is a former American mixed martial artist who was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den...
. The Lion's Den now features many new training facilities, including Lion's Den Arizona, Lion's Den Connecticut, and Lion's Den Reno.
Establishment
The team was founded out of necessity, as the then-new sport of mixed martial artsMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
began to take off in the early 1990s. Shamrock, who had fought at UFC 1
UFC 1
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
, had trouble finding adequate sparring partners to prepare for fights. Shamrock attracted the attention of American fighters Vernon White
Vernon White
Vernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
and Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger is a retired American martial artist who competed in professional combat sports ranging from full contact karate, kickboxing, and boxing, but is most recognized as a mixed martial arts fighter . He is associated with Lion's Den Dallas...
early on, and formed the first ever mixed martial arts team in the USA.
In trying to come up with a name for it, Shamrock recalled a documentary he saw about lions. The documentary showed how a group of lions hunted their prey and worked together. He felt his group of fighters should work the same way and be like a family, so he chose to name his gym the Lion's Den.
"Top of the Food Chain"
The Lion's Den was highly successful for many years and was widely regarded as one of, if not the best, mixed martial artsMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
schools in the world throughout the late 1990's and into 2000. Fighters such as Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger is a retired American martial artist who competed in professional combat sports ranging from full contact karate, kickboxing, and boxing, but is most recognized as a mixed martial arts fighter . He is associated with Lion's Den Dallas...
, Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion...
, and Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight tournament at UFC 12. He was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den alongside other notable fighters such as Ken...
all became UFC Champions. Mikey Burnett
Mikey Burnett
Michael Wayne Burnett is a former American mixed martial artist who was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den...
came very close to winning the UFC Welterweight Championship, losing a controversial split decision to Pat Miletich
Pat Miletich
Patrick Jay Miletich is a retired American mixed martial artist and a current sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC 16 tournament champion....
at UFC Brazil
UFC Brazil
UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in São Paulo, Brazil on October 16th, 1998...
. Guy Mezger was consistently ranked in the top 10 as a Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
during his time with the UFC and PRIDE, and was ranked as high as the #6 Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
fighter in the world in 2001, behind such notable names as Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
, Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...
, Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...
, Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell
Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
, and Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort
Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...
. The Lion's Den was also dominant in the King of the Cage
King of the Cage
King of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
promotion in the early 2000s, which at the time was a upper echelon MMA promotion. Vernon White
Vernon White
Vernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
and Joe Hurley both achieved championship gold in KOTC
King of the Cage
King of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
.
It was fighters who had roots in the Lion's Den that were the original champions in three of the UFC’s first four weight divisions. Ken Shamrock was the original UFC superfight champion in 1995, beating Dan Severn
Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, notable for his success in the early years of Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Severn has fought and wrestled for many mixed martial arts and professional wrestling promotions, including King of the...
, which became the UFC heavyweight championship. Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion...
was the first UFC middleweight champion in 1997, beating Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Kevin Jackson
Kevin Jackson
Kevin Andre Jackson is the head wrestling coach at Iowa State University, having been hired in 2009 when Cael Sanderson quit the post and moved to Penn State University...
, which is now the UFC light heavyweight championship. Jens Pulver
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...
, who trained briefly at the Lion's Den in 1999 before joining Bob Shamrock's "Shamrock 2000" MMA gym and then moving on to MFS
Miletich Fighting Systems
Miletich Fighting Systems is a mixed martial arts training organization. It is recognized as an excellent training camp. It has been the training camp for fighters such as Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, and Jeremy Horn...
, beat Caol Uno
Caol Uno
is a Japanese mixed martial artist, and former Shooto Welterweight Champion. Specifically, Uno is known for his low single leg takedown and rear naked choke. He was born in Kanagawa, Japan...
to become the first UFC bantamweight champion in 2001, which is now the UFC lightweight championship. Mikey Burnett
Mikey Burnett
Michael Wayne Burnett is a former American mixed martial artist who was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den...
lost a close split decision to Pat Miletich
Pat Miletich
Patrick Jay Miletich is a retired American mixed martial artist and a current sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC 16 tournament champion....
for the creation of the UFC lightweight championship in 1999, which is today’s welterweight title.
Other fighters, such as Tra Telligman
Tra Telligman
Tracy Telligman is a retired American mixed martial artist and boxer who has fought in Japan, Russia and the USA...
and Pete Williams, earned the respect of the MMA world by defeating giants of the sport in upset fashion. Telligman defeated one of Pride's best fighters, Igor Vovchanchyn
Igor Vovchanchyn
Igor Yaroslavovich "Ice Cold" Vovchanchyn is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He won seven mixed martial arts tournaments, as well as acquiring a 37 fight unbeaten streak, and reaching the final of the Pride Grand Prix 2000....
, at Pride 13
PRIDE 13
Pride 13: Collision Course was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. This was the first Pride event allowing knee strikes to the head of someone in the "four-points" position . It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on March 25, 2001...
in a stunning upset. After this victory, Tra was ranked as the #10 Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
fighter in the world in MMA. Williams knocked out former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman is an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, former NCAA collegiate wrestler and former Olympic amateur wrestler. In MMA, he was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, and the Pride Fighting...
with a high kick to the head in overtime at UFC 17
UFC 17
-External links:**...
, and eventually earned a UFC Heavyweight Championship title shot. Pete Williams was also ranked as high as the #6 Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
fighter in the world as of May 2000. The Lion's Den was also successful in the Pancrase
Pancrase
Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
organization. Ken Shamrock and Guy Mezger became King of Pancrase multiple times, and Frank Shamrock won the interim King of Pancrase title.
The Lion's Den also attracted many top fighters from outside to seek help in their training, including UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman is an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, former NCAA collegiate wrestler and former Olympic amateur wrestler. In MMA, he was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, and the Pride Fighting...
, UFC 6
UFC 6
UFC 6: Clash of the Titans was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 6 featured the...
tournament Champion Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David...
, and UFC Heavyweight Champion Maurice Smith. After losing at UFC 5
UFC 5
UFC 5: The Return of the Beast was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 7, 1995, at the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 5 used an...
, Taktarov went to live and train with the Lion's Den, and subsequently went on to win the UFC 6
UFC 6
UFC 6: Clash of the Titans was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 6 featured the...
tournament. Maurice Smith, a world class kickboxer, offered to help the Lion's Den with their striking in exchange for help with his submission and ground skills. While training with the Lion's Den, Maurice Smith defeated Mark Coleman to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship, and became the first striker to survive the attack of a world class wrestler. Smith later joined forces with Lion's Den fighter Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion...
to form their own team, called The Alliance. Coleman, after losing two fights in a row to Lion's Den fighters, went to train with the Lion's Den and was coached and cornered by Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
at UFC 18
UFC 18
UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 8, 1999 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
.
Lion's Den Champions
- Ken ShamrockKen ShamrockKenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
: 3 time UFC Superfight Champion, 1st King of Pancrase (Pancrase 1994), King of Pancrase Tournament winner - Guy MezgerGuy MezgerGuy Mezger is a retired American martial artist who competed in professional combat sports ranging from full contact karate, kickboxing, and boxing, but is most recognized as a mixed martial arts fighter . He is associated with Lion's Den Dallas...
: UFC 13UFC 13-External links:***...
Champion, 7th King of Pancrase (Pancrase 1998) - Frank ShamrockFrank ShamrockFrank Shamrock is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion...
: 5 time undefeated UFC Middleweight (205 lb) Champion, StrikeforceStrikeforceStrikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
Middleweight champion, WECWorld Extreme CagefightingWorld Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
Light Heavyweight Champion, Interim King of Pancrase - Jerry BohlanderJerry BohlanderJerry Bohlander is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight tournament at UFC 12. He was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den alongside other notable fighters such as Ken...
: UFC 12UFC 12UFC 12: Judgement Day was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 7, 1997 at the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama...
Champion - Maurice Smith: UFC Heavyweight Champion
- Vernon WhiteVernon WhiteVernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
: King of the CageKing of the CageKing of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
Middleweight Champion, IFC Heavyweight Champion - Oleg TaktarovOleg TaktarovOleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David...
: UFC 6UFC 6UFC 6: Clash of the Titans was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 6 featured the...
Champion - Roy NelsonRoy Nelson (fighter)Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He last competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The September 30, 2009 broadcast of his fight against Kimbo Slice, officially an exhibition, was the 2nd...
: IFLInternational Fight LeagueThe International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...
Heavyweight Champion, UFC The Ultimate Fighter: HeavyweightsThe Ultimate Fighter: HeavyweightsThe Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights is the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. In a press conference following UFC 98, Dana White announced that filming for the season would begin on June 1, 2009...
winner - Kevin Christopher: King of the Jungle Middleweight Champion
- Travis LutterTravis LutterTravis S. Lutter is an American mixed martial artist who won the The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show. His UFC record, not including his exhibition wins on The Ultimate Fighter 4, is 2–4...
: UFC Ultimate Fighter 4 Middleweight Winner - Joe Hurley: King of the CageKing of the CageKing of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
Middleweight Champion - Joe Feldman: Cage Quest Light Heavyweight Champion, Top of the Rock Middleweight Champion (195 lb)* http://thelionsdenct.com/index.php/fight-team/
Tryouts
Historically, The Lion's Den is known for its brutal try-outs. "Marine boot camp is not fun. It is not pretty. That's because they are preparing you for war. I am preparing my fighters for war," Shamrock said when discussing the tryout. Once accepted into the Den, the members would be financially backed by Shamrock, so Shamrock made the tryout very difficult to ensure the fighter was totally committed to becoming a professional fighter. The try out consisted of the following:- 500 squatsSquat (exercise)In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body...
- 200 push ups
- 200 sit ups run
- Repeated runs up and down bleacher steps
- Bear-crawls up steep hills
- Lugging heavy barrels of water and sand bags up steep hills
- The candidates who were still left at this point would then go on to do as many pull-ups as they can without stopping.
- Candidates then went to the actual Lion's Den facility for several hours of sparring.
Shamrock wanted fighters that could get through this ordeal without quitting, even after their body had failed on them, in order to see how serious the fighter was about dedicating his life to MMA fighting.
The Lion's Den tryouts have even been criticised by some for their level of brutality. However, Lion's Den fighter and UFC champion Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight tournament at UFC 12. He was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den alongside other notable fighters such as Ken...
said the difficulty of the tryouts are over-exaggerated: "Most of those stories are like urban myth. Don’t get me wrong, the tryout was hard, but far from impossible. We had a few guys that passed it that would never be good candidates for a pro fight. You had to be in shape and have a great deal of determination. I wish I could give you a good story, but most of them are the type that you would have had to experience in person." Bohlander added, "Most of the horror stories that you've heard were from guys that came in but couldn't cut it."
Ken Shamrock has since adjusted the tryout. Currently, The Lion's Den conducts tryouts by showcasing fighters' skills in a series of drills and live competition put on by Ken Shamrock. The new tryout format allows Ken to evaluate toughness and skill, while making cuts to determine who he wants to represent the Den.
Feuds
The Lion's Den has engaged in a feud with Tito OrtizTito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
. The feud began to build when Ortiz, with his fingers, acted like he was shooting at the Lion’s Den corner and coach Ken Shamrock after his win over Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight tournament at UFC 12. He was a member of the legendary fight team the Lion's Den alongside other notable fighters such as Ken...
at UFC 18
UFC 18
UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 8, 1999 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, and additionally put on a disrespectful shirt and in the octagon after the fight with Bohlander. The feud exploded after his second fight with Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger is a retired American martial artist who competed in professional combat sports ranging from full contact karate, kickboxing, and boxing, but is most recognized as a mixed martial arts fighter . He is associated with Lion's Den Dallas...
at UFC 19
UFC 19
UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 5, 1999 at the Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi...
when Ortiz put on a shirt that said "Gay Mezger is my Bitch" and gave the middle finger to the Lion's Den corner. Ken Shamrock leaped onto the top of the cage and screamed at Ortiz, angrily waving his finger in Ortiz's face and ordering Ortiz to put a cease to the disrespectful acts. Ortiz's antics enraged the Lion's Den, especially Guy Mezger and leader Ken Shamrock.
Ortiz then fought Frank Shamrock at UFC 22
UFC 22
UFC 22: Only One Can be Champion was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 1999 at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.-History:...
for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Shamrock defeated Ortiz via submission from strikes, and proceeded to make an obscene gesture at Ortiz's corner after the victory.
At UFC 40
UFC 40
UFC 40: Vendetta was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 22, 2002, at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada...
, Ken Shamrock fought Tito Ortiz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in one of the biggest and most hyped MMA fights of all time. Ortiz defeated Shamrock by corner stoppage after the third round ended. After the fight was over, Shamrock raised Ortiz's hand and embraced him, seemingly putting an end to the rivalry. However, Shamrock fought Ortiz with a torn ACL (a severe knee injury), and when Shamrock made light of his injury, Ortiz took it as Shamrock making excuses for the loss and they began feuding again. The rivalry did not end until 2006 at Ortiz vs Shamrock 3 - The Final Chapter, where Ortiz defeated a 42 year old Shamrock by KO due to strikes.
The Lion's Den has also engaged in a feud with Gracie Jiu Jitsu. The Lion's Den claims that their submission fighting style is superior to Gracie Jiu Jitsu, while the Gracie's have maintained that their style is superior. Specifically, Ken Shamrock has been a longtime rival of Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
, and Frank Shamrock has engaged in a feud with the Cesar Gracie
Cesar Gracie
Cesar Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trains a number of top fighters in Pleasant Hill, California. Gracie is a member of the Gracie family, the son of Sonja Gracie-Gronning and not to be confused with his cousin also named Cesar Gracie who is the son of Reylson Gracie.- Biography...
camp.
IFL Fight Team
The Lions Den was one of the camps who participated in the late International Fight LeagueInternational Fight League
The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...
. Coached by MMA legend Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, the Lion's Den took the place of the Nevada Lions
Nevada Lions
The Nevada Lions were an International Fight League team based in Reno, Nevada. Coached by UFC and MMA legend Ken Shamrock the Lions were one of four teams established at the beginning of the 2007 season.-Record/Roster:...
when the IFL decided to focus more on a camp-based system than a team-based system. Roy Nelson
Roy Nelson (fighter)
Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He last competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The September 30, 2009 broadcast of his fight against Kimbo Slice, officially an exhibition, was the 2nd...
, a member of the Lion's Den, was the IFL's final Heavyweight Champion before it disbanded.
Other associated fighters
- Alex Andrade
- Roy NelsonRoy Nelson (fighter)Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He last competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The September 30, 2009 broadcast of his fight against Kimbo Slice, officially an exhibition, was the 2nd...
- Ryan Shamrock
- Travis LutterTravis LutterTravis S. Lutter is an American mixed martial artist who won the The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show. His UFC record, not including his exhibition wins on The Ultimate Fighter 4, is 2–4...
- Joe Feldman
- Tony Galindo
- Edwin DeweesEdwin DeweesEdwin Stanton Dewees is an American mixed martial artist. He was featured on The Ultimate Fighter 4...
- John GundersonJohn GundersonJohn Edward Gunderson is a is an American mixed martial artist. He used to fight with the UFC and currently fights under the Tachi Palace Fights banner....
- Jason DeluciaJason DeLuciaJason DeLucia is a retired American mixed martial artist. . He holds victories over Masakatsu Funaki, Matt Hume, Minoru Suzuki, Yuki Kondo, Ikuhisa Minowa, Kiuma Kunioku, Chris Lytle, and Manabu Yamada...
- Erik Larkin
- Scott Bessac
- Atilla Bodor
- Kevin "O Onca" Christopher
- Dennis Lehto
- Rick Reeves
- Dan "The He-Man" Molina
- Pat "Bam Bam" HealyPat Healy (fighter)Patrick Healy is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Currently, Healy is signed with Strikeforce, holding a 4–1 record inside the promotion...
- Joe Martin
- Devin "Mighty Mouse" Conkling
- Herbert "Whisper" GoodmanHerbert GoodmanHerbert "Whisper" Goodman is an American mixed martial artist and former NFL runningback for the Green Bay Packers.-NFL career:...
- Killa B Nimmi
- Sean Daugherty