BJJ Fighter
25-01-2004, 12:42
Boxinginsider.com: What are you thoughts on the Randy Couture-Vitor Belfort fight?
Ken Shamrock: I think that is going to be an exciting fight. It will be interesting to see if Randy can take Vitor down. Randy was able to get the takedown against Tito and Chuck Liddell, but he’s facing a much, much stronger fighter in Vitor. If Vitor comes out with his “A-game,” it could be a long night for Randy. If Randy really commits to shooting, which he has in the past, takes Vitor down and doing grounds-and-pounds, I think he will win the fight.
Vitor really has been working on his wrestling. In the past he has used his take-down defense to score more punches and strikes. He also is working on his kicking and knees.
It's going to be interesting to see who is going to win that battle between the stand-up and the ground. It's one of those classic match-ups that pits the striker against the grappler. To win, Vitor has to knock Randy out. Couture, by contrast, has to take Belfort down.
This fight is not going to be the same kind of fight that Vitor and Randy had at the UFC 15 where Randy just blew him up and then beat him standing up. Randy is going to have to get the takedown and then wear Vitor down on the ground. Vitor has to stay on his feet and land punches.
Photo: Josh Hedges UFC.tv
Boxinginsider.com: Couture has defeated the two top Light Heavyweight contenders, what strategies and tactics will Vitor have to use to stop Randy?
Ken Shamrock: Vitor is going to have to work on his take-downs. He is going to have to get one or two take-downs a round, pass the guard, and get to the side mount or to the mount, whichever he prefers, land a lot of strikes and cut him or beat him enough that he'll tap out.
When Vitor is taken down, he has to get to the guard and control Couture long enough to get a stand-up -- long enough for John to stand him up again – and get more opportunities in the round for striking. If Vitor controls Randy in the guard, if Vitor ties up his arms and his head, and keeps him from scoring effective blows, then John will stand the fight up. In each round, Vitor needs to get three or four opportunities to land some punches on his feet.
Boxinginsider.com: Matt Hughes faces B.J. Penn in the welterweight Division. What kind of threats does B.J. pose for Matt?
Ken Shamrock: Obviously B.J. has great submission skills and moves well. If Matt takes him lightly, B.J. can catch him in a submission hold. The only thing B.J. is going to have a problem with is Matt's strength and his ability to take people down.
In my estimation, B.J. didn't need to go up a weight division to fight Matt. Matt is too strong. Fighters who have gone down a weight division to fight Matt, and these guys who are really strong in their weight class, could not handle him. Matt, “pound for pound,” is the strongest fighter out there.
Boxinginsider.com: How much will the jump from lightweight to welterweight affect B.J?
Ken Shamrock: A lot, when it comes to strength. I do not think he's not used to facing guys as strong as Matt Hughes.
Boxinginsider.com: What strategies can B.J. draw on to counter Hughes’ incredible strength and win the fight?
Ken Shamrock: B.J. has to use the guard a lot. He has to move constantly to set up submissions and keep Matt from punching. The more submission attempts and the more B.J. is working for submissions, the more Matt has to defend -- and the more he is defending, the fewer chances he has to strike.
Boxinginsider.com: Frank Mir and Wes Sims square-off in a rematch. The first time Sims was DQ'd for stomping Mir. How do you expect this fight to proceed?
Ken Shamrock: This fight is difficult to predict. If Frank comes out aggressively, takes Wes down, and controls him, I see Frank submitting him. Frank might have to break something, because Wes isn't going to quit. Frank has to choke him unconscious or break something -- or have John stop it.
In order to be successful, Frank has to use his takedowns and get Wes to the mat. Once Frank has Wes on the mat, he has to slow-cook him-- control him, and let Wes spasm out -- because he's going to spasm. Wes is going to be throwing arms, elbows, and everything he can when he's on the ground for about thirty seconds to a minute. When he starts to settle down, then Frank can start moving in for submissions.
Boxinginsider.com: What does Mir have to do to counter Sims’ strength and aggression?
Ken Shamrock: He's got to take him down and he's got to control him -- let him flip and flop around until he slows down and then set him up for submission by striking him and moving him into a position for submission.
Boxinginsider.com: Sims lost control of himself in the last fight to earn the DQ, how will that incident affect him in this fight?
Ken Shamrock: It'll affect him. I think there is definitely a lot of aggression between the two of them. That’s why Frank has to take him down and get control before trying a submission: slow him down, let him tire himself out, and then submit him.
On the other hand, Sims has to stay on his feet and control his aggression. Wes is not going to get taken down easily, but he can be too aggressive and over commit.
Boxinginsider.com: Carlos Newton makes his return to the UFC. What are your thoughts on Carlos Newton’s abilities? Besides winning, what does he need to do to convince everyone, he deserves another shot at the Welterweight title?
Ken Shamrock: Well, Carlos Newton has some great abilities. He's a good striker, he's an excellent submission guy, he moves well, and he has a lot of charisma. In order to get another shot at the tile, he's got to win, just like anyone else.
Boxinginsider.com: What are your final thoughts on UFC 46? How does this last year stack up?
Ken Shamrock: Vitor Belfort -Randy Couture is going to be a great fight. It is a rematch and last time Randy beat him. In an interview, Vitor said, "I like you, but I'm going to hurt you."
I think, Vitor has finally got himself squared away and has a good opportunity of taking Randy out. He's healthy, strong, and mentally aware.
Ken Shamrock is "The Worlds Most Dangerous Man" and a regular contributor to BoxingInsider.com. Be on the look out for the all new KenShamrock.com which will be launched in the coming weeks!
Ken Shamrock: I think that is going to be an exciting fight. It will be interesting to see if Randy can take Vitor down. Randy was able to get the takedown against Tito and Chuck Liddell, but he’s facing a much, much stronger fighter in Vitor. If Vitor comes out with his “A-game,” it could be a long night for Randy. If Randy really commits to shooting, which he has in the past, takes Vitor down and doing grounds-and-pounds, I think he will win the fight.
Vitor really has been working on his wrestling. In the past he has used his take-down defense to score more punches and strikes. He also is working on his kicking and knees.
It's going to be interesting to see who is going to win that battle between the stand-up and the ground. It's one of those classic match-ups that pits the striker against the grappler. To win, Vitor has to knock Randy out. Couture, by contrast, has to take Belfort down.
This fight is not going to be the same kind of fight that Vitor and Randy had at the UFC 15 where Randy just blew him up and then beat him standing up. Randy is going to have to get the takedown and then wear Vitor down on the ground. Vitor has to stay on his feet and land punches.
Photo: Josh Hedges UFC.tv
Boxinginsider.com: Couture has defeated the two top Light Heavyweight contenders, what strategies and tactics will Vitor have to use to stop Randy?
Ken Shamrock: Vitor is going to have to work on his take-downs. He is going to have to get one or two take-downs a round, pass the guard, and get to the side mount or to the mount, whichever he prefers, land a lot of strikes and cut him or beat him enough that he'll tap out.
When Vitor is taken down, he has to get to the guard and control Couture long enough to get a stand-up -- long enough for John to stand him up again – and get more opportunities in the round for striking. If Vitor controls Randy in the guard, if Vitor ties up his arms and his head, and keeps him from scoring effective blows, then John will stand the fight up. In each round, Vitor needs to get three or four opportunities to land some punches on his feet.
Boxinginsider.com: Matt Hughes faces B.J. Penn in the welterweight Division. What kind of threats does B.J. pose for Matt?
Ken Shamrock: Obviously B.J. has great submission skills and moves well. If Matt takes him lightly, B.J. can catch him in a submission hold. The only thing B.J. is going to have a problem with is Matt's strength and his ability to take people down.
In my estimation, B.J. didn't need to go up a weight division to fight Matt. Matt is too strong. Fighters who have gone down a weight division to fight Matt, and these guys who are really strong in their weight class, could not handle him. Matt, “pound for pound,” is the strongest fighter out there.
Boxinginsider.com: How much will the jump from lightweight to welterweight affect B.J?
Ken Shamrock: A lot, when it comes to strength. I do not think he's not used to facing guys as strong as Matt Hughes.
Boxinginsider.com: What strategies can B.J. draw on to counter Hughes’ incredible strength and win the fight?
Ken Shamrock: B.J. has to use the guard a lot. He has to move constantly to set up submissions and keep Matt from punching. The more submission attempts and the more B.J. is working for submissions, the more Matt has to defend -- and the more he is defending, the fewer chances he has to strike.
Boxinginsider.com: Frank Mir and Wes Sims square-off in a rematch. The first time Sims was DQ'd for stomping Mir. How do you expect this fight to proceed?
Ken Shamrock: This fight is difficult to predict. If Frank comes out aggressively, takes Wes down, and controls him, I see Frank submitting him. Frank might have to break something, because Wes isn't going to quit. Frank has to choke him unconscious or break something -- or have John stop it.
In order to be successful, Frank has to use his takedowns and get Wes to the mat. Once Frank has Wes on the mat, he has to slow-cook him-- control him, and let Wes spasm out -- because he's going to spasm. Wes is going to be throwing arms, elbows, and everything he can when he's on the ground for about thirty seconds to a minute. When he starts to settle down, then Frank can start moving in for submissions.
Boxinginsider.com: What does Mir have to do to counter Sims’ strength and aggression?
Ken Shamrock: He's got to take him down and he's got to control him -- let him flip and flop around until he slows down and then set him up for submission by striking him and moving him into a position for submission.
Boxinginsider.com: Sims lost control of himself in the last fight to earn the DQ, how will that incident affect him in this fight?
Ken Shamrock: It'll affect him. I think there is definitely a lot of aggression between the two of them. That’s why Frank has to take him down and get control before trying a submission: slow him down, let him tire himself out, and then submit him.
On the other hand, Sims has to stay on his feet and control his aggression. Wes is not going to get taken down easily, but he can be too aggressive and over commit.
Boxinginsider.com: Carlos Newton makes his return to the UFC. What are your thoughts on Carlos Newton’s abilities? Besides winning, what does he need to do to convince everyone, he deserves another shot at the Welterweight title?
Ken Shamrock: Well, Carlos Newton has some great abilities. He's a good striker, he's an excellent submission guy, he moves well, and he has a lot of charisma. In order to get another shot at the tile, he's got to win, just like anyone else.
Boxinginsider.com: What are your final thoughts on UFC 46? How does this last year stack up?
Ken Shamrock: Vitor Belfort -Randy Couture is going to be a great fight. It is a rematch and last time Randy beat him. In an interview, Vitor said, "I like you, but I'm going to hurt you."
I think, Vitor has finally got himself squared away and has a good opportunity of taking Randy out. He's healthy, strong, and mentally aware.
Ken Shamrock is "The Worlds Most Dangerous Man" and a regular contributor to BoxingInsider.com. Be on the look out for the all new KenShamrock.com which will be launched in the coming weeks!