Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Frank Shamrock, challenger Cung Le, welterweight title hopefuls Jake Shields and Drew Fickett, as well as EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw got together today via conference call to discuss the upcoming Shamrock vs. Cung Le show taking place on March 29 at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, Calif.
The big news stemming from the call is that EliteXC plans to announce the date and fight card participants for its debut on CBS sometime tomorrow (March 19). Kimbo Slice is expected to headline the show; however, Shaw would not reveal any details about looming announcement.
We’ll pass along the details of this announcement as soon as it becomes available.
In the meantime, here are some highlights of the teleconference.
Gary Shaw:
On Shamrock vs. Cung Le — “This is one of the best cards we’ve ever put on. We plan to do one million at the gate. This is a fight that is truly for the king of the bay area and of San Jose. It’s young vs. old.”
On Frank Shamrock — “No organization has the best fighters or the best fights, but the best fighter in the world, hands down, bar none, is Frank Shamrock.”
When asked about putting on a fight between Randy Couture and Fedor — “I do not interfere with other orgainizations contracts, we respect the fighter, respect the contract, and respect the UFC. I have talked to Fedor, but not to Randy Couture, not until his UFC deal is up. But yes, I would sign that fight in a heartbeat.”
On Andrei Arlovski and Tito Ortiz - “There are many fighters out there that I’m interested in, Arlovski is one of them. But again, we have to wait until his UFC deal is up. I’m a big fan of Tito Ortiz and I hope to do business with him in the future. Tito would be a big fight for Frank.”
On the first CBS show — “There will be a CBS press release tomorrow announcing the date of the first show and some of the fighters competing on that show. Let me just say it will take place a lot sooner than later.” (Later he was asked when Robbie Lawler and Gina Carano’s next fights would be and he said to wait for the press release tomorrow.)
Frank Shamrock:
Frank is a very confident guy, almost cocky at times. He seems like he has no worries about Cung Le or this fight.
On fighting Cung Le (mash) — “Fighting Cung Le in San Jose is a dream for myself and the community…. Cung Le better keep his hands up…. Like most Cung Le is scared to go to the ground with me…. Cung Le is a great striker, but he’s not prepared for an mma striking match…. I’m going to push the pace hard and try to end it in two because my wife is pregnant and I want to get home in case the baby pops out.”
On the best fighter in the world — “Anderson Silva is not the best fighter in the world. Best in the UFC, but all the best fighters aren’t in the UFC. I have 100 percent confidence that if I ran into him, they would be calling me the best.”
On Ken Shamrock — “I was disappointed in Ken’s performance. I don’t know if he has the heart of a lion anymore. I just hope he has a little something left so I can take it from him.”
On Tito Ortiz - “I think its a great idea to rematch Tito. I’ve talked to him and we’re trying to work it out now. I beat him with striking when I was terrible at striking. I’ll destroy him now, but it would be a great money fight.”
Cung Le:
Le was very respectful toward Shamrock. He was very thankful to ProElite and Strikeforce for the opportunity.
On Frank Shamrock (mash) — “I’m happy to be a part of this card in San Jose. This is the biggest fight of my career. I’ve been training so hard for this fight. Frank is a great fighter. He’s fought big guys like Tito. I have a lot of respect for him…. If he chooses to stand it will be a great fight…. It’s all a smoke screen. Frank’s an intelligent fighter. He says he’s going to strike, but he’ll jump on an ankle or start hunting for my knee. I’m an intelligent fighter too and I’ll be prepared either way.”
Jake Shields:
This kid talks and acts like a champion. He has confidence and class. Shaw said over and over that he thought Shields was the best fighter in the world at 170 pounds.
On Drew Fickett — “I have a lot of respect for Drew. I think we match up well and it should be a good fight. I’m prepared for a war. Fickett is good on his feet, he’s good on the ground, its going to be a war.”
On fighting for the EliteXC belt — “I’ve held some titles over in Japan, but this is a legit one of the biggest titles in the world.”
Drew Fickett:
It’s just another day at the office for Fickett. He’s a fighter and just likes to fight.
On Jake Shields - “I think stylistically we match up well. Shields is one of the more underrated fighters in the world. I just hope I can go five rounds and do well. Theres going to be a lot of scrambling, striking, ground, me and Jake are going to push each other. This is the first fight I’ve been motivated for in 10 years.”
On fighting for the EliteXC title — “I’m more excited to be fighting Jake than to be fighting for a title.”
That’s pretty much the meat of the call.
Strikeforce: “Shamrock vs. Cung Le” will air on Showtime March 29 at 9 p.m. ET LIVE from San Jose, Calif. The other main card fights are: Gilbert Melendez vs. Gabe Lemley for the Strikeforce lightweight title, Nick Diaz vs. Jae Suk Lim and Joey Villasenor vs. Evangelista Santos.
24 Comments »
i guess we shouldn’t be surprised Kimbo is headlining the show.. i was hoping that’d have someone with a bit more credibility to headline something that is supposed to draw in new fans.
[quote comment=”373332″]i guess we shouldn’t be surprised Kimbo is headlining the show.. i was hoping that’d have someone with a bit more credibility to headline something that is supposed to draw in new fans.[/quote]
It’s “expected,” meaning nothing is official until we hear word tomorrow. Just want to clarify.
oh and p.s. LOL @ frank saying he would destroy Anderson Silva. Dana should book this interpromotional fight just so Anderson can shove some crow in Frank’s open mouth.
[quote comment=”373333″][quote comment=”373332″]i guess we shouldn’t be surprised Kimbo is headlining the show.. i was hoping that’d have someone with a bit more credibility to headline something that is supposed to draw in new fans.[/quote]
It’s “expected,” meaning nothing is official until we hear word tomorrow. Just want to clarify.[/quote]
yeah i saw that, i guess i should have worded my reply differently. here is hoping this is one expectation that isn’t met.
Shamrock is such a loud mouth. I wish he could fight Anderson Silva, it would last 30 seconds.
LOL. Shamrock beating Silva? Yes, keep dreaming. Maybe if he was at his prime he would have a chance, but right now Silva would punish him so badly that Shamrock would crumble into a thousand shattered pieces. I hope he loses this fight, hes just too arrogant and disrespectful. Hopefully Cung Le can overwhelm Frank with his striking but if he is taken to the ground id have to say it will be Shamrock winning. Having said that, I dont think Le will allow him to close in too much for a take down.
I really hope Le wins this fight. Highlight reel KO style.
Lol. Wow is Frank talkin outta his ass or what? Silva would kill him if they ever had tha chance to fight, i think he’s a fag now that he said that i hope he loses to Le now.
Gary Shaw: Hyping fighters is one thing and I can understand it, but calling Frank Shamrock and Jake Shields the best in the world at anything is just plain silly. Who do you expect to take these sorts of statements seriously?
Man I don’t know who I want to lose more, Frank or Cung Le. I HATE Frank and hope he looses because I wish that fool would SHUT UP. He would die when faced with Anderson. But if Cung wins everybody is gonna jump on that bandwagon which will frusterate the hell outta me. I guess though it would be best for the world as a whole if Frank lost.
Im not sure how many of you have seen Le’s San Shou fights, but the guy has OUTSTANDING judo throws, very Karo Parysian like. If it comes to a clinch, I thing Cung might look to throw Frank instead of seperate. Either way, I see Le piecing fake shamrock up for the first two rounds. Third round shamrock gets DQ’d for an illegal blow, then talks shit about how Le could have continued but was scared. The guy’s just an ass.
I really wish roid boy Baroni had beaten Frank. Did you see how messed up he was when he left the cage that night? That guy thinks he can beat Silva? I bet Filho sold him the rest of his stash.
cant wait to see this fight
i mentioned this in the other thread, but it was passed over… seeing as how Frank Shamrock is involved and we all know what he is willing to do in the ring, this is probably a stupid question, but… what would happen if the fight ended in a DQ due to an illegal blow of some sort, would Le get the belt or would frank hold onto it because of a loophole.. i’ve never seen this happen, but this is MMA and “anything can happen”
not that i’m saying frank would intentionally get DQ’d or anything *rolls eyes*
dont kno dat much bout cung lee. anybody got any links to vids?
Seems to be so many “young” MMA fans in mmamania.
Just because you don’t “like” Frank does not mean you mean you have to be so biased.
Look at his record FIRST!
When Frank retired after beating Tito, he was the best in the business. Look at videos and record at wikipedia. Hardly any other mma star has a similar path. And he really did have a lot tough machtes back then.
Now that he’s back, he still nr. 1 favorite and still under 40 so not too old. I tip him based on his past and recent achievements to be the best in the world at Middleweight. Unless he gets beaten by Cung Le of course, to be fair to Cung.
I’ve watched Silva, and i see him tied with Frank - as long as they haven’t fought. People watch fights because they aren’t 100% sure who’ll win. Obviously based on age, Silva would have an edge.
But guys: don’t get brainwashed by UFC propaganda that they are the only legid mma organisation. Look at how many good guys aren’t there:
Fedor, Couture, Josh Barnett, Igor,Pedro Rizzo
[quote post=”5390″]Seems to be so many “young” MMA fans in mmamania.
Just because you don’t “like” Frank does not mean you mean you have to be so biased.
Look at his record FIRST!
When Frank retired after beating Tito, he was the best in the business. Look at videos and record at wikipedia. Hardly any other mma star has a similar path. And he really did have a lot tough machtes back then.
Now that he’s back, he still nr. 1 favorite and still under 40 so not too old. I tip him based on his past and recent achievements to be the best in the world at Middleweight. Unless he gets beaten by Cung Le of course, to be fair to Cung.
I’ve watched Silva, and i see him tied with Frank - as long as they haven’t fought. People watch fights because they aren’t 100% sure who’ll win. Obviously based on age, Silva would have an edge.
But guys: don’t get brainwashed by UFC propaganda that they are the only legid mma organisation. Look at how many good guys aren’t there:
Fedor, Couture, Josh Barnett, Igor,Pedro Rizzo [/quote]
He hasnt fought anyone of great calibre in the past 8 years. His last real tough opponent was Tito. You cant consider him the best middleweight when the most notable fighter he has fought since Tito was a washed up Phil Baroni, who had him in trouble for a bit. Silva has fought real fighters now in Henderson, Franklin, Murray, Lutter. This isnt even a debate. Silva is hands down the best middleweight in the world. If they were both at their prime then maybe this would be a different story, but to consider Frank better or even equal to Silva is an insult to everyone who knows MMA.
I really would like to see Cung Le, kick Franks head off. As for predictions, Frank is a hard fighter to predict so I really dont know how this will all shape out.
[quote comment=”373548″]Gary Shaw: Hyping fighters is one thing and I can understand it, but calling Frank Shamrock and Jake Shields the best in the world at anything is just plain silly. Who do you expect to take these sorts of statements seriously?[/quote]
Considering Frank Shamrock as the #1 MW and to be better than Anderson Silva means you are simply out of your mind. Both Shaw and Shamrock seem to think so. In a weak MW division, Frank Shamrock isn’t even Top 5 anymore.
However, Gary Shaw saying that Jake Shields is the Top WW in the world is not as big of a stretch. Of course, GSP is the #1 WW in the world right now, but Jake Shields can DEFINITELY make an arguement for #2.
Jake Shields can’t make an argument for #2 WW. Not even close. His competition level isn’t near what the guys in the UFC have faced (GSP, Hughes, Fitch, Koscheck, Diego, Karo, Serra). His best win is Condit, and that doesn’t get him even in the Top 5 WWs in the world. He may have the skills to be Top 5, but he’s got to prove it first.
damnit Frank!!! i was just starting to like u again. why did u go running your mouth. if u ran into anderson silva?? maybe with your car. (not to steal don fryes joke on ken shamrock about the worlds most dangerous man)
[quote comment=”374679″]Jake Shields can’t make an argument for #2 WW. Not even close. His competition level isn’t near what the guys in the UFC have faced (GSP, Hughes, Fitch, Koscheck, Diego, Karo, Serra). His best win is Condit, and that doesn’t get him even in the Top 5 WWs in the world. He may have the skills to be Top 5, but he’s got to prove it first.[/quote]
For one, Jake SCHOOLED Fitch in a grappling tourny a while back, so it’s not like he hasnt faced competition at UFC level. Jake can definently be argued at number 2, I personally believe he is. I would love nothing more then to see him tested more and more I think he would be the best WW match up for GSP right now besides Penn.
[quote comment=”374186″]Seems to be so many “young” MMA fans in mmamania.
Just because you don’t “like” Frank does not mean you mean you have to be so biased.
Look at his record FIRST!
When Frank retired after beating Tito, he was the best in the business. Look at videos and record at wikipedia. Hardly any other mma star has a similar path. And he really did have a lot tough machtes back then.
Now that he’s back, he still nr. 1 favorite and still under 40 so not too old. I tip him based on his past and recent achievements to be the best in the world at Middleweight. Unless he gets beaten by Cung Le of course, to be fair to Cung.
I’ve watched Silva, and i see him tied with Frank - as long as they haven’t fought. People watch fights because they aren’t 100% sure who’ll win. Obviously based on age, Silva would have an edge.
But guys: don’t get brainwashed by UFC propaganda that they are the only legid mma organisation. Look at how many good guys aren’t there:
Fedor, Couture, Josh Barnett, Igor,Pedro Rizzo[/quote]
New MMA fans? This site has some of the most educated appreciated fans out there, ive been around, your preachin to the choir my friend. And on Shamrock, beating Tito years back was his biggest highlight he had, which doesnt make him anywhere near top tier. I don’t believe Tito has gotten worse, but that the competition has gotten better, adn more of it, becuase of this I put Frank in teh same boat, him and Tito were pretty even back then, and I think Frank just cant hang with today’s competition like he could with yesterday’s.
His most recent top tier fight was agaisnt Renzo, who was taking him down at will, and out positioning the heck out of Frank until the illegal blow. Frank is done, and let me just add, I hate him.
“It’s young vs. old.”
Does no one realize that Shamrock is only 5 MONTHS older than Le?
[quote post=”5390″]New MMA fans? This site has some of the most educated appreciated fans out there, ive been around, your preachin to the choir my friend. And on Shamrock, beating Tito years back was his biggest highlight he had, which doesnt make him anywhere near top tier. I don’t believe Tito has gotten worse, but that the competition has gotten better, adn more of it, becuase of this I put Frank in teh same boat, him and Tito were pretty even back then, and I think Frank just cant hang with today’s competition like he could with yesterday’s.
His most recent top tier fight was agaisnt Renzo, who was taking him down at will, and out positioning the heck out of Frank until the illegal blow. Frank is done, and let me just add, I hate him. [/quote]
Brilliant post