Bellator 149's Ken Shamrock files complaint with Texas commission over missed foul

UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock is not going quietly back to Nevada after a TKO loss to Royce Gracie in this past Friday’s Bellator 149 headliner.

On Sunday, Shamrock, via his legal rep, filed a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and asked the commission to overturn the result to a no-contest after the referee missed an illegal knee to the groin.

“The contest was stopped erroneously due to Ken Shamrock’s inability to fight back or protect himself after the illegal knee,” read a statement released today by the 52-year-old fighter, who raged at Gracie and referee Jacob Montalvo following the first-round stoppage.

Shamrock (28-17-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) later collected himself, apologizing to Gracie (15-2-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) for his outburst while maintaining he was fouled and Montalvo did not do his job.

A public records request for Shamrock’s complaint is pending with the TDLR, which oversaw the Spike-televised event at Houston’s Toyota Center. Spokesperson Susan Stanford confirmed to MMAjunkie the complaint was filed.

Shamrock, who resides in Reno, signed a one-fight deal to face Gracie in their third meeting years after a pair of fights in the no-holds-barred days of the UFC. Gracie first submitted Shamrock with a choke at UFC 1; two years later at UFC 5, they fought to a draw.

Gracie hadn’t fought since 2007, when he outpointed Kazushi Sakuraba and was later suspended after failing a steroid test. He was required to pay a fine to be licensed for Bellator 149. Shamrock returned to the Bellator cage after a knockout loss to Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson this past June in St. Louis.

Early on at Bellator 149, Gracie sniped at Shamrock with kicks, clinching to avoid punches. When the two locked up near the midway point of the opening frame, he landed the illegal knee, but then landed a knee to the head.

The sequence made it appear Shamrock was dropped by the latter blow, but video replays showed the fighter having what appeared to be a late reaction to the illegal strike. Nevertheless, Montalvo stepped in after Gracie landed a series of hammerfists to the downed Shamrock, calling off the bout at the 2:22 mark of the opening frame.

Shamrock stated in his release that a rematch is necessary to put the controversy to rest and close the door on his history with Gracie.

Here is Shamrock’s full statement:

“On Sunday, February 21, 2016, Team Shamrock has officially filed a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) disputing the foul missed by the ref for Bellator 149 on February 19, 2016. The contest was stopped erroneously due to Ken Shamrock’s inability to fight back or protect himself after the illegal knee to the groin. The replay of the low blow was shown several times to the fans at the Toyota Center where the contest was held. Each time it was played, the fans gasped and booed relentlessly when they witnessed the groin being kneed.

“Fans from around the world have been calling for an immediate rematch between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. There should be no delay scheduling this redo as the fans had expected to watch this historic bout. Instead, the fans who watched in record numbers were robbed from seeing what they were expecting to see. They expected to witness a rivalry 23 years in the making come to a close. However, the fans are left disenfranchised. The fans lost out on a missed call on an obvious illegal foul. Shamrock and Gracie fought in UFC 1 and 5, and most recently in Bellator 149, which was supposed to be the bout to finally settle things once and for all. That did NOT happen, but it should and soon.

“Furthermore, the next bout, if it is to happen, should NOT be ‘Shamrock vs Gracie 4.’ Rather, it should be a redo of ‘Shamrock vs Gracie 3.’ The Shamrock vs Gracie 3 fight is expected to be rendered a no-contest by the TDLR, which in essence would nullify the previous fight. Therefore, the next fight should be considered a restart of the original trilogy. The missed call warrants a full redo, and a complete rematch is essential to help preserve the rich history that these two fighters have created.

“A required rematch has seldom been as warranted as the recent Shamrock versus Gracie fight.

“A fight of such magnitude must NOT end on a missed call. This legendary fight diserves to happen the correct way—for the fans.

“Thank you for the support shown to Ken Shamrock. All the posts, comments, videos, and tweets are appreciated. Ken Shamrock reads the majority of them. Ken personally thanks you.”

For more on Bellator 149, check out the MMA Events section of the site.