When Ken Shamrock steps into the Bellator cage on June 19 to take on Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, it will have been nearly five years since the UFC Hall of Fame inductee last fought.
The 51-year-old last competed in November 2010. Leading up to the Bellator 138 event, Shamrock keeps getting asked the same question: why are you doing this?
“I’m trying to put myself on the opposite side of the question when people ask me, ‘why are you doing this?’ And I keep getting the same question, over and over again. I’m trying to put myself on the other side of that so I understand why it is that I keep getting asked the same question. And I think the reason being is that it’s probably difficult for someone to understand,” said Shamrock during a recent media conference call.
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“I’m not really gaining anything (by returning to the cage). I’m not looking to gain anything. I’m hoping to live my life to its fullest. I really enjoy what I do,” he explained.
“I enjoy sparring, I enjoy game planning, setting strategies, and working with a group of people to accomplish a goal. In the end, when you accomplish that goal, there’s no better feeling in the world than to have a group of people who set out on a journey and they accomplish the goal they set out on together with all the plans working out the way you wanted them to. You’re standing there at the end getting your hand raised and everyone is in the zone, endorphins are running; it’s a great feeling. I don’t know what to compare it to but it’s a feeling you never want to lose but you know it’s going to have to go away,” added Shamrock.
Shamrock was given the opportunity to step back inside the cage and jumped at the chance to capture a piece of past glory.
“I’m going to live this thing as long as I can live it. I’m going to enjoy this thing as long as I’m allowed to enjoy it, and I wish that people would enjoy it with me.”
