Bellator 149's Ken Shamrock on 'getting screwed' in UFC 1 bout against Royce Gracie

It’s gotta be the shoes. At least, that’s what Ken Shamrock would have you believe led to his shocking 57-second rear-naked-choke submission loss to Royce Gracie 22 years ago at UFC 1.

Shamrock (28-16-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) believes the November 1993 event was rigged in Gracie’s (14-12-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) favor and cites the fact that after assuming the event was an “anything-goes” affair, the promoters took his wrestling shoes away.

Shamrock had worn his shoes in his three previous MMA bouts. The two met a second time in 1995 at UFC 5 and battled to a draw after 36 minutes, but nothing has ever been settled in Shamrock’s mind.

It’s a situation Shamrock has discussed multiple times through the years. Ahead of his third fight with Gracie, which airs tonight on Spike as Bellator 149’s headliner at Houston’s Toyota Center, he rehashed the situation.

“I figured everything was even until I got in there and I fought and I found out I’d been screwed,” Shamrock said. “The day before the fight, they said that it was no rules, no time limit and anything goes. The day before the fight, they take my wrestling shoes away. If you look at that fight, my feet are slipping all over the place trying to get a grip to finish the submission hold I had on him. What happened to the no rules and anything goes?”

Shamrock also said that, more than 20 years after the first meeting, he can’t wrap his head around how his wrestling shoes were considered a “weapon” yet no consideration was given to Gracie’s choice of attire.

“For that split second, I’m going, ‘He just choked me – with a gi. How is that not a weapon?’” he said.

Check out the full video above.

And for more on Bellator 149, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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