Ten Years in the Making, Ian Freeman vs. Ken Shamrock Set for July in England

A fight 10 years in the making is on the verge of finally happening this summer in England. Ian Freeman and Ken Shamrock, two pioneering figures in mixed martial arts, have agreed to fight for Ultimate Cage Fighting Championships on July 27 in Doncaster.

“I’ve managed to get a long awaited fight with Ken Shamrock,” Freeman told MMAWeekly.com, confirming an earlier report by Sherdog.com that cited the event’s promoter, David Mangham.

The two wear originally slated to fight a decade ago in the Octagon at UFC 43, but that fight never happened. Shamrock pulled out of the fight in the final weeks leading up to the event, leaving Freeman to fight Shamrock’s student, Vernon White, to a draw.

Freeman, in a recent interview with GrappleTalk.com, said that Shamrock avoided another proposed fight with him several years ago under the Cage Rage banner, and was surprised when Shamrock recently called him out.

Neither fighter has been very active in mixed martial arts competition lately.

Shamrock (28-15-2) last fought in a losing effort to Mike Bourke in a King of the Cage event in late 2010. He’s fought 10 times in the 10 years since pulling out of the UFC 43 bout with Freeman, winning just three of those fights.

Freeman (19-7-1) hasn’t fought MMA since 2008, when he defeated Paul Cahoon, winning the Cage Rage British light heavyweight championship. He fought MMA just six times after drawing with White at UFC 43, amassing a 5-1 record during that span. Freeman does have a K-1 rules kickboxing victory over Andy Geer in May 2012 to his credit as well.

Returning after five years out of active competition in MMA, Freeman hasn’t yet decided if this is a comeback, but he also hasn’t declared this to be a one-and-done opportunity either.

“I will take one fight at a time,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “If I feel good I will no doubt have another.”