The Lion's Den is an American
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
team and training facility that was based out of
Lodi, California
Lodi ( ) is a city located in San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County, California, in the center portion of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. The population was 62,134 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 cen ...
and
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
but has recently moved its headquarters to
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
. The team was founded in the early 1990s by
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
, and was the most dominant fight camp in the early UFC. It featured fighters such as
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and ...
,
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger (born January 1, 1968) is an American martial artist, who competed in professional combat sports including Full Contact Karate, Kickboxing, and Boxing, but is most recognized as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. Mezger retired fro ...
,
Vernon "Tiger" White,
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander (born February 12, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight (under 200 lb) tournament at ''UFC 12''. He was a membe ...
,
Tra Telligman
Tracy Telligman (most often billed as "Tra" Telligman ; born February 7, 1965) is a retired American mixed martial artist and boxer who has fought in the UFC, PRIDE, and Pancrase. He is also known for fighting despite having only one pectoralis m ...
,
Pete Williams, and
Mikey Burnett
Michael Wayne Burnett (born April 12, 1974) is a former American mixed martial artist who was a member of the fight team the Lion's Den. Burnett lost a controversial decision to Pat Miletich in a UFC title fight for the UFC Welterweight Champio ...
. The Lion's Den now features many new training facilities, including Lion's Den Arizona, Lion's Den Connecticut, and Lion's Den Reno.
Establishment
The team was founded out of necessity, as the then-new sport of
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
began to take off in the early-to-mid 1990s. Shamrock, who had fought at ''
UFC 1
''The Ultimate Fighting Championship'' (later renamed ''UFC 1: The Beginning'') was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, United States, on November ...
'', had trouble finding adequate sparring partners to prepare for fights. Shamrock attracted the attention of American fighters
Vernon White and
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger (born January 1, 1968) is an American martial artist, who competed in professional combat sports including Full Contact Karate, Kickboxing, and Boxing, but is most recognized as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. Mezger retired fro ...
early on, and formed the first ever mixed martial arts team in the
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
In trying to come up with a name for it, Shamrock recalled a documentary he saw about lions. The documentary showed how a group of lions hunted their prey and worked together. He felt his group of fighters should work the same way and be like a family, so he chose to name his gym the Lion's Den.
"Top of the Food Chain"
The Lion's Den was highly successful for many years and was widely regarded as one of, if not the best,
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
schools in the world throughout the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. Fighters such as
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger (born January 1, 1968) is an American martial artist, who competed in professional combat sports including Full Contact Karate, Kickboxing, and Boxing, but is most recognized as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. Mezger retired fro ...
,
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
,
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and ...
, and
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander (born February 12, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight (under 200 lb) tournament at ''UFC 12''. He was a membe ...
all became UFC Champions.
Mikey Burnett
Michael Wayne Burnett (born April 12, 1974) is a former American mixed martial artist who was a member of the fight team the Lion's Den. Burnett lost a controversial decision to Pat Miletich in a UFC title fight for the UFC Welterweight Champio ...
came very close to winning the
UFC Welterweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
, losing a controversial split decision to
Pat Miletich
Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1966) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC ...
at
UFC Brazil
''UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil'' (also known as ''UFC Ultimate Brazil'' or ''UFC 17.5'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in São Paulo, Brazil on October 16, 1998. The event was seen on pay-per-view in the ...
. Guy Mezger was consistently ranked in the top 10 as a
Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...
during his time with the UFC and PRIDE, and was ranked as high as the #6
Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...
fighter in the world in 2001, behind such notable names as
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz (; born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist and politician. He is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UF ...
,
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the ...
,
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson (born August 24, 1970) is an American retired mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler, who last competed as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the last Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champi ...
,
Chuck Liddell, and Scott Bessac in 1995 was ranked as high as #16 in the world amongst all fighters in any divisions. Slipped to #19 in 1996 but ended up being ranked #87 out of 100 of the greatest fighters of the decade of the 1990's. Ahead of Randy couture.Lion's Den was also dominant in the
King of the Cage
King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States.
History
KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...
promotion in the early 2000s, which at the time was an upper echelon MMA promotion.
Vernon White and Joe Hurley both achieved championship gold in
KOTC
King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States.
History
KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...
.
It was fighters who had roots in the Lion's Den that were the original champions in three of the
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
's first four weight divisions. Ken Shamrock was the original UFC superfight champion in 1995, beating
Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn (born June 8, 1958), nicknamed "The Beast", is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. A UFC Hall of Fame member, Severn is considered one of the leading pioneers of mixed marti ...
, which became the UFC heavyweight championship.
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and ...
was the first UFC middleweight champion in 1997, beating Olympic gold medal winning wrestler
Kevin Jackson
Kevin Andre Jackson (born November 25, 1964 in Highland Falls, New York) is an American retired freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, and mixed martial artist. Following his competitive career, Jackson would become a wrestling coach.
During his i ...
, which is now the UFC light heavyweight championship.
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist and undefeated boxer and kickboxer. Pulver was the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion in addition to serving as the head coach on ''The Ultimate ...
, who trained briefly at the Lion's Den in 1999 before joining Bob Shamrock's "Shamrock 2000" MMA gym and then moving on to
MFS, beat
Caol Uno
(born May 8, 1975) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is the Co-Champion of the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament and a former Shooto Lightweight Champion. As one of the early Ultimate Fighting Championship's el ...
to become the first UFC bantamweight champion in 2001, which is now the UFC lightweight championship.
Mikey Burnett
Michael Wayne Burnett (born April 12, 1974) is a former American mixed martial artist who was a member of the fight team the Lion's Den. Burnett lost a controversial decision to Pat Miletich in a UFC title fight for the UFC Welterweight Champio ...
lost a close split decision to
Pat Miletich
Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1966) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC ...
for the creation of the UFC lightweight championship in 1999, which is today's welterweight title.
Other fighters, such as
Tra Telligman
Tracy Telligman (most often billed as "Tra" Telligman ; born February 7, 1965) is a retired American mixed martial artist and boxer who has fought in the UFC, PRIDE, and Pancrase. He is also known for fighting despite having only one pectoralis m ...
and
Pete Williams, earned the respect of the MMA world by defeating giants of the sport in upset fashion. Telligman defeated one of Pride's best fighters,
Igor Vovchanchyn
Igor Yaroslavovych Vovchanchyn (, uk, Ігор Ярославович Вовчанчин; born August 6, 1973) is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer, who competed in early no holds barred MMA contests. After making his profess ...
, at
Pride 13 - Collision Course in a stunning upset. After this victory, Tra was ranked as the #10
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...
fighter in the world in MMA.
Williams knocked out former UFC Heavyweight Champion
Mark Coleman
Mark Daniel Coleman (born December 20, 1964) is an American retired mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and amateur wrestler. Coleman was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first UFC Heavyweight Champion, and the Pride Fig ...
with a high kick to the head in overtime at
UFC 17
''UFC 17: Redemption'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 15, 1998, at the Mobile Civic Center, in Mobile, Alabama. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on h ...
, and eventually earned a
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
title shot. Pete Williams was also ranked as high as the #6
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...
fighter in the world as of May 2000. The Lion's Den was also successful in the
Pancrase
Pancrase Inc. is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki.
The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the Ancient Olympic Games. Suzuki and Funaki pr ...
organization. Ken Shamrock and Guy Mezger became
King of Pancrase multiple times, and Frank Shamrock won the interim
King of Pancrase title.
The Lion's Den also attracted many top fighters from outside to seek help in their training, including UFC Heavyweight Champion
Mark Coleman
Mark Daniel Coleman (born December 20, 1964) is an American retired mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and amateur wrestler. Coleman was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first UFC Heavyweight Champion, and the Pride Fig ...
,
UFC 6
''UFC 6: Clash of the Titans'' was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and l ...
tournament Champion
Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov (russian: Оле́г Никола́евич Такта́ров; born 26 August 1967) is a Russian actor and retired mixed martial artist. He was a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and competed in the Ultimate Fighting Cham ...
, and UFC Heavyweight Champion
Maurice Smith. After losing at
UFC 5
''UFC 5: The Return of the Beast'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 7, 1995, at the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The event was seen live on pay per view in the ...
, Taktarov went to live and train with the Lion's Den, and subsequently went on to win the
UFC 6
''UFC 6: Clash of the Titans'' was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and l ...
tournament.
Maurice Smith, a world class kickboxer, offered to help the Lion's Den with their striking in exchange for help with his submission and ground skills. While training with the Lion's Den, Maurice Smith defeated Mark Coleman to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship, and became the first striker to survive the attack of a world class wrestler. Smith later joined forces with Lion's Den fighter
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and ...
to form their own team, called The Alliance. Coleman, after losing two fights in a row to Lion's Den fighters, went to train with the Lion's Den and was coached and cornered by
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
at
UFC 18
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
.
Lion's Den Champions
*
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
: 3 time
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
Superfight Champion, 1st
King of Pancrase (Pancrase 1994), King of Pancrase Tournament winner
*
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger (born January 1, 1968) is an American martial artist, who competed in professional combat sports including Full Contact Karate, Kickboxing, and Boxing, but is most recognized as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. Mezger retired fro ...
:
UFC 13
''UFC 13: The Ultimate Force'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 30, 1997 in Augusta, Georgia. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on home video.
History
...
Champion, 7th
King of Pancrase (Pancrase 1998)
*
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and ...
: 5 time undefeated
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
Middleweight (205 lb) Champion,
Strikeforce
Strike Force may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game
*'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game
*'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game
*''Marvel Strike Force'', ...
Middleweight champion,
WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, Interim
King of Pancrase
*
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander (born February 12, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight (under 200 lb) tournament at ''UFC 12''. He was a membe ...
:
UFC 12
''UFC 12: Judgement Day'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 7, 1997 at the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later releas ...
Champion
*
Maurice Smith:
UFC Heavyweight Champion
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
*
Vernon White:
King of the Cage
King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States.
History
KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...
Middleweight Champion, IFC Heavyweight Champion
*
Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov (russian: Оле́г Никола́евич Такта́ров; born 26 August 1967) is a Russian actor and retired mixed martial artist. He was a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and competed in the Ultimate Fighting Cham ...
:
UFC 6
''UFC 6: Clash of the Titans'' was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and l ...
Champion
*
Roy Nelson:
IFL IFL may refer to:
;American football
*Intense Football League, (2004–2008) in the United States, merged into the Indoor Football League
*Indoor Football League, (2008–present) in the United States
*Intercontinental Football League, a European l ...
Heavyweight Champion,
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights winner
*Kevin Christopher: King of the Jungle Middleweight Champion
*
Travis Lutter
Travis Lutter (born May 12, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist who won ''The Ultimate Fighter 4'' reality show. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlos Machado.
Background
Lutter was born and raised in Gann Valley, ...
:
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
Ultimate Fighter 4 Middleweight Winner
*Joe Hurley:
King of the Cage
King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States.
History
KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...
Middleweight Champion
Tryouts
Historically, the Lion's Den is known for its brutal try-outs.
"Marine boot camp is not fun. It is not pretty. That's because they are preparing you for war. I am preparing my fighters for war," Shamrock said when discussing the tryout. Once accepted into the Den, the members would be financially backed by Shamrock, so Shamrock made the tryout very difficult to ensure the fighter was totally committed to becoming a professional fighter.
The try out consisted of the following:
* 500
Squat (exercise), squats
* 200
push ups
* 200
sit ups
* run
* Repeated runs up and down bleacher steps
*
Bear-crawl
Crawling or quadrupedal movement is a method of human locomotion that makes use of all four limbs. It is one of the earliest gaits learned by human infants, and has similar features to four-limbed movement in other primates and in non-primate qu ...
s up steep hills
* Lugging heavy barrels of water and sand bags up steep hills
* The candidates who were still left at this point would then go on to do as many pull-ups as they can without stopping.
* Candidates then went to the actual Lion's Den facility for several hours of sparring.
Shamrock wanted fighters that could get through this ordeal without quitting, even after their body had failed on them, in order to see how serious the fighter was about dedicating his life to MMA fighting.
The Lion's Den tryouts have been criticized by some for their level of brutality. However, Lion's Den fighter and UFC champion
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander (born February 12, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight (under 200 lb) tournament at ''UFC 12''. He was a membe ...
said the difficulty of the tryouts are exaggerated: "Most of those stories are like urban myth. Don't get me wrong, the tryout was hard, but far from impossible. We had a few guys that passed it that would never be good candidates for a pro fight. You had to be in shape and have a great deal of determination. I wish I could give you a good story, but most of them are the type that you would have had to experience in person." Bohlander added, "Most of the horror stories that you've heard were from guys that came in but couldn't cut it."
Ken Shamrock has since adjusted the tryout. Currently, The Lion's Den conducts tryouts by showcasing fighters' skills in a series of drills and live competition put on by Ken Shamrock. The new tryout format allows Ken to evaluate toughness and skill, while making cuts to determine who he wants to represent the Den.
Feuds
The Lion's Den has engaged in a feud with
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz (; born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist and politician. He is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UF ...
. The feud began to build when Ortiz, with his fingers, acted like he was shooting at the Lion's Den corner and coach Ken Shamrock after his win over
Jerry Bohlander
Jerry Bohlander (born February 12, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. He is most notable for his UFC appearances and was a former UFC champion, winning the first lightweight (under 200 lb) tournament at ''UFC 12''. He was a membe ...
at
UFC 18
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
, and additionally put on a disrespectful shirt in the octagon after the fight with Bohlander. The feud exploded after his second fight with
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger (born January 1, 1968) is an American martial artist, who competed in professional combat sports including Full Contact Karate, Kickboxing, and Boxing, but is most recognized as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. Mezger retired fro ...
at
UFC 19 when Ortiz put on a shirt that said "Gay Mezger is my Bitch" and gave the middle finger to the Lion's Den corner. Ken Shamrock leaped onto the top of the cage and screamed at Ortiz, angrily waving his finger in Ortiz's face and ordering Ortiz to put a cease to the disrespectful acts. Ortiz's antics enraged the Lion's Den, especially Guy Mezger and leader Ken Shamrock.
Ortiz then fought Frank Shamrock at
UFC 22
''UFC 22: Only One Can be Champion'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 1999 at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
History
The event was headlined by a Light Heavyw ...
for the
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
. Shamrock defeated Ortiz via submission from strikes, and proceeded to make an obscene gesture at Ortiz's corner after the victory.
At
UFC 40
''UFC 40: Vendetta'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 22, 2002, at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The event was broadcast live on pay per view in the United Sta ...
, Ken Shamrock fought Tito Ortiz for the
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
in one of the biggest and most hyped MMA fights of all time. Ortiz defeated Shamrock by corner stoppage after the third round ended. After the fight was over, Shamrock raised Ortiz's hand and embraced him, seemingly putting an end to the rivalry. However, Shamrock fought Ortiz with a torn ACL (a severe knee injury), and when Shamrock made light of his injury, Ortiz took it as Shamrock making excuses for the loss and they began feuding again. The rivalry did not end until 2006 at
Ortiz vs Shamrock 3 - The Final Chapter, where Ortiz defeated a 42-year-old Shamrock by KO due to strikes.
The Lion's Den has also engaged in a feud with Gracie Jiu Jitsu. The Lion's Den claims that their submission fighting style is superior to Gracie Jiu Jitsu, while the Gracie's have maintained that their style is superior. Specifically, Ken Shamrock has been a longtime rival of
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer, and a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A member of the Gracie family, he is considered to be one of the most influential figures i ...
, and Frank Shamrock has engaged in a feud with the Cesar Gracie camp.
IFL Fight Team
The Lions Den was one of the camps who participated in the late
International Fight League
The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006, and closed on July 31, 2008. . Coached by MMA legend
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
, the Lion's Den took the place of the
Nevada Lions
The Nevada Lions were an International Fight League team based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. Coached by UFC and MMA legend Ken Shamrock the Lions were one of four teams established at the beginning of the 2007 season.
Record/Roster
The L ...
when the IFL decided to focus more on a camp-based system than a team-based system.
Roy Nelson, a member of the Lion's Den, was the IFL's final Heavyweight Champion before it disbanded.
Other notable associated fighters
*
Roy Nelson
*
Travis Lutter
Travis Lutter (born May 12, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist who won ''The Ultimate Fighter 4'' reality show. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlos Machado.
Background
Lutter was born and raised in Gann Valley, ...
*
Virgil Lozano
Virgil Lozano (born Virgilio Arturo Lozano Soto; December 8, 1979) is a Mexican mixed martial artist and a Pankration Athlema World Championship medalist.
Lozano was the last Middleweight Champion of the Cage of Fire and Baja Cage Fighting MMA ...
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Edwin Dewees
Edwin Stanton Dewees (born August 7, 1982 in Florence, South Carolina) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor from 2000 to 2014, he was featured on ''The Ultimate Fi ...
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John Gunderson
John Edward Gunderson (born May 1, 1980) is a retired American mixed martial artist. He used to fight with the UFC and SCC also numerous other organizations being a champion or fighting for the championship in many of them. Once he was a top 1 ...
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Jason Delucia
Jason DeLucia (born July 24, 1969) is an American retired mixed martial artist.
Biography
DeLucia practiced the Five Animals style of Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Aikido, Karate, and Judo. He is remembered by UFC enthusiasts for being in the very first fi ...
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Pat "Bam Bam" Healy
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Herbert "Whisper" Goodman
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Chris Pierce
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Edward Ratcliff
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Shannon Ritch
Shannon Grey Ritch (born September 27, 1970) is an American professional mixed martial artist, boxer, grappler, professional wrestler and kickboxer. In mixed martial arts competition he is the former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and the ...
See also
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List of Top Professional MMA Training Camps
This is a list of notable present professional training camps and gyms in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Zinedine Nyakudya
Currently the intense rivalries between the top fighting camps and the fighters training there is an under-reported part of pr ...
References
External links
Ken Shamrock's official Lion's Den pageLions Den on the GymDbThelionsdenct.com
{{MMA Team List
1994 establishments in California
Mixed martial arts training facilities
International Fight League