10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Nov 30)

2. Ken Shamrock Initially Thought UFC Was Pro Wrestling

Nobody in the history of ever will confuse Dana White's UFC with a corny movie about Hulk Hogan's quest to fend off Zeus. Nobody aside from Ken Shamrock, that is.

Back in the early-90s, Shamrock was earning a living by teaching students how to fight and dipping his toe into Pancrase. One day, he told Fighter Interviews, a student handed him a flyer for the new Ultimate Fighting Championship. On the ad, in bold lettering, were the words, 'No Holds Barred'.

That, to Ken, meant only one thing. He recalled seeing the 'No Holds Barred' movie co-produced by Vince McMahon and the WWF in the late-80s, and he immediately disregarded UFC as pro wrestling. Laughing, the student told him it wasn't wrestling, it was MMA, and the card would be based around genuine fights, not theatrics.

So, to recap, the very first time Ken Shamrock heard about UFC, he started comparing it to Rip Thomas, Zeus and Brell, the head of the fictional World Television Network.