Shamrock Sees New Prototype in GSP

Frank Shamrock knows a little something about legacy.

In wake of Georges St. Pierre’s clear-cut, albeit controversial, victory over B.J. Penn at UFC 94 last month, Shamrock believes the sport of mixed martial arts has found its next superstar. St. Pierre, who was later accused of “greasing,” smashed Penn over the course of their four-round affair at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“I think he’s your guy,” Shamrock said. “I wish he spoke better English; he’d certainly cross over easier. He’s your closest guy.”

Heralded as MMA’s first complete fighter, Shamrock was undefeated in five UFC appearances. He sees something special in St. Pierre, a dynamic 27-year-old entrenched near the top of every reputable pound-for-pound list.

“I enjoy watching him because he’s technically sound in the important areas, and he’s very efficient with his movements. He creates lots of energy; he uses constant motion and energy in his attacks,” Shamrock said. “He keeps the rest of it really simple -- basics that are highly effective. Every time he fights you can see he’s learned something.”

Placed second in Sherdog.com’s pound-for-pound rankings, the French-Canadian has won nine out of his last 10 bouts and five in a row. Shamrock, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, believes straight-forward technique in synergy elevates St. Pierre.

“It’s refining the basics and then joining them together,” he said. “We have great wrestlers, we have great strikers, we have great jiu-jitsu guys; there are very few guys who have connected all the parts. I was one of the early guys. He’s one of the new guys, but all of his stuff connects. The shots go into the takedowns go into the block go into the hold.”

Shamrock’s main concern with the Vaseline controversy surrounding the 170-pound king revolves around the efficiency of the athletic commissions and overseers of the sport. In addition, St. Pierre’s image may take a significant hit. Whatever the outcome, Shamrock knows St. Pierre’s talents will continue to propel him in the sport.

Shamrock sizes up the Penn-St. Pierre rematch and another potential mega fight between St. Pierre and middleweight killer Anderson Silva -- a man he refers to as “a freakin’ bad ass” -- in much the same way.

“We’ve definitely reached that point, where a punch plus 10 more pounds is a little too much,” Shamrock said.

Still, the former King of Pancrase insists he will fork over the “85 dollars or whatever it costs now” to watch St. Pierre and Silva collide. Another mega fight piques his interest, too, “but I don’t know if [St. Pierre] and I will end up together. I have the utmost respect for him. I think he’s a great martial artist.”

Long known for his studious approach to the game, Shamrock cross trained before it was in vogue. In examining St. Pierre, the MMA pioneer sees a similar kind of fighter.

“He’s probably better looking than me,” Shamrock said. “I would say, technically, if I was looking at the merits of his technical skill, I think he’s the guy [closest] to having it -- one game. I don’t know if that’s closest to me or nearest me, but he’s the closest to putting it all together.”

Shamrock appreciates not only St. Pierre’s in-cage approach but his humble persona outside of the ring. Improving English stands as perhaps the only obstacle to St. Pierre achieving true crossover stardom.

“The next level for us is for talent to be able to represent themselves at the level of fame and notoriety we are now achieving,” Shamrock said.

Shamrock believes the key to cultivating new, multi-dimensional talents like St. Pierre lies in community programs. Improved feeder systems are a must, according to the former UFC champion. Having fighters ascend through amateur ranks will ensure they are not rushed to the big stage, said Shamrock, who sees that step as paramount in the future of the sport.

“We developed the television, we developed the pay-per-view, we developed the spectacle,” said Shamrock, adding that the sporting aspect of MMA came after the fact.

Shamrock wants to continue to shape the sport -- he now has three gyms in the San Jose area -- as an entertainer, commentator and fighter. Next up is a bout against Nick Diaz to headline Strikeforce’s April 11 event on Showtime. Rematches with reigning Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le and Tito Ortiz remain possibilities down the line, and his brother, Ken, is a target as well.

“I’m gonna smash everybody,” said Shamrock, never one to lack confidence. “I’m tired of entertaining for the sake of entertainment. Now I’m just gonna destroy everybody, and people can just be entertained by that. I’ve decided my limbs are too valuable to be breaking for the entertainment of fans. I’m gonna break other people’s limbs.”