Sloan: Now, away from that and on to the questions that people also want to hear and, of course, the ones you expect. What is the latest on Cesar Gracie? That fight’s been on, off, on, off. What’s the latest?
Sloan: In your opinion what’s taking so long for California? Do you think its ignorance on their part because they don’t know the sport or that they don’t think there is enough money generated or interest? What do you think the problem is with California and mixed martial arts?
Shamrock: I think it’s a twofold problem. One is they don’t realize the revenue source that it can be and then, two, California has so many other political issues at this moment that scraping together $500 to $750,000 to orchestrate and govern and manage this whole thing it’s just not in anybody’s priority list. That’s what it seems to come down to, is no one wants to stick their neck out to help raise the money or help bring the legal side of it together. I know their biggest concern, and the reason why it’s not legal, is because they’re not ready to accept the liability for it. They’re just not structured. Nobody knows what’s going on. No one knows the sport. No one knows who’s what. And, if they were to govern it now, it’s just that they would be looking at a tremendous amount of liability because no one knows what the hell they’re doing.
Sloan: OK, so you, being a resident of California and being such a premier fighter, that has to be the most annoying and frustrating thing to deal with.
Shamrock: It is the worst thing ever. And we’ve gone round and round with the commission. The commission actually approved and gave us a date previously. They said we could do it October 1. We had their blessing. We did a business deal with the arena here San Jose, which is one of the biggest arenas in California, and we were really prepared to make it one of the strongest impacts, not only to the money side of California, but also to the media side of California. And it’s just been a gigantic headache. So we’re sort of to the point where we’re going to give up and go somewhere else.
Sloan: Now, from a fan’s perspective, and I’m personally a huge Frank Shamrock (Pictures), it’s frustrating throughout all of these months and actually years now with the Cesar Gracie thing and the California deal not coming through yet. A lot of us have been saying, “Damn, Frank is such a great fighter, but it seems as though he’s wasting his talent. Why doesn’t he just scrap the idea and sign on to PRIDE or King of the Cage or UFC?” Even though I know you’re not a big fan of Dana White. But a lot of people have been asking, “What’s up with Frank? Is he ever going to fight? Is he serious? What’s going on?” Why not just fight on a more regular basis?
Shamrock: I have no desire. I didn’t get into fighting for the fans. I got into it because I wanted to challenge myself in certain areas and I’ve exhausted the majority of those areas, but there are a few things I would like to do before I leave. But you know fighting in the Rumble on the Rock is not one of them. Kickboxing or K-1 is not something I care to do. PRIDE has the most ridiculous contracts you’ve ever seen. It would have nothing to do with promoting talent, creating stars. I have a very set mind as to what Frank Shamrock (Pictures) chooses and what Frank Shamrock (Pictures) the fighter is going to do with his career and I stick by my guns. It doesn’t matter. I know it’s weird, but I don’t care. PRIDE offered me $250,000 for three years, for each time, for each fight. But they wanted me to be ready on two weeks’ notice and they couldn’t name my opponent. That doesn’t sound like a good deal. That doesn’t sound like I’m going to be to hanging at my house and hang out with my friends and teach martial arts and have a good life and have children. It doesn’t sound that good to me. So at the end of the day, I’m going to be the one giving permission. I get to pick and choose whatever I want to do and I don’t want to do any of that crap. I’m nearing the end of my career and I don’t care to kill myself everyday for someone else’s financial gain. I don’t care for those things. I enjoy working out. I enjoy teaching martial arts. I enjoy guiding and administering fighters and every year or so, or two years or three years now I enjoy getting in the ring and kicking someone’s ass. But I like doing it on my terms. I know the inside of the business and I know the real deal and it ain’t a pretty one, and I don’t want those people governing my life.