MMA legend Dan Severn recently stirred up some excitement in the combat world when he revealed an intriguing proposal he pitched to Bellator involving two iconic figures of the sport, Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie.
Shamrock and Gracie famously competed at Bellator 149 in 2016. This showdown marked a remarkable 21-year gap since their last bout at UFC 5. Despite their advanced ages of 49 and 52 respectively, both contenders stepped into the spotlight once again.
In a recent episode of the Unleashed podcast, Dan Severn shed light on an audacious offer he extended to Bellator president Scott Coker.
Severn’s proposal aimed to transport fans back to the early days of MMA, offering a nostalgic twist to contemporary events. His proposition was a thrilling two-for-one deal, where he would take on both Shamrock and Gracie in the same night.
Severn said: “I go, ‘the best deal I can offer you. I’ll give you a good old fashion K- Mart two-for-one special. I’ll fight them both in the same night, but they don’t know who goes first. At the night of the show, you bring them both out there to the cage. Flip a coin and you find out what sorry soul has to gofirst..And if 1 don ‘t beat them both in the same night, you owe me nothing. ‘ He [Coker] turned it down.”
Despite the intrigue surrounding Severn’s offer, Bellator opted not to proceed with the unconventional matchup. Ultimately, Gracie secured a first-round TKO victory over Shamrock while Severn remained retired.
Severn’s connection with both Shamrock and Gracie runs deep, as he shared the octagon with these legends during their UFC careers.
In the 1994 UFC 4 tournament finals, Severn faced off against Gracie. After a successful amateur wrestling career, it was his first time participating in mixed martial arts. He did a good job of using his wrestling skills. But he exposed himself, and the Brazilian capitalized by winning the competition by submitting him with a triangle choke.
Even Severn and Shamrock had a well-known rivalry as they squared off twice for the Superfight title. Gracie won the title in the first round by submission at UFC 6, but Severn won the belt via split decision the next year.