Dana White responds to "irrelevant" Frank Shamrock's verbal attack, explains his UFC Hall of Fame absence

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Last Thursday night on Spike TV's MMA Uncensored Live program, longtime MMA fighter and commentator Frank Shamrock referred to UFC President Dana White as a "total douchebag and a bully." Those comments were in regards to the personal animosity between the two, while Shamrock was on commenting about not being in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Well, not one to stay silent for long on anything, White responded to the comments in an interview on Sirius XM Radio (via FightCove.com).

"Frank Shamrock's always talking smack," White said. "I don't know what's worse, Frank Shamrock talking smack like he should be in the Hall of Fame or Spike TV having him on. We have the biggest fight of the year coming up and they have Frank Shamrock on there, the most irrelevant dude on the planet. Here's the thing about the UFC Hall of Fame in all honesty, you know, the UFC Hall of Fame this is – these are guys that we have been inducting that have done a lot for the sport since we've (ZUFFA) have taken over, you know what I mean? Here's a guy, you know, Frank Shamrock, Frank Shamrock hasn't done anything for the new UFC. And when I say the new UFC I mean the regulated, since it's been regulated, since it's been back on pay-per-view, mainstream television, all the things that have been done over the last 12 years, the guys who have been inducted have helped us get to where we are. Frank Shamrock isn't one of those guys."

Additionally, White went after Shamrock's reputation - or lack thereof - amongst fighters, using one particular example with UFC welterweight Mike Swick.

"Most of the guys in MMA, the fighters and stuff don't like Frank Shamrock," White said. "He came out one time he was on the Jimmy Fallon show and he was talking about this anti-bullying thing, and Mike Swick came out on Twitter and said 'You've got to be [expletive] kidding me. Frank Shamrock when I was coming up in MMA, there wasn't a bigger bully on earth than Frank Shamrock. Frank Shamrock is the biggest bully I've ever met in my entire life and I'd love to beat his ass.'"

Penick's Analysis: Suffice it to say, the UFC has no intention of bringing in Shamrock anytime soon. At the same time, there are a few things off with these comments as well. White wants to say that the Hall of Fame is for those who have helped the sport and the organization along since they've taken over, yet three key names in the Hall of Fame contradict that statement. Royce Gracie, Dan Severn, and Mark Coleman are all in the UFC Hall of Fame for their accomplishments prior to Zuffa owning the UFC. Yes, Gracie had one big fight with Matt Hughes in the Zuffa era, but he had already been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Coleman as well was inducted before he fought in the Zuffa-owned UFC. And Severn has never fought in the Zuffa owned UFC. So White's contention that Shamrock doesn't deserve to be in because he's not part of the era they're inducting is simply false. Shamrock's not in because he hasn't made nice with Zuffa, and because he continues to burn any bridges that might be opened to him. Not that he particularly cares at this point, but his absence from the Hall of Fame is not for the reasons White's presenting here.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_13728.shtml

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