"Nobody's gonna say a word" - Ken Shamrock believes the world has forgotten he paved the way for UFC-to-WWE transition amid massive merger

Ken Shamrock has weighed in on the UFC-WWE merger that was officially completed earlier this month. Shamrock alluded to the fact that he was one of the first notable UFC fighters to make the transition from the MMA organization to the professional wrestling-based sports entertainment world of the WWE.

Shamrock has competed in top-tier MMA organizations such as the UFC and Pride FC, besides also performing in reputable pro wrestling promotions such as the WWE and NJPW.

Akin to other UFC fighters such as Ronda Rousey and Matt Riddle, who moved to the WWE in recent years, Shamrock transitioned from the UFC to the WWE way back in 1997.

In April 2023, Endeavor, the owner of the world's premier MMA organization (UFC), confirmed that they were looking to acquire the top professional wrestling-based sports entertainment promotion (WWE).

Endeavor subsequently brought the WWE into its fold and merged the WWE with the UFC. As a result of the UFC-WWE merger, a new company known as TKO Group Holdings, Inc. was formed, owned by parent company Endeavor.

In a recent interview with InsideFighting, former UFC and WWE athlete Ken Shamrock was asked for his take regarding the UFC-WWE merger. The UFC Hall of Famer responded by stating:

"Well, I can say I told you so."

Shamrock suggested that he's unlikely to be credited for paving the way when it comes to UFC-to-WWE transitions. He explained:

"I mean, I made the crossover before anybody. And I saw an opportunity, and I thought it would be something that would be a great opportunity to be able to bring those two worlds together. And unfortunately, nobody's gonna say a word about that. You know? Because it's all 'their idea.' But I saw it way early on when I went into pro wrestling. I thought this would be a great opportunity to cross over because a lot of this stuff kind of goes hand in hand."

Watch Shamrock discuss the topic at 6:30 in the video below:

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Ken Shamrock on a potential comeback after UFC-WWE merger

During the aforementioned InsideFighting interview, the interviewer seemingly speculated about whether semi-retired combat sports star Ken Shamrock is eyeing a comeback to the UFC and/or WWE. Shamrock replied by indicating that he's currently focused on his own bare-knuckle boxing promotion, Valor. The 59-year-old said:

"No, I'm just happy to be a part of the history -- You know, about how things are transpiring. Because, you know, it's always fun to look back and know that you were part of something that's creating kind of a new path. But really, my vision right now is Valor." [*Comments at the 7:22-minute mark of the interview]

Ken Shamrock opined that in the next five to ten years, Valor could potentially be bigger than both the UFC and the WWE. 'The World's Most Dangerous Man' insinuated that bare-knuckle boxing and other forms of bare-knuckle combat are becoming increasingly popular and would likely be the future of combat sports.