Sherdog's Top 10: Greatest UFC Debuts

4. Frank Shamrock

In a list filled with outstanding debuts from the 1990s, it's little surprise that Shamrock, Sherdog's greatest fighter of that decade, appears near the top. I wrote my longest op-ed ever about how Shamrock altered his destiny, going from a failure advised by adoptive brother Ken to retire and manage his gyms to the greatest fighter ever in under two years. A major milestone was of course his promotional debut at Ultimate Japan on December 21, 1997. There was hype around the younger Shamrock, but it was unclear whether he would be able to handle Kevin Jackson for the inaugural light heavyweight championship. Wrestlers dominated MMA at that point, with a clear advantage over all other styles. Furthermore, Jackson the best pure wrestler MMA had seen at that point and perhaps even to this very day, a Hall-of-Famer who had won Olympic gold as well as two world championships. Moreover, Jackson had proven his skills in MMA, being a perfect 3-0 at that point. That included a submission over John Lober, the same man who had won a war of attrition against Shamrock in January 1997 at Superbrawl 3, less than a year prior. Jackson had also easily won the UFC 14 tournament, needing just 44 seconds to submit Tony Fryklund in the finals, a foe who ended up having a solid career in MMA. Yet, what happened was utterly shocking. Jackson immediately got the takedown and Frank immediately threw up an armbar. Having no idea how to defend, Jackson pulled his arm back immediately, straightening the limb. He then had no chance but to tap. In just 16 seconds, Frank Shamrock had become the first UFC light heavyweight champion, established himself as one of the best fighters in the world, and shown that the era of pure wrestlers dominating was over. In terms of efficiency, that's a mark which may never be surpassed!

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