James Toney and Ken Shamrock had to be separated at a meet and greet Saturday evening at the IFC Gym in Van Nuys, California. The two were at the gym to meet fans and pose for photos in anticipation of their upcoming fight. The rules for the fight were explained: there will be eight 3-minute rounds and a 30-second time limit on the ground. The new regulation, intended to even the fight between the storied boxer and MMA fighter, was termed a “shot clock” by the promoters.
Shamrock promised to stand up and fight Toney, unlike Randy Couture who took Toney to the ground and submitted him. He said he would get in Toney’s face and stand up to him like a boxer, allowing the fight to be competitive.
Toney’s manager admitted that taking the fight against Couture using full UFC rules was a mistake, and they said the move was intended to embarrass boxing. We saw it as an opportunity Toney wanted to promote himself on a big stage. This time around it should be a more even fight where Shamrock will be subjected to Toney’s boxing skills more than Couture was.
