EA Sports MMA pins Frank Shamrock

Former first UFC and Strikeforce Middleweight champion latest fighter to join megapublisher's mixed martial arts game.

Today, EA's mixed martial arts game pinned down another high-profile fighter unfazed by lifetime ban threats made by UFC organizers. Electronic Arts has announced that former five-time UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock has joined the roster of EA Sports MMA, due out next year for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Shamrock, letting his fists do the talking.

Not to be confused with his adoptive brother, UFC hall of famer Ken Shamrock, the 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound Frank Shamrock has a record of 23-10-2 and specializes in catch wrestling and kickboxing. He is currently a fighter for UFC rival Strikeforce, where he began fighting in 2006.

In 2007, Shamrock became Strikeforce middleweight champion after a submission win over Phil Baroni. However, he lost his crown the following year to Cung Le, who broke Shamrock's arm with a series of kicks. This past April, he lost to jujitsu expert Nick Diaz in another Strikeforce title fight.

Shamrock will share the EA MMA roster with Fedor Emelianenko, who just joined Strikeforce in August. Randy Couture, a current UFC fighter who lost a tough bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira last month at UFC 102, will also appear in the game.

When it arrives, EA Sports MMA hopes to cash in on the popularity of mixed martial arts, which helped THQ's UFC 2009 Undisputed sell more than 3 million units domestically. In development at Madden NFL developer EA Tiburon in Florida, the game employs a number of developers who previously worked on EA's now-defunct NASCAR series.

100 Comments

  • aaronemilio

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 4:22 am PT

    Considering its EA it might be a half-assed game, by looking at the trailer it didnt seem all that good but who knows it could be a diamond in the rough.

  • Greyfox_au

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 3:52 am PT

    I hope they can get Rickson Gracie, that would be awesome. Dana white just wants to control all MMA, it's not his sport he doesn't own a sport. And then tells his fighters what they have to do or "else". Im glad Fedor didn't go into the UFC, yeah I would love him to go and fight some of their heavy weight fighers mostly Brock (juiced up) lesner. However if Dana wants to control him forget it. Pride FC was better than UFC, that's why Dana desperately bought it. Pride's Intro's themselves kicked ass and when Pride invited fighters from the UFC to come they couldn't not because they were scared but DANA wouldn't let them or "else". Now UFC is just mostly redneck type of fighters (not including Pride fighters that went there) and the atmosphere is not as professional as Pride was. Dana can take Pride fighters but he can't take the memories that Pride "surpassed" UFC when it was around. Huh

  • Dweepizzle

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 10:28 am PT

    Let's hope this game motivates Dana White to make an even better UFC game next time

  • Giflow

    Posted Sep 26, 2009 7:23 am PT

    If they get cung le ,and get some of the dream organization fighters the roster will shape out pretty good i believe wont be as strong as the ufc's game roster obviously ,but if anything throw a few legendary fighters who never really fought in pro mma,like bruce lee or chuck norris just to give the roster a little more interest

  • Giflow

    Posted Sep 26, 2009 7:14 am PT

    If they make controls similar to fight night ,have similar collision detection,and run at 60 fps ,shoot i'm hoping they just make a fight night round 4 clone with of course grappling controls and kicks,this game will be a lot better than the ufc game ,which was pretty good

  • thorughfire

    Posted Sep 23, 2009 1:48 pm PT

    I may get this depending on the full roster.

    Coture wont get banned because 1.He can get lots of PPV Sales alone and 2.Hes a legend.

  • Carl_W21

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 8:40 pm PT

    Wow, Frank, Fedor and Couture all in this game

  • jqm1978

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 12:32 pm PT

    smasha20.......I totally agree.....women trying to..... oh well, you know what I mean, I won't go there.....lol

  • smasha20

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 10:07 am PT

    Another note, I don't really care to fight with female fighters. I don't watch them, or care how "good" they are. It's like the WNBA, although it's the same concept, it just isn't the same.

  • smasha20

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 10:01 am PT

    @ n8rockerasu
    he refers to ultimate fighting as the game that THQ published, which is ultimate fighting championship = ufc.....dumazz way to read

  • AcidRainPain

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 8:51 am PT

    i agree with bigkiller, just let everyone kick the crap out of everyone

  • bigkillerj1

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 10:55 pm PT

    The UFC just needs to buy them out already...Strikeforce...Pride...M-1. I want everyone fighting everyone. We dealt with this before in the past, the USFL, the AFL, and the NFL. When the NFL and the AFL merged is when the sport really took off.

  • 2beers_in_hand

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 9:14 pm PT

    Meh besides a hand full of good fighters the best reside in the UFC.

  • jqm1978

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 8:43 pm PT

    EA needs to sign Cung Le ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • gamerTag-shank

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 8:41 pm PT

    After the UFC shafted it's fighters with it's own video game, I hope this one sells very well. If you didn't hear Zuffa (UFC's parent company) charged THQ royalties to use the fighters name and likenesses in the game, and kept it all for themselves. The fighters didn't get anything. A few fighters that had originally refused to sign away their rights (John Fitch and Josh Koscheck) were threatened to be blacklisted from the sport unless they did.

  • taylormadederek

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 7:30 pm PT

    I will be picking up UFC soon and I will NOT be getting this. After all the publicity that Dana White has given the sport and how EA passed on it, I will also pass. I have no time for a publisher treating a good idea like a POS. EA and Activision can die tomorrow and their mediocre games (at best) will not be missed.

  • n8rockerasu

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 4:23 pm PT

    Also, I'll add, if EA wants this game to have any chance of succeeding, they need to do 3 things.

    1. MAKE SURE THE GAMEPLAY IS AMAZING (more important than anything)

    2. Get Strikeforce and DREAM to sign on completely. Heavily feature their fighters, logos, venues, broadcast teams, etc.

    3. Add female fighters such as Gina Carano, Cristiane Santos, Marloes Coenen, etc.

    It's going to take a lot to compete with a company as large as UFC. But I think If they focus on those three areas, EA MMA stands a good chance of being a success.

  • n8rockerasu

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 3:59 pm PT

    Whoever wrote this story is a complete tool. He references EA MMA about 8 times in the article, then goes on to call the sport "ultimate fighting". Way to do your journalistic homework, there.

  • Lexxzilla

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 2:49 pm PT

    I really wish any other company other than EA was doing this. besides, this looks like a cashin than anything else.

  • bballabarry

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 2:00 pm PT

    ken shamrock is better

  • Truexxlie

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 12:20 pm PT

    Also why does the retarded writer of this article have to use the phrase "ultimate fighting"...there is no such sport as "ultimate fighting"....its called MMA for fucs sake, MIXED MARTIAL ARTS!

  • Truexxlie

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 12:16 pm PT

    Not surprising seeing as Frank hates Dana White and everything about the UFC, he was blacklisted a long time ago.

    He´s a has-been now, completely out of his prime. But legend of the sport nonetheless, he was one of the first truly complete fighters and was undefeated in the UFC.

  • MadGamer132

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 10:38 am PT

    just don't ban them

  • Promba1990 posted Sep 20, 2009 5:42 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Promba1990

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 5:42 am PT (hide)

    TREATOR!!!!

  • Crystall3d

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 5:28 am PT

    However i have my hopes high as i found FNR4 very satisfying

  • Crystall3d

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 5:27 am PT

    i want to remind you how bad the gameplay felt compared to UFC's "as real as it gets" so-called "gameplay trailer". As Qirexian stated, they got alot of work to do before struggling with the packaging

  • backatcha

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 5:08 am PT

    Qirexian, I agree with your excellent well written post. Gameplay is paramount.

  • Qirexian

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 4:45 am PT

    No matter how many great fighters they have and how many awesome fighters they lack, it'll all come down to gameplay.

    Let's not forget that Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer passed many years (in various forms and names) without having a single licence. Yet, slowly and steadily it became a favorite of soccer enthusiasts even without the big names behind it.

    Even though I love UFC Undisputed, for the sake of MMA fighting games in general, I hope EA Sports MMA does the same, as in the end this is a process that stimulates the "clashing developers" push their limits and make better games, just like PES getting more attention ultimately made EA Sports improve FIFA a lot...

  • lostcali8

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:07 pm PT

    EA sure seems to be bolstering their list of legends. I'm interested to see who else they add to the list. Hopefully a few guys off the UFC roster, and enough so that Dana can't blackball them all out of work..

  • theTexasPsycho

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:04 pm PT

    Is this going to be a "Hall of Fame" version or something? What other has-been are they going to sign and expect us to care?

  • KDIDDY78

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 7:40 pm PT

    i just hope the game is better than undisputed...dont get me wrong im fairly decent and have put alot time into it...buts it too arcade...(cheap spamming) lets see ea create a skill game

  • Ghost_Ryda1

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 7:36 pm PT

    Wow quite a lineup but without alot of the people from Pride that came into the UFC I really dont care for 3 big names when I can pick 3 big names from UFC Undisputed....

  • unknown2007

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 5:36 pm PT

    @Jdogg433

    You lost credibility with me when you mentioned that fedor has fought those top fighters when they were way past there prime..in fact. if you knew any mma history at all. Or fedors history for that matter. it's quite the opposite. he beat those guys when THEY were in there prime. it really shows how little people claim to be fans of mma but they know crap about the fighters themselves.

  • Gigas_Yuu

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 5:22 pm PT

    I am kind of surprised that a lot are backing Fedor and M-1. You don't need to be a Dana White nut hugger to think Fedor's decision was stupid.

    Mirko Filipovic himself said he didn't understand why Fedor went to Strikeforce when he'd get bigger pay and face top competition. Reguardless of being a part owner of M1 Global the UFC should not be entitled to give Fedor 50% of the pay-per-views gross. Their base pay alone would be enough, and they were willing to give him millions. M-1 is a gigantic leech. The manager of Alistair Overeem (a top ranked HW) even said M-1 was crooked.

    , "TUF" is the reason why MMA has gotten as popular as it has today and that's when I saw a fighter who instantly became my favorite during the PPV clash between Liddell and Couture. War Mayhem, fighting GSP at stick-like weights. So no more TUF-casual bashing please. You just look like a pretentious sheep who recycles what "the other guys at sherdog" say.

  • XanderZane

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 5:20 pm PT

    I hope they don't have the team who did ICON do this game or it's going to suck so bad. I don't think MMA is going to have as many good fights as the UFC game did. We'll see what happens though. I have no plans of getting this game though. Besides FNR4, most of EA fighting games are terrible anyways.

  • jfcundiff

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 5:06 pm PT

    How is everyone a sell-out for signing on to EA MMA? Whatever happened to more competition equals better products from everyone. I cannot wait to see EA and THQ try and top each other with their games.

  • zaiwen

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 5:02 pm PT

    yet another buffoon who easily defected to the lowly EAs MMA for what reason? 7-digit brive money perhaps? a bunch a sell-outs.. the curse should also be here as well... behold the EA MMA curse

  • Blackjaw

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:40 pm PT

    Funny that Couture has signed onto this game and yet has a recent contract to fight in UFC 105 in November. Dana White will milk that cow as long as he can just like he does to most of his fighters and then if/when Couture loses Dana will say "he'll never fight here again".

  • jfcundiff

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:14 pm PT

    @Jdogg
    I doubt that Finklestein and the rest of M-1 were asking for 50% of the company. Most reports said they wanted 50% of the profits off of any event with Fedor on it. Scott Coker, the head of Strikeforce, said all those things about M-1 wanted to own half of the UFC were false. Also most of those fighters were not past their prime.

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:09 pm PT

    I just hope that they don't let the team that did FNR4 work on it. I don't like the shiny rubber look and I worry what the controls will be for it. I hope they rip off THQ on that.

  • Jdogg433

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:04 pm PT

    Fedor definitely loses out by not going to UFC. Bottom line is UFC gets the most publicity and makes the most money by far which means right away Fedor would have been seen by a bigger audience which could have turned into bigger paydays. Strikeforce doesn't have a single heavyweight that could main event even one of their free televised events.

  • Mkeegs79

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 3:50 pm PT

    @Jdogg433

    Are you kidding? Danna White wouldn't budge. He wants to be the sole MMA organization. The last thing he would do is co-promote. Fedor has more respect for himself and knows of White's bullying tactics. It comes down that White needs Fedor more than Fedor needs the UFC. He gets to co-promote with Strikeforce. Fedor and M-1 wins out in the end.

    Just to add, Fedor was fighting the best when he was with Affliction. They had higher rated better heavy weights than the UFC. That is the weight class that the UFC is weak in!!!

  • Jdogg433

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 3:44 pm PT

    Paladin_King Fedor didn't even say anything during the conference call. all he did was sit there and let his promoter try to bully UFC into giving up 50% of their company just for a single fighter. they would have to be utterly stupid to agree to that. If Fedor was a real fighter he would have told his promoter to find a way to make a deal happen so he could fight the very best fighters in the world. Also, most of those fighters you mentioned that he beat were all past their prime and just standing targets for him. it's easy to stack up a record like that against mostly has been fighters.

  • Jdogg433

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 3:36 pm PT

    This game might have a chance simply because it will sell some units just based off of the EA name. I think they should do something different like add some women MMA fighters even if it's just 4 or 5 of them. also, let's hope their career mode doesn't make your fighter retire after just 5 years.

  • Paladin_King

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 3:29 pm PT

    lol at all of the TUF-era, casual UFC fans saying trashing Fedor for not being in the UFC. First off, know the facts. Fedor is a co-owner of M-1 Global. He and his management wanted the UFC to co-promote with M-1, and when they wouldn't, he went with someone who would co-promote. Stupid or not, Fedor's not joining the UFC was a long-term business decision, not because he was afraid of Lesnar.

    Also....I have a hard time believing that a former World Champion with a 30-1 record and wins over Arona, Babalu, Coleman (2x), Nogueira (2x), Schilt, Cro Cop, Lindland, Hunt, Fujita, Randleman, Sylvia, and Arlovski would be afraid of a guy with a 4-1 record with three of those four wins coming against guys who were perfect stylistic match-ups for him.

    Then again, I'm sure most people dissing Fedor don't even know half of the names I mentioned above, so forget it.

    Before trashing Fedor, I recommend you stop sucking up every word Dana White utters.

  • icecubefosho

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 2:56 pm PT

    This game, while any true MMA fan will probably enjoy if EA doesn't F- it up like they have been doing lately with other games; probably will not fare well.

    Most of the "mma" fans are idiots who only think MMA is UFC, they don't remember the great days of "PRIDE", they don't know what DREAM is, etc.

    Nice to see there are a few real MMA people around here

  • BigBacon87

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 2:53 pm PT

    Trying to cash in is right. Without UFC fighters I doubt it will move many units though. Couture is the only fighter of interest and he's finally getting on and it shows. Duck Dodgers.. err, Emelianenko likes his rep the way it is so he hides behind bs excuses for not signing with UFC. He just knows he'll get beat down by Lesnar and the whole world secretly knows it.

  • Aroshtar

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 1:26 pm PT

    EA, this isn't working...

    Now don't get me wrong, Shamrock and Couture are great, but EA is in not getting past White's threats by signing them. If you can't get the young, talented fighters currently in the UFC, the games not going to work. Extremely famous but old guys form the UFC and other random fighters from other leagues is a roster that will break the game

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