From floor finisher to World Champion: Sean Sherk grapples his way to the top of the UFC
The Ballad of the Muscle Shark
STORY BY PAUL DEMKO
PHOTOS BY NICK VLCEK
www.citypages.com
He works silently by himself, shadowboxing in front of a mirror. Jab, jab, overhand right. Jab, jab, uppercut left. Jab, jab, right kick. The punches are compact and powerful, just like his body. Even at half speed, it’s clear he can cause serious mayhem.
His name is Sean Sherk, and he is the owner of the massive gold belt in the corner, a gaudy accessory only a world-class fighter could pull off. Seven months ago, Sherk hoisted this belt above his head at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas as the newly crowned 155-pound king of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In a blood-soaked brawl that left even veteran fans feeling queasy, the 33-year-old St. Francis native defeated Kenny Florian for the lightweight title.
The fight marked the capstone of more than a decade of sweat equity. In fact, less than two years earlier, Sherk had walked away from mixed martial arts fighting, frustrated with his inability to make a living at the discipline at which he excelled.
“Now that I have the belt, everyone wants to meet you and everyone wants to see you,” Sherk says. “I’ve been around since the beginning.” [Read more →]