Frank Shamrock vs. Igor Zinoviev
Already a reknowned fighter for the Pancrase organization in Japan, Frank Shamrock made a big impression when he joined the UFC in 1997 and immediately became the promotion’s inaugural light-heavyweight champion with a 16 second submission victory over Kevin Jackson.
For his next Octagon outing Shamrock was pitted against Igor Zinoviev, an undefeated Sambo fighter making his UFC debut in the main event of UFC 16: ‘Battle In The Bayou.’
The fight proved to be another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair, with Zinoviev rushing in throwing heavy leather, only for Shamrock to duck underneath, lift him up and execute a thunderous slam, landing on him with his full body weight.
The impact was devastating, not only knocking out Zinoviev, but also breaking his collar-bone and fracturing one of the vertebrae in his neck – injuries that would bring a premature end to his career.
