In the shadow of The Monster
Shaun Al-Shatti writing for MMA Fighting just did a tribute to Kevin Randleman that demands to be read by everyone in the hardcore fanbase.
The dominant form of social media in MMA is Twitter, with a 140 character limit. However, sometimes writers in the MMA space break the mold with long-form pieces that are needed an beautiful. Shaun Al-Shatti writing for MMA Fighting just did a tribute to Kevin Randleman that demands to be read by everyone in the hardcore fanbase, so skip this brief excerpt, and click the link at bottom.
Junior year, 1993. There is no stopping this ghost in the red and white singlet. The shredded ligament in his knee is nothing more than a distraction, a discomfort, because this is winning time and motherf***ers like him feast on greatness. But then, a pop –?? his jaw is broken. He can barely clench his teeth. He calls time and thumps the side of his head. Once. He is a madman. Twice. He is a surgeon. The bones in his skull snap back in place, and with a jaw wired shut, he thrashes the next four men he faces. Back-to-back NCAA champion. Immortal before he leaves the mat.
That was always my favorite Kevin Randleman story. It’s a creation myth of the highest order –?? this lunatic casually stepping back from an NCAA tourney match, asking his bewildered coach to “snap his face back into place,” then just fixing the problem himself and winning it all. How terrifying is that? The supermen of that first era all lived their lives through tall tales, but Kevin Randleman was one of the few who truly felt capable of anything at his peak.
And a special request …
This summer the UFC will induct a new Hall of Fame class on the week of UFC 200. Mark Coleman badly hopes Kevin is included. The Monster never cared for accolades, he never cared about records or legacies –?? but the title of Hall of Famer was the one honor he always told friends he wanted. It meant something more to him, a validation of sorts that what he accomplished had an effect on the sport he loved. To have that recognized on the biggest stage in company history would be a worthy sendoff.
“His actions and his highlights and his record and what he accomplished speaks for itself,” Coleman says.
“There is no reason why Kevin shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame. None. You see the outreach from the whole world who loves him. It’s simple. He should be in the Hall of Fame. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
