Pro wrestling veteran Shelton Benjamin took part in a virtual signing with K & S WrestleFest, where he talked about a number of topics including how he almost became “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock’s sparring partner ahead of Shamrock’s UFC 5 fight against Royce Gracie, but he did not accept the offer.
Benjamin said, “No (I didn’t think about going to UFC) — well, years ago when I was in college and I don’t even think (Ken) Shamrock knows this but they were trying to get me to go in and be his sparring partner. I was a freshman and this was before the UFC is what it is now. They wanted me to be his sparring partner and I actually spoke with his wife on the phone and they wanted me to come down and train with him because he needed someone who knew wrestling because he was preparing for a match with (Royce) Gracie, and yeah, I took one look at it and I was, ‘Hmm, I don’t think this is for me.’ So, no. I wanted to be a pro wrestler. It was pro football or pro wrestling, or amateur wrestling but, I’m not a UFC fighter. It takes a certain mentality to do that and I don’t think I had it. Not to say I couldn’t have gotten it but… It takes a certain type of person to be happy to take a punch, and I can hold my own for a living but nah, it just didn’t interest me.”
(H/T to PostWrestling for transcribing the above quotes)
