Shem Rock doesn’t have a dance partner yet, but he’s still pushing hard for a spot on the fight card at Oktagon 62 in Frankfurt on October 12.
I caught up with Rock at Cage Warriors 175 in Manchester, and got an update from the Liverpudlian lightweight on what could be next as he eyes a big assignment in Germany later this year.
“The update right now, I’ve just come off the back of the Pokorny fight. And before I come out of the cage, I’m on the mic, asking for Frankfurt, and I’m just waiting to see if Oktagon can find someone brave enough to fight ‘The Shem Show,'” he said.
Rock used his post-fight interview after the Pokorny win to call for a matchup with German favourite Max Coga, but when the veteran stepped into the cage to respond to his callout, he instead turned his attention elsewhere.
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Weeks later, Rock still doesn’t have a dance partner for the October 12 event, and he’s still holding out hope that he can land a spot on the card, which will play out in front of a huge crowd at Eintracht Frankfurt’s 55,000-seat stadium, with Oktagon officials telling me they’ve already sold 53,000 seats for the event.
“I’ll face anyone they want to bring and put in front of me on that night in Frankfurt,” he said.
“Obviously, I’ve love it to be a German, in Germany, with me getting booed by 60,000 people. But, if I can’t get that, I’ll take what I can get, and I’m pretty sure I’ll still get booed anyway, so it’s alright!”
Rock stands at 11-1 and is a dangerous opponent for anyone at 155 pounds. His submission skills were on show during his win over Pokorny, and his ability to sell a fight – and polarise the fanbase – means he’ll draw plenty of attention, whoever he fights.
But while his drawing power seems clear, the one thing he is struggling with at present is drawing an opponent, with fighters seemingly not too keen to face him. But the Next Generation MMA man remains optimistic that he can get something booked. All he needs is a signature on a piece of paper.
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“Obviously, everyone knows I want Losene Keita, but Keita’s in the Gamechanger,” he explained.
“So I wouldn’t mind taking Hafeni Nafuka. Nafuka’s talked a bit of s**t about me, and he hasn’t actually turned me down. I’ve never been offered to fight him.
“So, make an official offer, and let’s see if he signs the contract. But I wouldn’t mind a number-one contender fight with Konrad Dyrschka, as well, but he is a b***h who won’t accept, so let’s see.”
Rock also revealed that, after Oktagon 62 in Frankfurt, he harbours hopes of one day headlining in his home town of Liverpool, or his adopted second home in Dublin, Ireland.
“In my whole career, I still have not fought in Liverpool, so it’s a big dream of mine to headline a show in my home city,” he explained.
“And it’s also a big dream of mine to headline a show in Dublin. So whichever they want to make happen, I’d be more than happy to jump on board with it.”
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And Rock had a message for those MMA fans who were just starting to hear about Oktagon MMA, as he encouraged them to check out the upcoming events, with a stacked lineup of big events coming down the line for the rest of the year.
“These shows are massive,” he said.
“The arenas are huge, they’re packed out from the first fight on the prelims, the production values are probably the best you’re gonna see out there, and everything’s run really professionally.”
Rock even joked about former U.S. president Donald Trump, who used 50 Cent’s “Many Men” as his walkout music at the recent Republican National Convention, just days after an attempt was made on his life in Pennsylvania.
“Many Men” is Rock’s longtime go-to walkout song, and he responded with a grin when I asked his thoughts on the former president “stealing” his walkout music.
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“Hey! Donald Trump’s been watching ‘The Shem Show!’ That’s all I’m gonna say!” he laughed.
“He’s seen ‘The Shem Show,’ he liked what it was about, and he said, ‘You know what? I’m robbing this!'”
He then said that if renowned fight fan Trump was voted back into The White House, it could prove to be a good thing for UK fighters looking to fight on the world stage.
“But look, hear me out… we need Donald Trump as president, so more of the guys coming out of the UK now can get easier visas to fight in the UFC!” he grinned.
