ESPN Mixed Martial Arts

There's a city in the South Bay known as a fight town.

Strip away the lard of a cushy but unique California suburbia, and San Jose's bustling downtown remains with its frequent post-last-call tussles.

But that's not what makes it a fight town. The source of that reputation comes from Frank Shamrock and Cung Le -- two men ready to lay claim to the city.

They'll meet March 29 in an EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promoted clash, but their story originates inside the storied walls of San Jose's American Kickboxing Academy.

Nine years ago, Shamrock was preparing his mind and body for a young opponent named Tito Ortiz. The submission fighter's intellectual curiosity and charisma made him a natural leader, elevating the grappling at the burgeoning gym. Meanwhile, owner and head trainer Javier Mendez, a world champion kickboxer, was aiding Shamrock in his quest to become the prototype for well-rounded mixed martial artists.

Le was also training at the gym. No one wanted to spar with the Vietnamese sensation, but inside AKA's all-purpose ring, Shamrock willingly entered the world of San Shou kickboxing.

The sparring session was a step up for Shamrock. It was just another day for Le.

Yet a brief video that surfaced online unveils a different plot. The ethereal ballad "Only Time" by Enya overlaps with a MasterCard commercial spoof that depicts Shamrock dominating Le as "priceless."

"I never got the best of him in training," Shamrock admitted, however. "That's a Frank Shamrock production.

"Frank Shamrock knows what he's doing," the former UFC champion said about himself with a cadenced laugh.

Le recalled the session as a warm-up during which he pulled punches. Despite delivering controlled strikes, Le was "pretty sure that Frank saw a lot of flashes when he trained with me."

Regardless, both agree the upcoming mixed martial arts bout will be a step up in competition for Le. For Shamrock, it will be just another day in the cage. It just might be a rough one.

Vying for the Strikeforce middleweight title, Le will not conceal the weapons that put down Tony Fryklund and Sam Morgan.

"What will mean a lot more [than the belt] is that I defeat Frank Shamrock for the Strikeforce middleweight championship," said Le, a father of two.

The real trophy for the three-time world champion kickboxer would be knocking out Shamrock -- a feat yet to be accomplished by anyone, excluding Shamrock's early days fighting under Pancrase rules.

Le will not feel remorse if his shinbones -- the same ones that thud against heavy bags from San Jose to Milpitas (a town just north of San Jose), depending on where he is tuning up his unorthodox striking arsenal -- snap his opponent's arrogant streak or jaw.

Shamrock understands Le's kicks can be troublesome. However, supreme confidence in his own striking stifles doubt.

Out of shape and on one knee in his most recent outing, Shamrock employed his Tony DeMaria-honed boxing to outclass Phil Baroni. Factor in preparation with long-time partner and legendary kickboxer Maurice Smith, and Shamrock is anything but ill prepared for the Saigon-born fighter's offense.

Sitting in front of a bookshelf containing eight title belts (and he was missing some), Shamrock expressed his love for an art that cost him his left ACL and, slowly but definitively, his right knee.

"The truth is, I have nothing to gain from ever fighting anybody," said the former King of Pancrase.

Fighting Le is only worth gambling his MMA legacy, Shamrock said, because he loves the sport he helped pioneer.

"It will be interesting to see what Cung Le does. I've never been knocked out in an MMA match, never been submitted, never given up, never been choked out," Shamrock reflected before breaking into a longwinded, maniacal laugh of satisfaction. It's a visceral laugh that demonstrates a level of comfort only a 14-year veteran can achieve.

Shamrock is the favorite, based on experience alone. With only five MMA bouts to his name, Le has not been through the same rigors. Questions about Le's cardio and heart still remain, while Shamrock's legacy exudes those traits.

"On paper, it looks like Frank should win," the 35-year-old Le conceded, "but paper is just paper."

Of course, Shamrock is ready to dose his undefeated opponent with a loss. And he plans on doing it with Le's own medicine.

"I'm better than everybody in the business [at] stand-up. I think it's better than Cung's. Maybe I'm making a mistake," said Shamrock, unconvinced, before adding that the "odds are, I'm going to destroy him."

"I like Cung," Shamrock said. "He's a good guy and a good martial artist. He doesn't sell a fight very well, but he looks great and he fights hard. He definitely fills two very important requirements for building a fight."

Le's genuinely polite tone sharpened briefly when hearing Shamrock's criticism about marketability. His gym has sold $120,000 worth of tickets for the fight, thanks largely to his strong Vietnamese fan base. If he had not been on the undercard of Strikeforce's debut two years ago, which Shamrock headlined, Le said the show would not have broken the North American MMA paid attendance record.

The disagreement seems minor, but in a fight city, market value is more than ticket sales. Le describes himself as a "people's warrior." Shamrock relishes his status as a role model for kids who come from rough upbringings not unlike his own. For fighters in San Jose, market value is a reflection of their involvement in the communities in which they grew up, work and live.

It's always been a martial arts town. Thanks to Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, among others, San Jose is now a mixed martial arts town.

With Shamrock Martial Arts just a 10-minute drive from AKA -- a gym Shamrock left behind along with Cung Le -- the battle lines are clear even on the dark, scorching asphalt of the sunny city. And March 29, all of San Jose will be roaring inside the HP Pavilion, waiting perhaps for their future mayor to emerge from the cage.

Danny Acosta is a contributor to Sherdog.com.