The Rear Naked Column 10.07.09: Kimbo’s UFC run

Posted by Samer Kadi on 10.06.2009

Kimbo Slice will be making his official UFC debut on the TUF 10 season finale in December. A victory would ensure Kimbo at least two more fights with the company. Join 411’s Samer Kadi as he takes a look at Slice's potential opponents in his UFC run as he bids for Mixed Martial Arts credibility.

On the 4th of October 2008, Kimbo Slice entered the Bank Atlantic Center in Florida for the biggest fight of his career, as he was set to square off against UFC hall of famer Ken Shamrock in the main event of EliteXC: Heat. In a curious turn of events, Shamrock would pull out hours before the fight due to a cut sustained in training, leaving the company in an unenviable situation.

With little time to find a suitable replacement, the higher ups at EliteXC were left with a dilemma: Removing their main attraction off the card, thus robbing the fans of the man they tuned in to watch and scratching the main event altogether, or risk having your top draw suffer a defeat to a fighter few were familiar with.

With an atmosphere marred by chaos, Kimbo would agree to take on against former TUF 2 contestant Seth Petruzelli, a light heavyweight who was initially stated to fight on the undercard. Kimbo's nightmare would last 14 seconds, as he was floored by a Petruzelli short jab. "The Silverback" pounced on the street fighting legend, forcing the referee to step in and wave off the contest.

Petruzelli, one day removed from the biggest win of his career, would imply that he was offered monetary bonus to keep the fight standing, prompting the Florida State Athletic Commission to launch an investigation regarding the legitimacy of Petruzelli's claims. The controversy, as well as the significant amount of debt incurred by parent company Pro Elite would force EliteXC to dissolve on October 20, 2008.

After months of speculation –from a move to Japan to a professional boxing career– Kimbo Slice would announce his participation as a contestant on season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter via a Dana White video blog.



Kimbo's fight with Roy Nelson last Wednesday set the record for any TUF episode as more than six million people tuned in to watch the bout. The numbers proved that despite his embarrassing loss to Petruzelli, Kimbo remains one of the biggest draws in Mixed Martial Arts. His loss to Roy Nelson, a seasoned veteran who's a former IFL heavyweight champion, will do Kimbo's popularity no harm whatsoever. In fact Slice's fanbase is in all likelihood increasing, as the former youtube sensation is being portrayed as a nice, humble and down to earth man who knows his limitations and is ever willing to learn and improve.

As of now, Kimbo is eliminated from the competition and while all indications point out to a possible return to the house, his next fight will probably take place on the undercard of TUF 10 season finale. That fight will mark his first official UFC bout and it is absolutely vital for Kimbo to earn a victory. I expect him to get the Junie Browning treatment and have his fight on the main broadcast, which will undoubtedly garner much interest in the event. With careful match making, Kimbo should come out victorious. A win would ensure Slice at least two more fights with the company. So allow me to play Joe Silva for a second and book Kimbo's three fights in his bid for Mixed Martial Arts credibility, or in Kimbo's own words, his bid to become "Ultimate Fighter certified".



1. TUF 10 weak link: We're just three episodes into the show so I'm not familiar with all the participants yet. From what I've seen so far, guys like Abe or Wes Shivers are fighters Kimbo should be able to handle. The important thing is for the UFC to match Kimbo up with some of the weaker links on the show, and more importantly against someone with no ground game. Kimbo Vs Wes Simms would make for a very interesting fight for the name value alone. In my opinion, the pressure on Kimbo to win this fight would be huge, regardless of the opponent. If Kimbo were to have any future in the UFC, winning on the finale is critical. A defeat would basically ruin any plans the UFC have in store for him and would essentially kill Slice's MMA career off. Kimbo is now training with American Top Team full time, but how improved will he prove to be come December remains a serious question mark. Ameliorated takedown defense would be key, as Kimbo's struggles on the mat are no secret. His stand up, while far from technical, is hardly cringe worthy and he has shown he possesses the power to be a serious threat as long as the fight remains standing.



With Kimbo dedicated to his MMA career, wins over lackluster opposition are a must, and would serve as great confidence builders. His fight on The Ultimate Fighter finale should do just that.

2. Houston Alexander: In my opinion, Kimbo has no future in the heavyweight division. He's not the biggest heavyweight out there and I struggle to think of anyone semi-relevant in that division who doesn't have a decent ground game. A drop to the 205 lbs weight class could be a smart career move. Many fighters have already echoed those sentiments, including former light heavyweight champion and TUF 10 coach Rashad Evans, who invited Slice to train at Greg Jackson's academy and advised him to move down in weight. Obviously for someone with Kimbo's limitations, dropping down in weight does not guarantee success, and sensible match making remains a necessity. A fight with perennial slugger Houston Alexander could only assure fireworks.



The pair could easily headline a Fight Night card which would surely set another rating record for Spike TV. Despite Alexander's lackluster UFC record, a loss wouldn't hurt Kimbo that much as long as the fight remains exciting, and really, how could it not? A win on the other hand would be treated as a big deal and with the UFC hype machine behind him, you can rest assured Slice's popularity would stay ever on the increase.

3. Seth Petruzelli: This one in my mind is a no brainer. Should Kimbo lose against Alexander, this could be billed as his last chance, and it happens to be against the man who gave him his first career loss in humiliating fashion. If Kimbo was victorious against Houston, this would simply be treated as Slice's shot at redemption against the man who defeated him in 14 seconds.



The fight should also be on PPV. The UFC would never have this as a main event or co-main event, and rightfully so. But as witnessed in the UFC 102 and UFC 103 Countdown shows, the build up doesn't always have to focus on the main two bouts. If the fight is placed on card headlined by Lesnar, GSP or even Tito Ortiz, the buyrate could be thumping. As with the proper build up, as we've come to expect from the UFC by now, this fight alone is enough to sell a card. With Petruzelli's whacky charisma, Kimbo's drawing power, the backstory and the millions of people who tuned in for their first bout, Dana has to be seeing dollar signs through this one.

That does it for this week, feedback is always appreciated, so please leave your thoughts in the comments section below. I'll be back in seven days.