Heavy Handed 10.04.07: Love Him, Hate Him; Kimbo Slice Hard to Ignore
Posted by Joe Newman on 10.04.2007
Bare-knuckle brawler turned mixed martial artist, Kimbo Slice takes his show to Atlantic City next week against Tank Abbott, one of the original UFC warriors. In his first official pro fight, Kimbo needs a win to show that he's legit. But will that be enough to quiet his critics?
It's time, once again, to debate the merit of Kimbo Slice.
He fights David "Tank" Abbott Oct. 12 in Atlantic City in Cage Fury Fighting Championships 6.
Right now, there are three heavyweights who I think are the most compelling names in mixed martial arts outside the UFC.
Fedor Emelianenko. Brock Lesnar. And, yes, Kimbo Slice. (I can already hear the groans from the hardcore MMA fans).
Emelianenko is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Everybody wants to see this guy fight in the UFC. Just count the number of blog and forum entries over the last two months speculating where he's going to sign. He is undeniably talented. And a fight between him and UFC champ Randy Couture would be a blockbuster.
Kimbo training for his fight against Mercer.
And then there's Lesnar and Slice who both have only one professional MMA fight each (Kimbo's debut against Ray Mercer was actually an exhibition). It's hard to figure how any fighter with only one fight could deserve the attention these two guys get.
Yet, name two other heavyweights outside the UFC, not including Fedor, you would rather see? Josh Barnett? Maybe.
Lesnar, an NCAA and WWE wrestling champ, has the athletic ability to become a top heavyweight in the UFC, where it seems he's headed. Lesnar is just a mountain of a man who presents some major matchup problems for just about anyone he faces.
While a lot of MMA fans aren't ready to jump on the Lesnar bandwagon, most give him some respect because of his collegiate wrestling background. His amateur wrestling credentials are first class. He compiled a 106-5 record at the University of Minnesota, where he was a 4-time All-America and 2000 NCAA heavyweight champ. The list of collegiate wrestlers who have excelled in MMA is a long one that includes Couture.
Then there's Kimbo Slice, aka Kevin Ferguson. Kimbo is to MMA as what the two-headed cow is to the carnival. He sells tickets because we're not really sure what to make of him. We just know, we don't want to miss whatever he's going to do next.
He has done nothing to deserve the hype he gets. Yet, he's done everything to deserve it.
Grouse all you want about his lack of MMA skills. Complain that his debut against washed-up boxer Ray Mercer was a joke. Show some indignation that supporting Kimbo validates the brutal street-fighting image that MMA is trying to distance itself from.
But I dare you not to watch him when his fight against Abbott is broadcast live on the internet next week (The Fight Network reported Wednesday that the Pay-Per-View deal with inDemand fell through when a sponsor backed out. Promoter Felix Martinez said rumors the fight was canceled are untrue). Or at the very least, I dare you not to search for his fight against Abbott on YouTube or Daily Motion.
He's a freak show. And America loves freak shows.
Kimbo garnered his cult-like following in underground street fights. His fights are nothing more than backyard brawls. However, while they go at it with bare knuckles, these aren't "no holds barred" matches, as they're often described. There is no grappling, kicking, elbows or gouging in these fights.
Most of his opponents show a lot of heart and little skill. Some don't even show much heart. Getting hit in the face will do that to you.
For his part, Kimbo is a thick, imposing brute force. He moves surprisingly well for a big guy, bobbing and weaving enough to show that he has some boxing skills.
He has a solid jaw. Decent footwork. And he throws haymakers.
His hero is Mike Tyson. And, really, there's something Tyson-esque about Kimbo.You watch his street fights for the same reason you watched a young, angry Tyson.
You watch because there's something frightening about him. You watch because it's exhilarating to see what happens when the laws of physics are put to the test.
You don't have to be a fight connoisseur to appreciate a good slugfest.
Let's not kid ourselves, we're not that much more civilized than the ancient Romans. There's a reason that the UFC intro shows a gladiator putting his armor on, getting ready for combat.
The blood sport appeal of MMA is the draw for a lot of fans, whether the purists like it or not. There's a reason that the UFC arenas erupt in boos when fights go to the ground and seem to stall as fighters work to set up submissions.
Will Kimbo ever become more than a side show? That's hard to say.
I do know that if he got into the cage with Couture, Fedor or any of the heavyweights in the UFC, he'd likely get his ass handed to him. I'm not even sure he'll beat Abbott.
Will I say that in another two years? I'm not sure.
Kimbo vows that he's an MMA fighter now, not a street thug.
"I want to cause havoc," Kimbo said in an earlier interview. "I want to stir up the pot."
But don't take his word for it. Listen to Bas Rutten who has taken Kimbo under his wing.
Rutten, a former UFC heavyweight champ and three-time King of Pancrase, talks glowingly of Kimbo's dedication to training.
Before Kimbo's fight against Mercer, Rutten posted on a Sherdog forum: "I am training Kimbo right now, and I have to say that he is one of the BEST fighters I have EVER trained. He really listens to you and does what you say, do you know how hard that is? If he's dead tired, and I tell him five more rounds, he looks at me, but doesn't say anything, he just does it."
An endorsement from Rutten counts for something.
I give the promoters behind CFFC a lot of credit for signing Kimbo and then handling him the way they have.
Putting him against Mercer in his first fight was brilliant. Mercer brought some great name recognition into the fight and not much else. Mercer wasn't a big threat to submit Kimbo and probably would have had trouble standing toe-to-toe with Kimbo, as well.
It was a fight that gave Kimbo a chance to build upon his hype while not putting him to the test on the ground. And wouldn't you know it? Kimbo goes out and submits Mercer via guillotine choke in the first round.
He didn't look that bad, either. He and Mercer came out trading punches and Kimbo quickly showed off some Muay Thai skills with some knees to the body. He also took Mercer down twice. It was more MMA than many expected. Or wanted.
Ironically, Kimbo's MMA display probably disappointed many of his fans who were expecting to see a bonecrushing exchange of leather. Remember what Proximo said in Gladiator? He wasn't the best gladiator because he killed quickly. He was the best because the crowd loved him.
That's the dilemma Kimbo faces with his quest for legitimacy. Can the street brawler turn into an MMA fighter and still maintain his mystique?
Putting him against Abbott in his second fight is probably the right fight at the right time for Kimbo.
Abbott has some real MMA credentials but at 42, his best days are behind him. He has a lifetime record of 10-13 and has only won 2 of his last 9 fights. Make no mistake, though, even an old, potentially out of shape Abbott is eons better than most of the wannabes Kimbo beats up in his YouTube videos.
But Abbott's street-brawler style is tailor-made for Kimbo. It's a fight Kimbo can win.
If Kimbo wins, it's a step toward MMA credibility, though I doubt his critics will be satisfied.
That's okay. Kimbo doesn't have to win over the hardcore MMA enthusiasts. He just has to win the crowd.
Got a comment, question or column idea? Contact Joe Newman by clicking below or reach him on his blog, Cage Buzz.
