Kimbo Slice here is your chance to prove yourself.

 

I have never been a fan of Kimbo Slice. Maybe it’s just jealousy. In a time where hard-working people are getting laid off of work, Kimbo has made it big by relentlessly punching guys in his backyard. Something about it just doesn’t seem right.  Then there is the fact that he simply has no place in serious MMA promotions like the UFC. Sure the guy can punch, but after that he has nothing. No real martial arts skills, no ground game, and no submissions. A street fighter? Yes. A professional? No way.

 

Sincerely, one half of the MMA fan base.

 

I love Kimbo Slice. He’s a real fighter, someone who has lived the hard life and is making something of himself. Kimbo is a great example of an American Dream. One day he is homeless, and living on the street, the next he is getting paid to punch someone’s face in. Who cares about his martial arts skills or his ground defense? When this guy hits something, it goes down. MMA is all about being a fighter and Kimbo is certainly that.

Sincerely, the other half of the MMA fan base.

When it comes to one of MMA’s most controversial fighters there seems to be no middle ground. Fans love Kimbo or they hate him and they are not going to change their ways. That is why the “The Ultimate Fighter” series struck gold when Slice signed on to fight on “The Ultimate Fighter 10” which starts Wednesday night at 10 on SPIKE. People will watch to see Kimbo dominate. People will watch to see him fall. Most importantly, people will watch.

Those of you unfamiliar with Kimbo Slice have probably moved on to another section of phillysportsblogs by now, but just in case there are a few of you left, let me briefly explain how it is Kimbo became a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter 10”

Kimbo has long wanted to be a fighter for the UFC. However UFC President Dana White refused to offer him a contract and said the only way Kimbo would get one was if he won an entry from their show (Doing it all with a mocking tone). Kimbo took White up on the deal and will compete against 15 other heavyweights for a UFC contract.

In his brief MMA career, Slice has a 3-1 record with to KOs. He is also 35 and will be competing against fighters much younger and more polished. It is doubtful he will fight anyone much stronger.

Every fight will become “Must See TV” for fighting fans. Every guy Kimbo fights will want to be known as the guy who took down Kimbo, and thus will be putting everything he has into the fight.

Of course, the longer Kimbo lasts, the more skeptics there will be about how real the show is and if the fights are being staged to keep Kimbo on for ratings. White will be fine with that, because the more talk about his company the more it gets in the spotlight.

As an avid sports fan and a casual MMA fan, I can already say that I have more interest in this edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” than any of the previous nine installments.

And that’s the point. Love or hate Kimbo, people want to see what happens to him.

Before Kimbo – whose real name is Kevin Ferguson – signed on for the show, White scoffed at the notion of Slice joining his promotion. White said Slice “would get murdered in the UFC.” In an interview for Yahoo Sports, White later called Slice a “joke” and a “bum.”

Even if those words prove to be true by the end of the series White will have something new to call Slice. A gold mine.

Tagged with: Dana White, KImbo Slice, MMA, SPIKE, The Ultimate Fighter

PSB Latest

• Phillies get split in Florida Magic # is 5
• Eagles to face Matt Cassel, for now
• My Advice To Andy – Sit McNabb
• Eagles-Saints Report Card
• Kevin Kolb Only Bright Spot vs New Orleans Saints