Kimbo Slice Confirms Fight on the TUF 10 Finale
by Scott Haber on Sep 14, 2009 3:43 PM EDT
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PrintThis isn't much of a shocker, folks, but in a recent interview with CagePotato, TUF 10 contestant Kimbo Slice confirmed that he will be fighting on the show's finale card on December 5th:
I assume you’ll be fighting in the finale.
Yes, in December.
How are you preparing for your fight?
How do you prepare for a fight? Training, man, training. Smoking a lot of weed and having a lot of sex.
I’m quoting you on that.
Quote it.
For those of you concerned about spoilers, I don't believe this is one, as it seemed almost guaranteed that we'd be seeing Kimbo inside the Octagon at least once. He also doesn't specify whether he's fighting as a finalist or on the undercard, but needless to say, it's almost certain that his fight will be televised.
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Kimbo is such an asset to the UFC
Explain, please?
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
Ratings goldmine
Kimbo is the UFC’s gift to SpikeTV
For one fight, and I wonder how much that is even worth since his very public loss to Pink-Hair Petruzelli. Even the other day someone mentioned to me (casual fan, of course) about how Kimbo has kept his mouth shut since “that little guy kicked his ass”.
I don’t think he’s a huge commodity as he used to be, and if he’s even close it will likely only be for one fight.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
The only thing Kimbo lost in his fight to Seth was his aura as an unbeatable street fighter (that he himself never perpetuated), his fan base is still intact because he’s a showman and like Wandy always goes out there with the intent of putting on an entertaining display of controlled violence. Both casual and hardcore fans can appreciate his fighting mentality.
by BakiHanma21 on Sep 14, 2009 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
(that he himself never perpetuated)
Oh no doubt. I like the guy and always have defended him when people bashed him. But being realistic, I don’t personally see him as a cash cow that some seem to think he is. I think the loss to Petruzelli took a lot of wind from that sail.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
Alright I can agree with that.
I don’t think Kimbo is a cash cow for the UFC, or at all necessary to the success of the organization(that’s where EliteXC messed up), but he will still bring in viewers, and that makes him good for the sport. His excellent interviewing skills also make him a good ambassador for MMA (note not the Face of MMA).
it will likely only be for one fight.
Nah.
I think the UFC will be very careful and give him fights he can win. They’ll give him the Huerta treatment and feed him guys like Dan Evenson, Denis Stojnic, and a bunch of Octagon virgins with middling talent. Kimbo is not a worldbeater, but he’s good enough to smash guys of that caliber.
I think the UFC will be very careful and give him fights he can win.
I think you’re probably right. I only wonder if Dana White and the UFC will get the same hatred that Gary Shaw and EliteXC did for doing the same. Either way, will be interesting to see how he’s handled.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
I only wonder if Dana White and the UFC will get the same hatred that Gary Shaw and EliteXC did for doing the same
I doubt it … nor should they.
Shaw was using Kimbo as the main event on his big shows. The UFC will be using him as the first or second fight of their ‘B’ shows. Shaw built him up as the ‘best striker in the HW division’. The UFC will build him up as a really popular personality who is out to prove he is legit.
I have no problem with the UFC using Kimbo on the main card of Spike shows to draw ratings. If/when they start putting him on PPV main card, then I’ll be first one to bitch about it.
EliteXC didn’t use him for PPVs either. if Kimbo does well, than it’s a non-issue. If, however, they do as you say and feed him easy fights in order to bring in ratings? Yeah, that’s pretty much the same as EliteXC.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
Nice strawman. EliteXC didn’t have PPVs. They had a three tiered system.
1. CBS EliteXC cards
2. Showtime EliteXC cards
3. Showtime ShoXC cards
Kimbo was always the main event on the EliteXC cards, and often over accomplished mixed martial artists such as Antonio Silva, Robby Lawler, Jake Shields, and Andre Arlovski. They always used him on their ‘A’ shows with their top level talent rather than on the ShoXC cards with the developmental talent.
The UFC OTOH will be using him on their ‘B’ shows (UFN, TUF finales) as a developmental talent. I also highly doubt he will headline those shows. He will probably be the first or second fight of the televised card. I see no problem with that.
As far as feeding him easy fights, I had no problem with EliteXC’s matchmaking for Kimbo. In all honesty, his first four fights where tougher than most guys first four fights.
I also have no problem with the UFC continuing to build him up slowly. They do that all the time for prospects they want to build up (with Roger Huerta and Michael Bisping being the best examples). While Kimbo might be a little old to be considered a prospect, he’s no older than a guy like Aaron Simpson, who a lot of people are high on.
by Steve4192 on Sep 15, 2009 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Semantics
Feeding a guy easy fights to profit off his popularity. That’s what it comes down to. You can essay all you want to dance round it, but that’s what it’s about.
EliteXC did it and got tons of shit for it (rightfully), and if the UFC does the same, they deserve the same shit. The rest is semantics.
I think the UFC will be very careful and give him fights he can win.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
No it’s not.
Pushing him as the main event and as the number 1 heavyweight striker in mma is completely different form using him for ratings on UFC fight nights and building his career.
Yes it is
if you go back to what we are talking about, which is if they feed him easy fights that he can win (rather than actual competition) in order to profit from his popularity.
My original point was that he lost a lot of his popularity when he lost to Petruzelli, and the first real fight he has, if he loses, his popularity will continue to plummet. If the UFC feeds him wins to prevent that from happening, then yes – I feel it is very similar to what EliteXC did.
Talking about card placement, which channel, and what words the announcers use to desribe him is getting into semantics.
However this all may be moot. As you can see in Steves reply above, there is a ton of speculation and assumptions.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
Wait a sec.
You are warping what I said. I never said they would feed him easy fights. I said they would feed him fights he could win. There is a difference.
They will give him challenging fights where he has a solid chance of winning, not a bunch of pushovers. All I am saying is they won’t overwhelm him by feeding to guys who are a nightmare style matchup or who are just flat-out more talented than him.
And that's a good thing.
the UFC doesn’t need Kimbo to be their face or to shoulder the company (like EliteXC), I agree with Steve saying there is nothing wrong with giving Kimbo opponents of his caliber with the intent on him getting better to later fight better fighters. The UFC isn’t going to baby Kimbo and feed him cans because they don’t need to, he’s just another fighter in their stable.
Mythbuster, you’re playing it off like the UFC needs Kimbo and is somehow going to make some huge marketing error with him. they didn’t become the end-all-be-all of MMA organizations by making stupid mistakes like that.
by BakiHanma21 on Sep 15, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Saying hes just another fighter int heir stable is wrong.
Does the UFC need him to draw nig ratings? No, but they will draw even bigger ratings with him and no mater what Dana says this is about money and you can never make enough!
Valid point.
I was just trying to make it clear that he wasn’t the hinge-pin of the organization. I may have undersold Kimbo.
Mythbuster, you’re playing it off like the UFC needs Kimbo and is somehow going to make some huge marketing error with him.
Not even close. Sorry if it’s coming across that way.
I’ve been saying all along that his popularity isn’t as good as some seem to think, and that unless he gets real competition he will be considered the same as he was when he was in EXC – a decent striker having his record padded for ratings (IF that’s the direction the UFC decides to go with him).
I know the UFC doesn’t need Kimbo.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
He’s a prospect. That is what you do with prospects. The guy only has four fights to his name. The UFC would be insane to start matching him up against grizzled veterans at this point in his career.
If you want to build any prospect into a legit contender, you match him up against guys who will provide a challenge, but not an overwhelming one. You put him up against the HW equivalent of Jason Dent, John Halverson, Leonard Garcia, Doug Evans, and Alberto Crane.
by Steve4192 on Sep 15, 2009 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
He’s a prospect. That is what you do with prospects. The guy only has four fights to his name. The UFC would be insane to start matching him up against grizzled veterans at this point in his career.
I agree, which is why I didn’t say that they should. But then, you’re changing things now. We aren’t talking about going from mid-tier to upper-tier competition, we’re talking about feeding him wins to profit off his popularity.
If the UFC gives him competition of his level, that’s fine. I wouldn’t expect them to toss him in against Carwin right away. Shit, I’d be pissed if they did. However, if they give him punching bags that fit his style perfectly, I’ll be pissed that he’s taking up a spot on a fight card that should belong to someone who deserves it.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
I think we are on the same page. When I said they’ll feed him fights he can win, I meant they’ll feed him guys on his own level. Guys that will test him but that he CAN beat, not guys that will be total pushovers. I think we are disagreeing over semantics.
gotcha
As long as it’s legitimate competition, and not Tank Abbott types, then it’s all good.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
He’s a recognizable name that guarantees huge ratings, and the UFC would be silly to just throw him away so that another company could scoop him up and take advantage of his popularity, especially now that he’s been on TUF and he’ll be more popular than ever.
Do you think they plan on letting him fight any names?
I mean, who knows how he does on TUF. I think the safe money is that he doesn’t win the TV show but gets a contract anyway (as many fighters have done). However, from then on, I think any real competition will poke a hole or two.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
Kimbo is an incomplete fighter, but he’s also very aware of it. He’s training his wrestling and BJJ (even using a gi) with the intent of improving himself as a fighter. I don’t believe he will ever be UFC champion (a little past his prime), but theres no reason why he can’t eventually fight big fights and big names.
I misread that
as "Kimbo is such an asshat’
Clearly not what you said.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
How are you preparing for your fight?
How do you prepare for a fight? Training, man, training. Smoking a lot of weed and having a lot of sex.
We can at least count on Kimbo to keep it real.
by SouthAlaBamaRampage on Sep 14, 2009 4:03 PM EDT reply actions
I don't get it...
Doesn’t almost everyone on the show get at least one fight after the show?
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Yes
Hell, Chris Leben went 0-2 on the show and still got a fight on the finale … against a guy who got cut before he even had a chance to fight (Strange Brew).
No surprise here...
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Sep 14, 2009 5:31 PM EDT reply actions
How do you prepare for a fight? Training, man, training. Smoking a lot of weed and having a lot of sex.
I’m quoting you on that.
Quote it.
Awesome
The Dana White Factor.
It makes sense for the UFC to set up fights for Kimbo that he can be competitive in and win and bring him along slowly, get the added casual fans that he brings, etc. BUT, don’t forget that Dana can be a vindictive SOB at times, even over the business decision, if allowed. If Kimbo doesn’t look good on the show, I can totally see Dana putting Kimbo on the finale but against somebody who is set to destroy him, just to make the statement that Dana was right all along. Now whether the Fertittas would allow that, and whether Dana would see the business side as being more important, may well override that. But I wouldn’t be too surprised either way, actually.
(oh, and not a bash on Dana at all — just an observation on the way his personality sometimes works)
I don't see it
Dana is in the business to make money. He knows Kimbo is a potential cash cow. He’s not going to bury a potential rainmaker just because he once was tied to Gary Shaw.
All the hype with Kimbo is already starting
He was on ESPN First Take this morning. I had so many people asking me if I saw it that dont even get into MMA and they were all asking whens the next fights? When is he fighting?
^^ yup
and if he doesn’t win against legitimate competition, will the UFC give him easy wins to maintain the popularity, or will they do as they once claimed, and put on real fights and let the chips fall where they may? Will be interesting to see what they do, and how people react to it compared to his the reactions to his previous employer.
weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.
But what do you consider an easy fight?
Let’s say Kimbo wins his first fight and then gets knocked off in the quarterfinals. Would you consider it an easy fight if they feed him another quarterfinalist? Or do you expect them to throw him in the cage with an Antonio Hardonk or a Pat Barry?
I’m perfectly fine with letting him bounce around in the hopper with other TUF fighters for his first two or three fighters, or feeding him a couple of Octagon virgins who have earned their shot at the UFC. OTOH, if they bring in guys who have no business being in the UFC just so that Kimbo can get a win, I’ll be more than happy to grab a pitchfork and lead the lynch mob.
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