***Note - After publishing this post, I found out that Kimbo will be featured on the cover of ESPN the magazine. The article can be found at espn.com.
Kimbo Slice is probably the single most talked about fighter in MMA today. It seems everyone has an opinion one way or another on the former street fighter turned MMA brawler. I, am no different.
The facts are hard to deny. Kimbo is certainly a devastating striker. He is big, strong, fearless. He is brash and unapologetic with his gold teeth and shaggy beard. His jewelery is reminiscent of something you would see in a "Mr. T" starter kit. I would rather be caught in a lions den wearing pork chop underwear than get in the cage with this beast however. Type his name into the search bar on youtube and you can see him knockout dozens of helpless opponents. In one video, he stands there with his chin out, begging his opponent to hit him. The opponent does, and Kimbo shakes it off and responds with a punch of his own, sending his opponent to the grass. In his first two sanctioned professional bouts he has knocked out his foes in devastating fashion. The knock on Kimbo is that he hasn't fought anyone with any talent. In two pro fights he fought Bo Cantrell, and "The Artist Formerly Known as Tank Abbott." Here is the kicker though....who cares?
Lets face it, us hardcore MMA fans can appreciate the science of two brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelts working for position on the ground and attempting or thwarting submission moves for 15 minutes. But, if you were to poll MMA fans across the country and ask them what they want to see, the answer would almost always be the same. Much like most auto racing fans going to races to see the big wreck, casual fans of MMA want to see the big knockout. As a self professed huge fan of fighting I do too, and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Kimbo is a huge draw and deserves all the press he is getting. Like him or not, he is bringing more attention and new fans to the world of MMA than the current UFC heavyweight champ Anotonio Nogueira. In a world dominated by the internet, Kimbo carved out a niche for himself and parlayed that into the main event slot at the first MMA event to be broadcast on network television. He has added respect to his fight game by aligning himself with one of the greatest trainers in the sport in Bas Rutten. Rutten claims he has never seen a fighter train as hard as Kimbo does. Now does any of this mean he deserves to fight in the main event of the biggest event in MMA history? Based on his resume no. Based on his name, yes. There isn't another heavyweight in the world right now that has the name recognition of Kimbo Slice. Would he stand a chance against the likes of Fedor or Couture at this point in his career? Likely not, but the 3-4 million people that tune into Elite XC Saturday Night Fights are not going to care. We all want to see the same thing, Kimbo knocking James Thompson into the third row. Well, that and the fact that I have a crush on Crush, but that is a topic for another article.
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5 comments:
Good read! I've been watching Kimbo (online) since LONG before I had heard of MMA fighting. I like the backyard brawls, and padded room fights. I Like everything about watching Kimbo (except his silly entourage and them getting involved when Kimbo falls behind in a fight), and am excited for him to continue his career inside a sanctioned cage.
Great write up on Kimbo! I say CHAMP! The greatest thing about Kimbo is that he brings the pure ANIMAL mindset back to the ring. My wife said it best last night watching WEC Wreckage...she says "Dude, this is gay...they are just wrestling". MMA fans would say two things about this. 1. WTF is your wife watching MMA for? 2. That is what MMA is all about...technique!
I think Kimbo brings back the PITT FIGHTER...I MUST KILL YOU...mentallity back to the Octagon! I love it!
Last official fitght I saw with Kimbo...they had to pull him off of his opponent and he was PISSED. He reminds me of a German Shepart Polics dog. Either the switch is off and he is chill...or the switch is ON and it is TIME TO KILL!
Kimbo needs a real fight after this one! Make is happen Brandon...and keep up the blogs!!!
Mr. Jones: Longtime fan of your work, and love the feature on Kimbo. He's a wrecking ball and a marketing managers wet-dream, no question. I hope he goes on a tear and is sitting at 12-0 and is no longer considered just a brawler. My primary concern is his endurance, but reading that he's training harder than his trainer has ever seen, I'm pleasantly surprised.
Keep up the good work. I love the MMA.
Great article Jones. It was kind of funny going to youtube and seeing his backyard brawl against this big white guy named Adryan. The spelling of his name is very close to Aryan. About 20 seconds after he confidently said "Let's do this", Kimbo knocked him out. Even if he does not materialize into a contender, he will still be a street fighting legend. He is in the same boat as Brock Lesnar. Raw power, but not quite at the skill level of other professionals. Kimbo is a guy you don't want as a cellmate, or to run into in an alley, but he still needs a couple of victories over solid MMA vets to live up to the hype. If he wins his next fight, how about lining up Tim Sylvia?
The Tim Sylvia fight would be a great test. I dont see how Affliction can stay above water considering how much they paid for Fedor and Silva. When they go defunct, expect Elite XC to make a push for Sylvia, especially if he pulls off the upse against Fedor
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