The man, the myth, the has been, Kimbo Slice. Slice gained Internet fame through youtube broadcasts of his backyard brawls, where he routinely knocked out his opponents with devastating uppercuts. Elite XC, a lesser regarded MMA organization, signed Slice to a contract where he immediately became the face of the franchise. Kimbo, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, went 3 and 0 in his first three fights against lightly regarded opponents. Many members of UFC, widely considered the top MMA league, have called out Slice and his fighting abilities.
For Slice’s fourth fight, Elite XC set him up with famed MMA fighter Ken Shamrock. Shamrock was once a big name in the sport, but had lost 8 of his last 9 fights heading into the October 4 bout. Shamrock was forced to pull out of the fight hours before the bell due to a cut above his eye. Light heavyweight Seth Petruzelli, scheduled to fight on the undercard, jumped at the chance to take on Slice. Petruzelli made the most of his opportunity, taking down the much bigger fight by technical knockout just 14 seconds into the fight. Slice’s overblown hype was deflated just as quickly he lost the bout.
Hopefully for Slice, he has a guaranteed contract with Elite XC. If not, expect to see him in a boxing ring sooner rather than later. Boxing is much more suited to Slice’s strengths, which are his quick, powerful hands and vision. The ground game is where every critic pointed when discussing Slice’s weakneses as an MMA fighter. Despite intense training, it is very difficutly to gain the ground skills that other MMA fighters posses and have perfected for years. With heavyweight boxing desperately seeking stars, Slice should have no trouble finding a home. At least until that next knockout.
