Kevin Ferguson (38) a.k.a. Kimbo Slice stands 6-foot-2 tall, tips the scale at 240, and hails from Miami, Florida. He is best known for his internet street fights and is currently slated to fight James "The Collosus" Thompson on May 31.
This will be the first event held on a major US television network, but my question is why is Kevin in the main event and not the middleweight title bout between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith.
Kevin made his pro debut against Ray Mercer at Cage Fury Fighting Championships five on June 23, 2007. Kevin won this fight by guillotine choke at 1:12 of round No. 1.
Ray Mercer was a professional boxer. Being a former WBO world heavyweight champion and United States Amateur Heavyweight champ, he clearly did not want the fight to go to the ground.
Kevin caught Ray in a guillotine choke, which is one of the most basic moves in MMA. Ray could not get out, which shows how inexperienced he was in MMA.
Kevin then co-headlined EliteXC Renegade, taking on (10-11) Bo Cantrell. The fight lasted 19 seconds in which Kevin landed one punch to the head of Bo causing Bo to dive to the mat only to tap out.
So what does that prove? He beat a guy who has a .500 record, and I don't think Bo even wanted to fight Kevin.
Then he takes on David "Tank" Abbott whose record is 9-14. Tank has won only one fight in 10 years. So how does that add any prestige to the name Kimbo Slice?
In my opinion, Kevin is nothing but a backyard brawler, and he will always be a backyard brawler.
I've had people tell me that Bas Rutten said that Ferguson is learning quickly on the ground, and Kevin will never want to go to the ground. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Now he is the person to grace the cover of ESPN magazine. How can you justify that? Why not put a Randy Couture, a Georges St Pierre, a Anderson Silva, or even a Jeremy Horn on the cover? At least, someone who has earned a magazine cover.
Kevin won two MMA fights. People are already saying that if he went to the UFC, he'd be champ. He'd get his ass kicked by the D-class fighters in the UFC.
Now with the upcoming EliteXC on CBS, Kevin gets the main event slot. There is a title fight on the card and a fight with Phil Baroni vs. Joey Villasenor. That pisses me off.
I don't care if you agree or disagree with what I had to say. I just felt the need to write this article.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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5 months ago
Whether or not Ferguson got his credentials from street fighting is irrelevent in my opinion. He is still getting in the cage and winning his fights with finishes. Which is more than i can say about some fighters who have taken the safe approach and have not finished fights. That's why he is main event material.....he has a ton of hype behind him good or bad and he KO's and subs his opponents. Granted he has not faced high level competition but he will test his metal against James Thompson who is no slouch and fierce and merciless striker. If Kimbo comes up on top in highlight fashion we will see more of him in the future.
from 5 months ago
OMG haters . I tell you i I watch fights and can see a natural. KIMBO is a natural. TYSON never fought the top three guys when he started. his trainer built him up fighting guys like KImbo is fighting now no bodies. That is how he became lik e20 and 0. He neve r fought the best. Kimbo is beeing tested the same way slowly. One day he will take on the best and WIN> And all you haters will still SAY OH he got a luky shot in lets see him try that on so and so . Kimbo is good look at him he has fighting skills. he can bob weave, dodge and throw with the best of them. If he gets a ground game he will destroy Frank MIR>
5 months ago
James Thompson has lost 6 of his last 8 fights including being KO'd in his Elite debut. He will provide another thirty seconds of kimbo beating his ass. They are trying to make Kimbo the MMA Mike Tyson. Hell ive even heard they are trying to get Mike Tyson next for Kimbo. I dont have a problem with them building Kimbo up for a year or two except I dont like him being the main attraction for Elite. I think they need legitimate fights as the main attraction and Kimbo should be a side show until he fights someone for real. I mean we all know if he was in UFC he would have already lost to a Gabe Gonzaga or a Brandon Vera or a Heith Herring or somebody. He wouldnt be walking thru all those guys in thirty seconds. lol.
5 months ago
EliteXC is doing what's good for business, and Kimbo will most likely knock out Thompson in front of millions. That is what casual or new fans want to see: knockouts, and preferably by someone they know.
Kimbo has dedicated himself to learning the sporting and fighting in a legitimate promotion. Sure, he may get special treatment, but he puts asses into seats. People will not be tuning in to watch Lawler vs Villasenor: they want to see Kimbo in a standup battle with another fighter.
Sure, this idea irks a lot of hardcore fans, and I can see why. But Kimbo is bringing attention to the sport and helping it to grow, and more exposure is just what the sport needs. It's also good for casual fans to learn that there are other organizations besides the UFC with good fighters too.
You don't put a guy in his first few fights against top ten heavyweights. That is not good business and the fighter loses appeal with a defeat. You have to build him up, and if he keeps winning, then he can face progressively better competition.
Even though many people hate on Kimbo, the bottom line is that they will be watching him fight regardless, and getting people to watch the sport (and generate profit) is what promotions are supposed to do.
from 5 months ago
so do you think the ufc did the wrong think putting Lesnar in against Mir? I sure did. I think they killed his buzz in his first fight. Why didnt he fight Mark Coleman first and then Mir? Who signs a guy for the kinda money they paid Brock and then puts him in with a guy likely to submit him in his first fight? I will give Elite Extreme credit in that since, they are not putting Kimbo in there with killers....yet. The problem is when they plan for him to fight someone that could actually beat him, what will they do? they dont have a legit top ten heavyweight for him to fight. They will have to find one. Somebody that will not only have a chance to win but put asses in seats because who wants to see Kimbo lose to some nobody. He is their most bankable star at this point and when they put him in there with someone who can beat him, it better be someone popular they can lock into a long term contract or at least a rematch clause.
5 months ago
Lawler isn't fighting Villasenor, he is fighting Scott Smith for a title. Baroni vs. Villasenor, Lawler vs. Smith.
Lawler vs. Smith should be a stand-up fight and it's for a title. I'd much rather watch Lawler vs. smith then Kimbo vs. Thompson in a main event. I'm not asking for kimbo to fight a top ten guy, I just want to see him fight somebody in the top 50. Lesnar fought Frank Mir in his second fight, and it looks like Mir is going to get the next shot at Minotauro.
from 5 months ago
Could you please point out where i stated that Robbie was fighting Villasenor
5 months ago
Kimbo keeps getting these guys who are made to order for him guys who satnd and brawl with no ground game Did anyone see that cantrell fight? that guy went down tapping to a punch that grazed his shoulder! that was just as big of a fix fight as the last Ken Shamrock garbage when he went down to a grazing shoulder punch. if this is the stuff that Elite is offering as high Quality "fight' i will pass. oh yeah maybe Kimbo can destroy Bob Sapp next.
5 months ago
I wish he'd fight someone legit too, however, Gary Shaw and EliteXC have to protect their cash cow and golden boy. He's the face of their organization. Shaw is going to milk it as long as he can...
I'm disappointed that the non-MMA fans and fair weathered MMA fans who tune into CBS at the end of May will be treated to that kind of spectacle instead of being introduced to great fighters and proven winners like St Pierre, Silva, Rampage, Liddell, etc...
Kimbo's good for Elite XC, but terrible for the image of MMA in the public's eye.
from 5 months ago
i agree totally. I think hes the second coming of tank abbott. Except tank could wrestle and kimbo is staying in better shape than tank did. I wonder though what we will all think if kimbo does get tested eventually with a top 15 or so heavyweight and passes with flying colors? almost all hardcore mma fans think hes garbage now so what will we say if he proves himself? only time will tell if we are right about him or not.
5 months ago
Kimbo didn't get the cover because he is a good fighter, he got the cover because people that don't know anything about MMA still know about him. We are a society that is driven by hype and trends and Kimbo embodies both. While it doesn't sit well for me to see him on the cover of ESPN the magazine, it doesn't surprise me either.
Personally, I would be mad if I were a professional fighter.
from 5 months ago
not only should other fans be mad at the fact that kimbo gets all this pub, someone should actually do something about it. A top fighter that has the contractual status to do so needs to call Kimbo out and go whip his ass. That would solve that. Maybe Arlovsky?
5 months ago
Hopefully after Kevin fights James Thompson we get to see him fight Antonio Silva
from 5 months ago
Thats a great point travis. Antonio Silva would be a huge task for kimbo. He's a big dude with great muoy thai and BJJ. I'd love to see that fight.
Ricco Rodriguez would be another solid opponent for slice as well.
5 months ago
This guy sucks and thats all he is is a Elite XC poster boy he wont fight anyone good there and he wont stand a chance in the UFC until he can beat a top ten heavyweight i will not respect him or will ever like him hes a bad image too
5 months ago
Ya, the UFC should have given Lesnar at least one easy fight at the beginning, someone like Eddie Sanchez or Colin Robinson or Antoni Hardonk or Justic McCully. Then they could give him someone like Coleman. After that, have him fight Mir or Herring or Kongo, and then he might be ready for a title shot.
Mir is just a nightmare match-up for Lesnar. But now the UFC can promote Mir due to his recent win over Brock. The UFC tries to set up win-win situations for their fights from a marketing perspective (see Shogun-Forrest).
Lesnar will most likely beat Coleman. Then they should give him someone else who he can beat from a stylistic point of view, eg. Kongo or Herring. If he wins those two fights then he could fight for the title, because the UFC heavyweight division is seriously lacking in contenders.
5 months ago
Travis you didn't state that Lawler was fighting Villasenor, Jad did.
from 5 months ago
my bad
5 months ago
Oh, my mistake. Lawler vs Smith is a much better match-up anyway. That fight promises to be a slugfest.
5 months ago
kimbo sucks. he's a bad role model for mma. the bloke got famous for street fighting on the net and that shound not be given any credit for, hes a brawler with no skill he come against a decent heavy weight with a sound stand up game he will get picked apart thats without him being rubbish on the ground. i dunno how people can rate this man when how many times did he punch tank to the back of the head and get away with it?
5 months ago
From a marketing standpoint, James Thompson is the perfect opponent for Kimbo. Not super skilled, has a tendency to stand and bang, and has a dodgy chin that casual fans won't know about. But he LOOKS the part, and a new audience watching Kimbo knock him out (very likely, unfortunately) will be impressed.
I have no problem with Kimbo getting the fights he is getting: a few "names" and low-to-mid-level opponents. I will agree that he has taken a (small) step up in competition with every fight, and a guy with two fights (Mercer was an exhibition I believe) should not be fighting Top Ten competition.
But if they are going to bring him up through the ranks this way, they shouldn't be pretending that he's a world-beater either. They're trying to have it both ways, and that's what is pissing off the people who know better.
5 months ago
In my opinion, publicity is good for MMA, and Kimbo Slice certainly brings a lot of publicity. MMA is an up and coming sport, and getting more and more airtime on bigtime networks like ESPN and CBS. Kimbo Slice will be good for the sport.
5 months ago
Kimbo Slice reminds me of Jack Dempsey - a classic, street-fighting tough-guy with plenty of heart and ferocity, but a total absence of technical expertise in his fighting methods. Yes, his groundwork is sorely lacking right now, but with good training (he's busting his ass) and the right gauntlet of fights to prepare him, the desire and natural ability could take him places. Unfortunately, the man is drifting towards his mid-30's, so he has a very finite window of opportunity. It's just a shame he didn't start 10 or 15 years earlier.
5 months ago
Kimbo has no chance in the UFC if he does not learn how to Defend the takedown or at least learn some basic submissions all he can do is strike.
5 months ago
Hey, I get pissed off when numbnuts keep telling me that Miss David Beckham is a great player.
He is the most marketed player in the world but even on heavy drugs no one would ever put him in the top 10.
In his own country a sports mag ran a top 50 players poll and he finished 37th, so you know he is ranked lower by magazines elsewhere.
Beckham is a world class free kicker who bends the ball like an idiot savant.
As a midfielder, he is mediocre.
He is basically a field goal kicker in the NFL.
And guess what? So is Kimbo.
Both Slice and Becks are being sold to people who dont know better that they are world class...
Never thought anyone would even compare these two, eh?
>Kimbo has dedicated himself to learning the sporting
So do all the grunts in the gym.
How is THAT something you even have to mention?
I took it for granted. The majortiy of real MMA fighters dedicate themselves to learning different martial arts and improving on others.
Saying that is like saying that concert musicians X is good because he spends a whole 45mins a day practicing.
And who said Ricco Rodriguez?
Have you seen the gut on the man?
I dont think he could beat Warpath.
People dont hate Kimbo, they hate that he is top billed when he has proven nothing.
MMA fought for more than a decade to rid itself of the Tank Abbott and other one trick ponies/clowns,
MMA is about trained and skilled atheltes like Couture and Matt Hughes and complete athletes and mutlti-disciplinarians like GSP and Silva.
Kimbo might be a nice guy and all but he is bringing back that perception than any street brawler like Tank can be an MMA fighter. He might be one day. He isnt now.
Besides, Bob Sapp is much taller and much, much bigger and does the scary black man look perfectly.
4 months ago
Kevin Ferguson a.k.a. Kimbo Slice may be a street fighter and you may disagree with him being on the cover of ESPN Magazine, but the truth is that he has brought a hype to MMA that did not exist before. I am new to MMA fights and the only reason I started watching the fights and getting to know the fighters is because of that street fighter called KIMBO SLICE, that everyone just want to 'tear to shreds'.
So despite what you may think, (you are entitled to your opinion and I respect it, I just have another) you should give him some credit for the attention that he has brought to the sport. AND HE DID WIN THAT FIGHT. Another fact about Kevin, he was born in the Bahamas and he did display our flag last night. So again, I give him kudos for that.
4 months ago
Kevin's been winning but he's been beating bums
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