Kimbo Slice: A Tale Of Inspiration

On May 31, 2008, Kimbo Slice fought in the main event of EliteXC: Primetime on CBS against James Thompson. The fight was ended in the third round when Kimbo Slice landed a blow to Thompson's head and ruptured his cauliflowered ear.

The decision was controversial. For the next few days, the entire sports world dedicated itself to bashing Slice and EliteXC. They claimed that the Kimbo era was over. Or they claimed that CBS fixed the fight to allow Kimbo to win.

The MMA "purists" exclaimed very loudly that Kimbo Slice would lose to a UFC rookie. Kimbo was painted as a scrub. All these things may be true—but Kimbo is not a man of the of the "purists." He is a man of the people. The reason is that Kimbo's rise to fame has been inspirational.

Kimbo has been described as a product of the internet generation. Millions of people saw his underground fights on sites like YouTube. This internet buzz is what makes him a man of the people. When we see videos on YouTube, we see normal people like you and me do goofy, funny, and dangerous stuff.

As a result, we cheer for them or criticize them because we can relate to them. Plus, we feel connected to them because we can leave comments and know they can read them. When people saw Kimbo beat people to a pulp online, they found a hero that they connected with.

Eventually, Kimbo began fighting inside cages instead of in backyards. The devoted fans who found him online followed him, and were amazed at how quickly he dispensed his opponents.

At this point, sports and MMA experts had yet to take notice of Kimbo and had, therefore, not began to criticize him. Kimbo's following became huge. Huge enough that CBS took notice.

But the Kimbo phenomenon has more than just the internet to thank. Kimbo's life story has contributed to his meteoric rise. Kimbo did not start training for MMA when he was 12 years old. He played the most American sport of all: football. 

Slice went to the University of Miami, but dropped out after a year and a half. He went on to have a variety of jobs, including as a bodyguard for a pornography company. At one point, Kimbo was even homeless.

Kimbo had a talent, though. He knew how to crush men into dust with his fists. By the time Kimbo broke into MMA, he was already 33 years old. His rise to fame at such an advanced age gave inspiration to thousands of people, because it made them feel that it was not too late for them to chase their own dreams.

Fast forward to now. Dozens of articles have been dedicated to how Kimbo will destroy MMA and EliteXC. As stated earlier, this all may be true—but why not use Kimbo as a tool to raise MMA's popularity even more, instead of antagonizing him and alienating new fans.

People have become emotionally invested in Kimbo Slice. Use that to raise awareness and bring people into the MMA camp. This is the only way that MMA can compete with boxing.

Train Slice and use him to advertise MMA. Use him as the bait, and pull the ol' bait-and-switch. Once people see the quality of the fighters, they will stay loyal to MMA, regardless of Kimbo.

Ultimately, Kimbo deserves a chance to prove himself. Humans are gifted with the ability to learn, and Kimbo can use this ability to become a solid fighter in the future. If he becomes one of the best, then his story will have the best ending and be an inspiration to millions more.

Why not give him the chance?

And if he gets his shot, I wonder who'll play him in the movie?