EliteXC: Saturday Night Fights: Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock

    On October 4th on Primetime CBS, Kimbo Slice is going to fight a legend of MMA in Ken Shamrock in what many are calling the "EliteXC Circus." A lot hangs on this card because if EliteXC somehow fail, even with a intriguing fight such as this, they might be replaced by the ruling organization synonymous with MMA: the UFC.

    The UFC has played smart all these years, while the amateur EliteXC has bit the bullet and taken a chance in return for having their show on Primetime CBS. This, along with several other decisions, has reportedly caused EliteXC to lose 24 million dollars. Not exactly a sign that a company is doing well. It may all turn around with this intriguing card.

    The fight between Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock is a classic case of the grappler vs. the striker. Kimbo Slice, being a brawler and proficient striker, obviously has the upper-hand in stand-up fighting, but on the ground Ken Shamrocks experience and mastery should prevail. If Shamrock does not quickly get Knocked out or TKO'd he should have the upper-hand in the long run as Kimbo is not known for his endurance abilities nor his ground fighting. In fact his last fight could've ended in a TKO if James Thompson had any "gas" left to ground-and-pound Kimbo. 

   The hardcore fans are split between their belief that Kimbo is a useless brawler, and the fact that he is being trained by a legend of the sport; Bas Rutten. So while some want Shamrock to win to prove that "brawling" is not "mixed-martial-arts", others trust in Bas Rutten's expertise as a trainer to propell Kimbo to a victory.

    The return of the "Kimbo auidience" (along with somewhat disapproving, but hardcore MMA fans), in this upcoming show should please the CBS henchmen, the question remains of what will happen if Kimbo loses?

    Is the UFC going to nudge the troubled EliteXC off of the short CBS pedestal, and take a big jump in making the UFC synonymous with MMA? Or will the return of Kimbo Slice spell success for EliteXC and continue their less than stellar professionalism on Primetime CBS?