Will Kimbo Continue His Run?

Internet street sensation turned MMA fighter Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (2-0) has made an impact on MMA just as he did with his Internet brawls. Kimbo gained popularity with his filmed underground street fights and sparked the interest of many internet users. In some brawls, Kimbo would fight and defeat two opponents simultaneously. The referee would even give his opponents a 30 second count to recover from the beating they had just received. In professional MMA, with some of the most heavily trained fighters in the world, it's more than a little different. An article by Don Davenport

It only took a few of these YouTube bouts before word started to spread about this Florida brawler. Kimbo then made the transition to MMA, and he couldn't have chosen a better path. He's being trained by former Pancrase and UFC Heavyweight Champion Bas Rutten. According to Bas, Kimbo has made significant improvements in his training and has all the natural tools to be a great champion. Kimbo was somewhat less eloquent: “I’ve never been like this, I’ve been out here for two weeks and I’m in top condition. I’m training with Bas and I’m ready for whatever, you guys in the Heavyweight division, there’s a new sheriff in town better believe that.”

Kimbo made his MMA debut in an exhibition bout at Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5 in June of 2007 against former World Heavyweight Champion boxer Ray Mercer. Kimbo came out very aggressively, backing Mercer into the cage and connecting with knees, punches, and elbows. He quickly defeated Mercer by...submission?? That's right, Kimbo actually choked out his opponent at 1:12 of the first round. At the end of the fight, David “Tank” Abbott and Kimbo talked about an upcoming showdown, but Kimbo was signed to a lucrative deal by EliteXC in October.

Kimbo defeated Bo Cantrell in just 19 seconds in a November fight. With this impressive win, the Tank fight found its way to the top of promoters' "to do" lists. On February 16, 2008, Kimbo will return to Miami and will face David “Tank” Abbott (10-13) in a main event.

Many fighters and critics state that Kimbo is not what MMA is about. In an interview conducted by ESPN, former UFC Lightweight Champion Tito Ortiz stated that “he’s just a big oversized guy that just knows how to punch. He is nothing compared to what we do in the octagon. If he fights guys at the top tier he will get crushed in seconds.”

Kimbo will have his chance to either prove Tito right or prove that he is here to stay.