As the lower bowl filled with raucous fans, it was easy to tell that this was not your typical, clean UFC event. Two stoppages and one knockout later, Kimbo had passed his first true test in mixed martial arts.
Kimbo Slice defeats Tank by knockout at 0:43 of round one.
Antonio Silva defeats Ricco Rodriguez by split decision.
Scott Smith defeats Kyle Noke by knockout at 0:07 of round 2.
Brett Rogers defeats James Thompson by technical knockout via strikes.
Yves Edwards defeats Edson Berto by knockout via knee at 4:56 of round one.
Rafael Feijao defeats John Doyle by technical knockout via knee at 2:17 of round one.
Yosmany Cabezas defeats John Kirk by submission via rear naked choke at 0:58 of round two.
Dave Herman defeats Mario Rinaldi by technical knockout via strikes at 0:33 of round three.
Eric Bradley defeats Mikey Gomez by unanimous decision.
Lorenzo Borgameo defeats Mike Bernhard by submission via triangle choke at 4:11 of round two.
Moyses Gabin defeats Jirka Hlavaty by technical knockout via strikes at 2:32 of round one.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Kimbo Dominates In Wild EliteXC Event
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Kimbo And Tank To Battle After All
ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned that the long-awaited heavyweight clash between Internet street fighting legend Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and former UFC staple Tank Abbott is scheduled to be the main event of EliteXC's next show on Saturday, February 16.
The show, scheduled to air on Showtime at 10:00 p.m. ET, is slated to emanate from Miami, Florida. A venue has not been officially announced but the University of Miami has been rumored as a location.
In addition to Slice vs. Abbott, a middleweight matchup between Australian Kyle Noke and former UFC fighter Scott Smith is also scheduled. Antonio Silva and James "Colossus" Thompson are slated to compete on the card as well, in separate bouts.
Abbott and Slice had been scheduled to fight each other on October 12 in Atlantic City, NJ for the Cage Fury Fighting Championships promotion. However, the promotion ran into financial difficulties and was forced to cancel the card. The cancellation allowed Slice to become a free agent, and he signed a lucrative contract with EliteXC soon after.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Kimbo, Shields Roll In EliteXC Event
Kimbo Slice ended his fight just 19 seconds into the first round while highly-touted Welterweight Jake Shields won with a first round rear naked choke. Nick Diaz lost his 160 pound title fight due to excessive cuts at the end of the first round. Complete event results below...
The following are quick-match results from the EliteXC "Renegade" show, which aired live on the Showtime premium cable network on Saturday, November 10, 2007:
-Jae Suk Lim def. Daniel Pineda via Submission (rear naked choke) at 2:42 of Round 1.
-Brett Rogers def. Ralph Kelly via Submission (strikes) at 1:43 of Round 1.
-Matt Lucas def. Jon Kirk via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after 3 Rounds.
-Yves Edwards def. Nick Gonzalez via Submission (rear naked choke) at 3:05 of Round 1.
-Geoff Bumstead def. Robert Ruiz via Submission (rear naked choke) at 1:30 of Round 1.
-Antonio Silva def. Jonathan Wiezorek via Submission (rear naked choke) at 3:12 of Round 1.
-Kyle Noke def. Seth Kleinbeck via TKO (cut stoppage) at 4:22 of Round 2.
-Jake Shields def. Mike Pyle via Submission (rear naked choke) at 3:39 of Round 1.
-Kimbo Slice def. Bo Cantrell via Submission (punch) at 0:19 of Round 1.
-K.J. Noons def. Nick Diaz via TKO (doctor stoppage - cuts) after Round 1 to become the EliteXC Lightweight Champion
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Who Wants To Fight Kimbo?
Mike Bourke confirmed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) on Wednesday afternoon that he has been forced to pull out of his scheduled Nov. 10 match for EliteXC against Kimbo Slice in Corpus Christi, Texas. A heartbroken Bourke said that he broke his left clavicle during a training session on Sunday when he attempted a takedown. Bourke was looking forward to the opportunity to fight Slice and was already in training for another bout when he was contracted to fight on Nov. 10.
Sam Caplan announced on fiveouncesofpain.com that Kimbos' second scheduled opponent, Mike Bourke, pulled out of their November 10th match due to a training injury.
Following Slice's strong win against Ray Mercer at CFFC 5, Kimbo called former UFC fighter Tank Abbott out. Abbott, a spectator at the event, stood up and accepted the call out. Just a few weeks later, the fight was canceled due to a promotion dispute.
Slice was then booked against Mike Bourke until this report was released today:
Slice has since been booked against Bo Cantrell. Stay tuned for the next bizarre chapter in this story.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Around The Horn
Match booking was the name of the game this weekend, as some blockbusters (and equally spectacular surprises) were made official.
FOXSports has the Nogueira-Kongo bout, first scheduled to take place at UFC 79, now happening in "early 2008," according to Dave Meltzer. This fantastic match (and potential #1 contender fight) should be one of the bigger wars we've seen in years. It features one of the true veterans of the sport against the HWs newest star. I know it seems as though the division has a new star every week (Gabriel who?), but Kongo is LEGIT.
Matt Hammil is "in shock" (read: furious) with the Evans-Bisping booking at UFC 78. I can't really understand it either, considering that Rashad Evans-Tito Ortiz and Michael Bisping-Matt Hammil were probably the two most unresolved bouts of the year, but Joe Silva knows what he's doing.
In my most disappointing moment of the weekend, the Kimbo-Tank fight, to be held at Cage Fury 6, has been canceled. I don't know quite what to make of this, considering Tank hasn't fought a meaningful bout in ten years and Kimbo is only a few years removed (okay, a few days) from fighting on the streets of Florida, but it is disappointing nonetheless.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Kimbo's Debut A Wild One In Atlantic City
"It was so bad, it was good." "It was the funniest thing I've ever seen." "What a joke!"
These were just some of the quotes on the official Kimbo-Mercer Sherdog forum last night. From what I gathered, the entire event seemed to be a debacle, with a raucous, drunken crowd and some of the least talented fighters this side of the Mississippi. At one point, a fan noted that whenever a camera would focus on the fans, a brawl would break out in that section in an attempt to garner attention. Another viewer mentioned the consistent use of gang symbols in the audience. Yes, it was a night of class and refinement in the East Coast's gambling capital.
When it came time for the fight however, Kimbo Slice was all business. He rushed Mercer as soon as the opening bell rang, landing shot after shot as Mercer covered up. Kimbo followed with a few knees out of a clinch. Yes, you heard me right...Kimbo knows Muay Thai...and he's not afraid to use it. The two fighters scrapped on the ground for a moment before they both stood up once again. Kimbo then picked Mercer up and slammed him to the mat. Mercer rolled on top but was caught in a deep guillotine just a few minutes into round 1, forcing him to tap. All in all, it was an impressive debut for Kimbo Slice, and no, I cannot believe I just wrote that. But enough out of me: check out the video below:
After the fight, it was announced that Kimbo would face Tank Abbott next, making his fight with Mercer only the second most regrettable incident in MMA history. Read More...
Sunday, June 17, 2007
"Smack his face into the ambiance!"
On June 23, 2007 MMA fans around the world will witness Kimbo Slice make his MMA debut at CFFC 5 against former world champion boxer Ray Mercer. Kimbo Slice, a Miami, FL-based underground fighter, has made himself an Internet celebrity by appearing in numerous bare-knuckle matchups featured all over the Internet such as YouTube.com. “Merciless” Ray Mercer is a boxer and former WBO Heavyweight Champion and Gold Olympic Medalist.
So who is “The King of Brawlers” Kimbo Slice going to for MMA skills? Kimbo Slice has brushed up on some MMA basics at Miami’s Freestyle Fighting Academy (FFA), where I currently train, and has headed to California to train with a well-known MMA legend. Founder of “The Bas Rutten System,” three-time King of Pancrase, and former UFC HW Champ, Bas “El Guapo” Rutten. Not too bad if you ask me, he’s only one of the greatest MMA legends ever to hit scene. “El Guapo” is a certified Thai Boxing instructor, Pancrase instructor, 5th degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate, and 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, so Slice made no mistake finding a good teacher.
“El Guapo” has nothing but good things to say about Kimbo’s determination and drive.
Here’s Bas’ post from a thread on Sherdog’s forums:
OK guys, I have to say something here.
I am training Kimbo right now (click for footage), and I have to say that he is one of the BEST fighters I have EVER trained. He really listens to you and does what you say, do you know how hard that it? If he's dead tired, and I tell him five more rounds, he looks at me, but doesn't say anything, he just does it.
I introduced him to the Bas Rutten MMA workout, he was SO tired, he told me that he has never been as tired. Today I was teaching him again, he asked me in the beginning "Are we going to do the Bas Rutten workout?" But he said it in a crazy way, so I asked him "Do you want to do it?". He said "Please, yes!" I asked him why, because all my PROFESSIONAL fighters don't want to do it.
He said "Bas, I want to conquer this thing, I want to do it!" Man, he gets, Lots, and losts of respect!
All the shit that people write about him, I am telling you, and I hope you know I don't lie, he's a trooper! I wish that all my fighters would be like him. Even my wife loves the guy. He is SO respectful and uses NO bad language in front of kids (my two little daughters love him, and they don't like anybody!), I am REALLY, blown away.
He really deserves this, I think this. Can a boxer be a MMA FIGHTER? We all know the answer, but can a street fighter be an MMA fighter? We all KNOW the answer to that!
I would wish that all my fighters were like him, like I said, I can put him through every workout I give him, he WILL do it, no questions asked.
I hope you guys meet Kimbo one day, you will be blown away. I just came back from an MMA event and I brought him there, just see how he is with the fans, it's crazy!
You also know that I would NEVER train an asshole, so trust me, but he's got me, Shawn Tompkins (who trained him longer than I have,) and Randy Kathami (boxing coach for my gym) respect. I REALLY love the guy.
El Guapo says:
Party on and Godspeed!!
Being a Miami native, a current student of the Freestyle Fighting Academy (FFA) and a worshipper of Bas, I wish Kimbo Slice the best of luck!
For more details about CFFC5 and upcoming events, check out our complete summer MMA guide.
Stay classy fans,
The Lianger
