Kimbo Slice and MMA make their network debut
Written by: Brainiac
The mainstream sports world gets its introduction to Kimbo Slice and mixed martial arts on Saturday night as Slice (i.e. Kevin Ferguson) fights James “Colossus” Thompson on "CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights."
It’s the first time a live MMA fight will be broadcast on one of the big four networks. MMA has always drawn strong ratings on cable channel Spike and does well on pay-per-view, but this is a watershed moment. Saturday’s card will be the first of four shows on CBS.
"This is hugely important for the sport," says Doug DeLuca, chairman of ProElite Inc., the company that is staging the CBS bouts. "MMA has done a great job reaching a hard-core, niche audience. Now, it's time to take it to the next level. All eyes will be on us."
The Slice-Thompson heavyweight fight headlines the card that also includes "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler meeting Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith for the EliteXC middleweight title. Other fights include Gina "Conviction" Carano vs. Kaitlin Young at 140 pounds, middleweights Phil Baroni vs. Joey Villasenor and heavyweights Brett "The Grim" Rogers vs. Jon Murphy.
A year ago, Slice was a virtual unknown in the world of professional athletics. But thanks to YouTube and ESPN, he’s now a big star among 18-to-34-year-olds.
"He might be the perfect confluence," said David Dinkins of Showtime (owned by CBS), a veteran producer of televised boxing. "He has a compelling back story. He comes from the Internet. He's in a sport, mixed martial arts, that's ready to explode."
Slice is just 2-0 in MMA bouts, and Thompson has lost his past two fights. Slice's most recent match, against Tank Abbott in February, was a quick knockout. Slice stung the plodding Abbott with a swift left and then hammered him to the mat with rights to the head in about a minute. Kimbo also beat 47-year-old former heavyweight boxer Ray Mercer in an exhibition last year.
Lead announcer Gus Johnson, whom you might know from the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, said: “We’re learning how to break a man’s shoulder, pop a man’s knee, choke a man to death, take my legs and wrap them around your neck in the form of a triangle and strangle you. I’m trying to get a warrior’s spirit.”
EliteXC’s Jared Shaw challenged those that have challenged Slice’s legitimacy as a fighter to prove their point in the ring.
"Right now, everybody looks at Kimbo like he's a lottery ticket," Shaw said. "But they've got to understand something. This man is a real athlete and a real fighter. And when you call him out, when you say to him, 'I want Kimbo Slice,' I don't care if you don't fight for EliteXC. If you fight for the IFL, the UFC or anybody else — when you mention Kimbo Slice's name, you better be prepared to back up your words."
There are rumors that Slice could eventually land a mega-payday match against one Mike Tyson. First he has to get past Thompson on Saturday night, which, to be sure, he will. Do you think CBS would let its star fight a guy who had a shot of beating him?
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