A fighter is a fighter. Kimbo Slice is a fighter, period. When it comes down to it nothing else matters except the two men in the ring. It doesn’t matter who the promoter is, the manager, the crowd, whether it’s in the streets, the cage, or in the ring. Critics should respect that. All he is doing is trying to make a living it’s the media that hypes him up because they’re looking for a modern-day Tyson figure. But he is like everyone else just trying to make a living. People should not knock him for it especially when he has kids to feed. With that said, the new “Saturday Night Fights” on CBS was extremely exciting and was a phenomenal display of technique and heart. Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson was nothing short of sensational! Thompson was an experienced fighter with a chin of steel. Kimbo hit him with everything he had, and Thompson was still on his feet. Kimbo also threw some nasty knees that looked painful. While I don’t consider Kimbo in the top-eschelon of heavyweight fighters yet, I think he has a lot of potential. He is extremely talented with heavy hands, and has the heart of a lion. Plus he is trained by Bas Rutten, one of the pioneers and most knowledgable coaches in MMA. If Rutten believes in Kimbo, there’s no reason for anyone to doubt his abilities. He has had a quick rise to stardom because fans are attracted to his pitbull-like physique and fight demeanor. Kimbo is definitely a great addition to the sport and I am excited to see him fight. He is definitely one of my favorite fighters, and while I still think he’d have a tough time with people like Couture and Fedor, I think he would put up a good fight against a person such as Tim Sylvia, Arlovski, etc. WAR KIMBO!
Scott Smith vs. Robbie Lawler was also an extremely entertaining fight that was sadly cut short. Both fighters tagged each other repeatedly and both had tough chins, eating shots like nothing and throwing back hard. Gina Carano vs. Kaitlin Young I thought was the most technically sound fight of the night. Both women has a great display of muay thai technique utilizing the front kick and knees. Overall this was a great event for the Elite XC and the promotion of MMA to mainstream America. I look forward to the next card featuring fighters such as Jake Shields and Nick Diaz. Two of my favorites fighters. I hope Elite XC becomes as popular as the UFC, definitely has the potential and it would be good to have another organization with different managers airing MMA on national television.
come on If one word describes Kimbo, it’s “controversial”. He is both a savior and has a debilitating effect on MMA. Savior in that he gets casual fans interested and he is an exciting fighter. Bad in that he lacks the sort of MMA skills that UFC, DREAM and other organizations have showcased over the last several years. I feel Kimbo takes MMA back to its early days, when guys were just swinging for knockout but there were few if any technical displays of skill. Just barbaric. That is one aspect of the sport but MMA has gained respect due to the skill, stamina, speed and moves of how it is currently. I think Kimbo needs to improve fast or else he will hurt the sport more than help it.
- Freddie Footballer
i agree to a certain extent kimbo is doing the best he can..he is trained by BAS RUTTEN..BAS RUTTEN..enough said
elite xc i dont think kimbo is among the best..people are fixated on him because he looks like a fighter..he is a beast…i think he is learning the technicalities..while i dont think the fight was necessarily fixed..i do think that there was a lot of people who wanted kimbo to win..including the promoters..i thought the fight was stopped prematurely, although thompson was taking some major shots..i don’t know if kimbo tapped..it doesnt really look like it..standing from side control was controversial..why didnt thompson crank the guilotine more?? kimbo would have eventually passed out..the kj noons vs. nick diaz fight was another example where the elite xc looked fix..stopping the fight do to cuts was extremely controversial..diaz was not happy..it looked as if the elite xc was protecting noons. i’ll post the video.
Bas Rutten himself said that the fight should have been stopped in the 2nd round. Thompson wasn’t hitting him hard on the ground, but that was one full minute where Kimbo was getting hit and doing very little to defend himself. It should’ve been stopped and thompson declared the winner, fixed or not.
- Freddie Footballer
rutten is smart i dont know if the fight shouldve necessarily been stopped, it was obvious elite xc wanted kimbo to win, they like kimbo because he is marketable. i thought the fight should not have been stopped in the third round..i would have given the fight by decision to thompson..he fought really well..i don’t like the way elite xc is kind of ushering kimbo to the forefront of mma..he has conducted himself like a champion regardless of winning or losing..the man can only get better from here..i like watching him because he is exciting and he lets loose in the cage, something a lot of fighters do not do..thompson is an animal..i agree he should have gotten the win, but thats the way the game goes sometimes..i just hope elite xc doesnt make it a habit.
He better improve While Kimbo Slice should be commended for winning, he’s 34 and still technically weak. If he wants to be remembered as more than a curio, the man needs to develop technique as fast as anyone ever has. I’m not counting him out, but Thompson put up, in my opinion, surprisingly stiff resistance. This should be a wake up call either way: Kimbo needs to train harder or continue to take on “lesser” opponents. The advantage for MMA is that it’s a “no lose” situation. The man is such a lightning rod that even in defeat and return he will be watched by millions. I disagree strongly with Dana White about Slice’s legitimacy as a fighter and utility to the sport. Let’s be real, MMA will never be a white collar affair.
Kimbo is the next Bob Sapp no ground skills and it’s pretty late to develop them. he’s heavy handed but that’ll only get you so far. which isn’t to say Kimbo can’t be a mid card star but a champion in MMA i think not… -bB