MMA fans... does Kimbo Slice have what it takes to succeed in the pro fight game?

[Cdn_Brdr]

An internet street fight success story turns to pro MMA.... does he have what it takes to win? He's beat Ray Mercer (guillotine submission) & Bo Cantrell (19 seconds, 1st round, submission due to strikes) so far. At the end of his Mercer fight he called out Tank Abbott who he's now fighting on Feb 16th for EliteXC.

I mean Abbott is past his prime and really isn't what you'd consider a well-rounded fighter but if Slice beats him it'll definitely open up the eyes of a lot of the other top heavyweights out there. Slice is being trained by Bas Rutten as well.

So what do you guys think? 15 minutes of fame already ticking down or possible big name in the heavyweight MMA scene?

[omega_image]

KIMBO VS BROCK. UFC 90. b

[dj_soo]

by all accounts he's taking his training very seriously and his trainer is Bas Rutten who's pretty high on the guy.

Although it's too soon to see if he can compete at the highest levels, I think he'll probably do ok. He's already got the whole killer instinct thing going. Personally doubt he'll ever see gold, but like i said, he's only had 2 mma fights and neither were real tests. His fight vs Tank Abbott might be entertaining but Tank isn't exactly top competition...

[fritz]

he'll do awesome if UFC changes all fights from 3 rounds to 1

[Cdn_Brdr]

It's being broadcast on Saturday on the fight network for anyone who has it... like me! Pretty excited to see it actually.

[j3rk]

Brock vs. Kimbo. I agree to that!

Kimbo is a decent fighter and can take a punch. He's not MMA though.


For all who don't know Kimbo used to be a porn guys personal body gaurd who would pay him to fight bare knuckles against other peoples fighters in which they would bet stupid amounts of money on their respective fighters.

[meth0dical]

Originally Posted by j3rk

Kimbo is a decent fighter and can take a punch. He's not MMA though.

anybody with fight experience can easily make the transition to mma if they have the dedication and the right trainer. that doesnt mean they will succeed, but they have a step up on someone thats new to the game. i think if he stresses takedown/submission defense, and learns how to get back on his feet if he does get taken down he'll do alright. maybe we'll see a real test if he's successful against tank.

[e_BoY]

I love Kimbo, been a fan of him for years watching him on the net. He's mean, he has killer instinct, trains seriously, has a wicked trainer but I don't think he can truely be successful to the point of contending for gold. He can hold his own and definitely take on some names you've heard of but I won't expect him to go really far

[dave mcnasty]

i don't know why ppl doubt his ability in pro fighting so much

the guy is a monster and he's being trained by professionals now....what makes him any different from UFC fighters?

he already has some natural skill.....with the training he's getting now I don't see why he can't fight in UFC

[dj_soo]

^ I think it's less that people doubt him and more that idiots are saying he'd beat the likes of Fedor or Tim Sylvia right now even though he's only been training a year and only has 2 pro fights under his belts (both against scrubs).

[b0ld]

Kimbo is definantly ready for anyone in any pro MMA competition... NO questions asked. Some people think that all he's got behind him is his massive punching skills. Well.... I saw one of the vid's of him at a pro event in a cage and he can sure as hell throw a mean knee or kick at someone as well. The guy is just way to powerful.

For those to try and put Kimbo VS Brock Lesnar... Well Brock has a few improvements to make. To much hype and some inexperience cost him the match he had with Mir. Brock needs some low key fights at the moment so he can build his experience and his momentum.

I guess the real question is... who can you get to go against Kimbo and have a "nail biting" match...? Not alot of people...

[omega_image]

^you're hyping kimbo to much. aside from the fact that he would get dominated on the ground, he has almost no stamina. even if he were to train on it, he's an explosive fighter that would expend all of his energy in the first round.

[dj_soo]

Originally Posted by b0ld

Kimbo is definantly ready for anyone in any pro MMA competition... NO questions asked. Some people think that all he's got behind him is his massive punching skills. Well.... I saw one of the vid's of him at a pro event in a cage and he can sure as hell throw a mean knee or kick at someone as well. The guy is just way to powerful.

For those to try and put Kimbo VS Brock Lesnar... Well Brock has a few improvements to make. To much hype and some inexperience cost him the match he had with Mir. Brock needs some low key fights at the moment so he can build his experience and his momentum.

I guess the real question is... who can you get to go against Kimbo and have a "nail biting" match...? Not alot of people...

what are you basing this on?

His underground street fighting standup-only bouts with untrained thugs?

His loss to Sean Gannon who failed miserably in actual ufc competition?

His fight against an over-40 former boxer who had no ground skills?

His "fight" with Bo Cantrall who is sported an impressive 10-10 record going into the fight?

Don't confuse potential (which he has) with actual skill or experience (which is still to be seen). Kimbo is untested. Period.

He's only on his 3rd pro fight and beating someone like tank abbott isn't going to prove that he can hang with the best.

Don't forget the man is already like 35 or something. He might always have the 1-punch power but until we see him actually fight someone with some semblance of skill, don't jump the gun and claim he would be a problem for any pro...

[Pennywise]

From what Ive seen, he wants this bad and has been training like a mad man.
Training with Bas Rutten is also a step in the right direction.

The fight with abbott this weekend....It will be a slug fest (imo).
No real MMA skill will be put down, just flying fists and I personally think Kimbo is gonna win.

Do I think he could compete with some of the big names in ufc?....No.
Not right now anyways.

[Filo]

he will get worked in the UFC..... he is totally not the complete package and will get dominated on the ground

[lildonkey]

1.) Someone mentioned that Kimbo was a personal bodygaurd for some porn guys. That's true.. you can even see him on the tour page of inthevip.com (NSFW), and he was a bodyguard for the adult company NastyDollars... Those guys are some of the guys that ran bangbros... the guys who brought you bangbus... Those guys are just swimming in money, and i'd venture to say that they are still involved with Kimbo in some way or another.. cool tidbit for kimbo fans

2.) Like many said, I think Kimbo does have a killer instinct and it'll be interesting to see how far he goes, so long as he can work on his stamina and groundwork

3.) It's MY PERSONAL BELIEF, that a lot of the UFC fights are predetermined before the fights even take place... the UFC is a big money machine, and Kimbo winning more right now, and going on to win more fights and being on more fight cards, will bring in WAY more money for the UFC then if he loses... so who knows....

[j3rk]

You guys all fail to mention that....

Frank Mir > Tank Abbot

...and by a long shot. IMHO Brock would be great fight for Kimbo. Essentially they are both untested cans...and that's why i'm interested in the fight. I don't care who wins. I just want to see it happen. Would make for good entertainment either way.

[dj_soo]

ermmm

quite frankly, I'd say the majority of pro fighters are > Tank Abbott at this point.

[azazel]

kimbo looked like shit against the big white guy.

[Scarface]

NO.

Hope he goes the way of Lesner.

[azazel]

lesnar vs kimbo ftw

[meth0dical]

Originally Posted by Scarface

NO.

Hope he goes the way of Lesner.

what the "way of lesnar"? losing his first fight because he was against a world class fighter and former champion? i wouldnt take anything away from lesnar because of that fight. they need to put him in the cage against someone closer to the bottom of the heavyweight ladder and let him work his way up rather than putting him in the cage against a man who's going to challenge for the belt again.

[Pennywise]

anyone know if the fight is also on PPV?
or is it only on the fight network?

[omega_image]

^think i saw an add for PPV. something like $25

[Pennywise]

Only in the states^:(