# What are your thoughts on Kimbo Slice



## suicide (Mar 27, 2009)

and his rise and fall in MMA


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## Bruno@MT (Mar 27, 2009)

Isn't there a perfectly suitable MMA forum for questions like this?


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## Guardian (Mar 27, 2009)

Don't know allot about him, didn't the promotions that he fought under go belly up, if so that's probably the reason for his rise and fall.  If the promotion goes bye bye and you have not made yourself a big enough attraction yet, you usually fade with the promotion.  It's more a business thing then personal.


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## Tez3 (Mar 27, 2009)

Yes there is an MMA forum, perhaps a mod would very kindly move for us?
And the answer to the question is , I don't think about him at all.


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## punisher73 (Mar 27, 2009)

Tez3 said:


> Yes there is an MMA forum, perhaps a mod would very kindly move for us?
> And the answer to the question is , I don't think about him at all.


 
Exactly, he was a backyard bully who made his name by beating people up for the internet.  When he fought a B level MMA fighter he got schooled on the internet.  For whatever reason, the EliteXC wanted to bank on his name and draw people in so they spent lots of money hyping Kimbo and handpicking his opponents.  In his last televised fight he got caught by a punch from a nobody fighter and then right after that the venue went bankrupt.

Kimbo is the new era of Tank Abbot, he was there to draw the lower elements of the fan base who just want "toughman" competitions/WWF and appeal to them.  

If he continues to train with Bas Rutten and starts to develop a good game and overall skills, I wouldn't mind seeing him fight again.  But, I did not like all the hype about him.


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## mook jong man (Mar 27, 2009)

His name reminds me of some sort of cake or pastry.
Something you would order in a cafe.
 " Yes I'd like a cappuccino , a croissant and a kimbo slice please."


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## Tez3 (Mar 27, 2009)

mook jong man said:


> His name reminds me of some sort of cake or pastry.
> Something you would order in a cafe.
> " Yes I'd like a cappuccino , a croissant and a kimbo slice please."


 
:lfao:


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## Aiki Lee (Mar 27, 2009)

I think Kimbo is a great example of how a tough, scary looking guy can be taken out with proper technique.

I was never impressed with his technical ability, he was real strong, but that's it and it wasn't enough.


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## Bill Mattocks (Mar 27, 2009)

He's got a funny name.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2009)

I think Kimbo was a guy who made the most of his 15 minutes of fame.  On the one hand, he was exploited by people to make money, but he was well compensated for it.  He'll always be a side show, but will never completely go away... I wouldn't be surprised to see him box Mike Tyson at some point.


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## LordOfWu (Mar 27, 2009)

I completely agree, Kimbo made the most of his shot at stardom and money, and was thoroughly set up and taken advantage of by an  unscrupulous promotion.  He was never a highly skilled MMAist, more of a tough guy...and in the end a tough guy with a weak chin.


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## searcher (Mar 27, 2009)

He was a thug when he was fighting in Florida and he will continue to be a thug from here on.    Since he found out he could not fight and beat people by rules other then his own, he ran away.    Now it is the boxers' turn to kick him around.


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## AceHBK (Mar 27, 2009)

I won't call him a thug or any other name because I personally don't know the man.  All I know is what I have read from other people who have their opinions (mostly negative) about him.

Yes he participated in backyard fights with other *WILLING* participants.  He never forced anyone to fight him or this or that.  Where do we get calling him a Bully from?  What is your definition of a bully and how does it apply to him? Yes the guys main job was as a bouncer but hey he wasn't out robbing people and comitting crimes.

Everyone knows the guy but I give him credit for going in the ring and trying to be good.  The guy worked hard and was hungry for it which I respect.  There are a lot of guys in MMA with more talent who are lazy and have no class.

If people want to blame then blame EliteXC for pushing him too hard and too fast without letting him gain experience.  They did it so they could get paid as much as possible.  Kimbo went along with it b/c he saw how much money they would make from him so he might as well make the most he can as well.  I don't blame him at all for that.  At his age who knows how many chances you will have to make that kind of money??  He recognized Elite was setting him up for their benefit but might as well get all you can while your doing it.

Kimbo got a good trainer and worked hard and yes he lost to Seth.  Who said there was some shame in losing???  Last time I remember people always say "anything can happen in a fight".  Was he supposed to have lost?  No, but he did and that is the nature of fighting.  Compete enough times and you WILL lose to someone you are not suppose to, ***** happens.  Sometimes you will get KO'd  by a punch you think shouldn't have gotten you.

He had balls to say recently that MMA is harder than he though and he doesn't have the skills to compete at the level he would like too so he decided to take up boxing which he is better at.  Takes a helluva man to know his limitations and openly share it.

He is out doing something he likes then so be it.  He hasn't done anything to me nor do I know him personally to berate the guy like he beat me up and stole my lunch money.


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## Tez3 (Mar 27, 2009)

I haven't knocked him nor damned him with faint praise, as I said, I don't think about him.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2009)

I'm with Tez. I have no personal feelings about him either way.  I think he was in the right place at the right time, made some dough and is now being, in my opinion justifiably, shunted to the side in favor of actual MMA'ists. I don't have anything against him, and were I in his position, I'd do the same thing.

I think an argument can be made that he was NOT good for the sport, and actually took it back about a decade in MMA's efforts at mainstream legitimacy.


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## AceHBK (Mar 27, 2009)

stevebjj said:


> I think an argument can be made that he was NOT good for the sport, and actually took it back about a decade in MMA's efforts at mainstream legitimacy.


 
I refuse to say that one guy is bad for the sport when you have had many test positive for steroids, out there getting arrested and other stuff. Again the guy hasn't done anything illegal.

I think if you want to place blame you start at the top and put it on EliteXC and CBS. They dictate how things go.

Funny how no one talked bad about Brock Lesnar but instead put all of their anger towards Dana White and UFC for pushing him so fast (and rightfully so the blame was placed on them).

I just don't understand how folks see Kimbo and then the names start to fly..."thug, bully, etc."
Seems like a whole lot of hate and jealousy, which is fine but just admit it.

Remindes me when it was thought that Rampage was going to take on Rashad Evans for the title after his win over Jardine.  People started saying it would be a "ghetto brawl" and what not.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2009)

AceHBK said:


> I refuse to say that one guy is bad for the sport when you have had many test positive for steroids, out there getting arrested and other stuff. Again the guy hasn't done anything illegal.


It could be argued that both are bad for the sport.  That's a specious train of thought you're following there.


> I think if you want to place blame you start at the top and put it on EliteXC and CBS. They dictate how things go.


I'm not at all interested in placing blame anywhere.  Not sure where this is coming from.  





> Funny how no one talked bad about Brock Lesnar but instead put all of their anger towards Dana White and UFC for pushing him so fast (and rightfully so the blame was placed on them).


LOTS of people are talking about Brock Lesnar.  He was (and to some degree still is) a giant question mark.  The big difference here is that he is delivering.  He trains hard, by all accounts, is fighting top tier opponents and winning.  While he's still got a long way to go, his natural abilities compensate for his lack of finesse to a large degree.  The scary thing about Lesnar is that he's still on a very steep learning curve.  Every time we see him fight, he's markedly improved over his last outing.  

I wouldn't call myself a fan of Brock Lesnar's, but if I'm being honest, I have to acknowledge his impact on the sport.  





> I just don't understand how folks see Kimbo and then the names start to fly..."thug, bully, etc."
> Seems like a whole lot of hate and jealousy, which is fine but just admit it.


I can understand where you're coming from.  Not sure I agree that it comes from hate or jealousy.  He DOES, however, actively cultivate a reputation as a thug, with all of the baggage (good or bad) that goes along with it.   It's a tough guy image.  Of course, he probably wouldn't have been picked up by the promotion at all without the well cultivated reputation.





> Remindes me when it was thought that Rampage was going to take on Rashad Evans for the title after his win over Jardine. People started saying it would be a "ghetto brawl" and what not.


LOL.  I haven't heard anything like that.


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## AoCAdam (Mar 27, 2009)

Although Kimbo was promoted as a backyard street brawler, I believe many people forgot that he was brand new to the sport. He went from being nothing to becoming an internet celebrity. Then just months after his first fight hes the main event on a quality card. It was way too fast for him and they should have built him up alot better than they did.


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## AceHBK (Mar 27, 2009)

stevebjj said:


> It could be argued that both are bad for the sport. That's a specious train of thought you're following there.
> I'm not at all interested in placing blame anywhere. Not sure where this is coming from. LOTS of people are talking about Brock Lesnar. He was (and to some degree still is) a giant question mark. The big difference here is that he is delivering. He trains hard, by all accounts, is fighting top tier opponents and winning. While he's still got a long way to go, his natural abilities compensate for his lack of finesse to a large degree. The scary thing about Lesnar is that he's still on a very steep learning curve. Every time we see him fight, he's markedly improved over his last outing.
> 
> I wouldn't call myself a fan of Brock Lesnar's, but if I'm being honest, I have to acknowledge his impact on the sport. I can understand where you're coming from. Not sure I agree that it comes from hate or jealousy. He DOES, however, actively cultivate a reputation as a thug, with all of the baggage (good or bad) that goes along with it. It's a tough guy image. Of course, he probably wouldn't have been picked up by the promotion at all without the well cultivated reputation.LOL. I haven't heard anything like that.


 
Again, I say he hasn't done anything illegal.  He went from backyard fighting against opponents who wanted to fight to being on TV getting paid hundreds of thousands.  No more being a bouncer for chump change and fighting in backyards to earn money.  I just don't see how doing that now makes a person such a "bad guy".  He could have been killing and robbing people but he isn't. 
It is no secret that a lot of UFC fighters use to be bouncers and fought in alleys for money.  Why is it that Kimbo is seen as the "bad" guy while those other guys aren't. 

Ok then I do have to ask what is your definition of a thug.  Because we obviously have 2 different definitions.  I don't call a guy who fights for a living a thug.


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## AceHBK (Mar 27, 2009)

stevebjj said:


> .LOL. I haven't heard anything like that.


 
You should hit ESPN.com's MMA page sometime and read some of the interviews on there.

A writer for ESPN.com did a piece of racism in MMA. In his sit down with Rashad Evans, Evans himself says that fans called it a "ghetto brawl" and had other racist things to say about it.

Rashad also mentions when right after he KO'd Chuck, the whole arena went silent and he got the loudest round of boo's and N*gger this and N*gger that while in the cage and leaving with the belt. Damn shame Rashad doesn't get the respect he deserves.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson along with other interiewed in it mention the stuff they go through.

If ESPN wasn't blocked at my job due to March Madness I would cut and past the link of the article.


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## searcher (Mar 27, 2009)

AceHBK, all of his fights with willing participants in the backyard were only allowed to fight according to his rules.    If anything did not go his way, his boys would step in and stop the fight.    I am not sayong that they stopped it because he was getting beat, they stopped it if he was not destroying the other guy.

I have thoroughly checked him out.


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## MJS (Mar 27, 2009)

Big man, with some KO power.  I've seen a number of his youtube backyard fights, and I have to question his opponents, especially seeing that he lost against someone who, IMO, isn't that well known...well, not that well known to me anyway. 

IMHO, I think that he has the potential to get real good, if he continues to work hard, and keeps training with Bas.  But if he were to step into the ring with someone on the level as Wand....forget it.  It'd be nighty nighty for Kimbo.


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## Thems Fighting Words (Mar 27, 2009)

I don't watch promotions other than UFC and then only when my DVD store gets them so I'm not the biggest MMA groupie. However even I've heard of Kimbo's rise and fall (through forums and magazines). My thought on it is he was a marketable commodity and considering his age, the promoters had to make use of him as quickly as possible. Now while I disagree with his quick rise, it is understandable considering these factors. Not like it's the first time and I doubt it will be the last.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2009)

AceHBK said:


> Again, I say he hasn't done anything illegal.  He went from backyard fighting against opponents who wanted to fight to being on TV getting paid hundreds of thousands.  No more being a bouncer for chump change and fighting in backyards to earn money.  I just don't see how doing that now makes a person such a "bad guy".  He could have been killing and robbing people but he isn't.
> It is no secret that a lot of UFC fighters use to be bouncers and fought in alleys for money.  Why is it that Kimbo is seen as the "bad" guy while those other guys aren't.
> 
> Ok then I do have to ask what is your definition of a thug.  Because we obviously have 2 different definitions.  I don't call a guy who fights for a living a thug.


Dude.  I think you are arguing with another guy.  I have no idea what you're talking about.   I didn't say being a bouncer is bad or makes someone a bad guy.  Many of the guys on this board are or were bouncers at some point.

I said that there's a  good case to be made that he's bad for the sport.  He is largely unskilled.  Many people, including me, would like to see the technical sides of the sport gain emphasis and would like to see the fans educate themselves more about the subleties of good technique.  I would like to see the sport move away from the WWE style marketing and theatrics currently gaining favor.  Slice and guys like him do just the opposite.  They attract the uneducated fan and they undermine efforts to legitimize the sport.  He was a curiosity and nothing more.

I will say this again, because I must not be clear: I don't have anything against Slice and think he made the most of his 15 minutes of fame.  I would've done the same thing.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2009)

AceHBK said:


> You should hit ESPN.com's MMA page sometime and read some of the interviews on there.
> 
> A writer for ESPN.com did a piece of racism in MMA. In his sit down with Rashad Evans, Evans himself says that fans called it a "ghetto brawl" and had other racist things to say about it.
> 
> ...


Okay.  So, let me get this straight.  Kimbo Slice is good for MMA because racists say he's not?  That was what I was chuckling about.  I hadn't heard that stuff before, but it's irrelevant.  We can agree, I think, that racists suck.


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