UFC will move forward with one of its biggest ratings draws of 2009, Kimbo Slice. After winning his first UFC fight at the TUF Finale, Kimbo Slice is now rumored to face another fighter from The Ultimate Fighter 10. Conflicting reports indicate that Kimbo Slice’s next opponent will be the “brain rattled” former NFL player, Matt Mitrione at UFC 113.

I don’t think I have ever seen a fight on paper so manipulated in my life from the UFC. Obviously, this is a set up to give Kimbo a win. The lack of ground experience between both fighters should place this match right at the top of the local Tough Man contest. Slice’s previous fight against Houston Alexander was booked to be a standup war. This fight has no chance to be anything other than a standup war, considering that neither guy will have a clue as to what to do if it goes to the ground.

I can understand the Kimbo Slice experiment, but I don’t necessarily agree with it. UFC president Dana White was very outspoken about Slice before he fought in the UFC. He said the only way he would take Kimbo is if Kimbo entered TUF, which he did. Slice was a ratings bonanza for the show. Slice’s fight on the show against TUF winner Roy Nelson generated a 6.1 rating bringing in over five million UFC viewers. Slice may have lost the fight, but the UFC won the battle with a gigantic rating.

Following the fight, the show continued to tease for weeks that Slice would fight again. He never did and turned down a prospective opportunity, citing arthritis in the knee. White seemed to be stunned and angry about Slice’s decision. Slice was also exposed on the show for not having much of a ground game. Additionally, the explosiveness that most expected to see from Slice was left in those You Tube videos of Kimbo Slice fighting local guys for $1,500. The jury was out as to how valuable Kimbo would be to the UFC following the television show.

Kimbo Slice’s first official UFC fight came on The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale, live on Spike TV. Once again Slice was a ratings success. 5.2 million viewers tuned in to see Kimbo Slice beat Houston Alexander. Unfortunately those viewers were treated to one of the most ridiculous fights of the year. Alexander did everything he could to avoid contact and Slice won a very boring fight. Alexander was subsequently fired from the UFC following his performance in the fight, specifically his lack of engagement.

It was obvious that the UFC had a big problem with Kimbo. He is a proven draw, yet he is way out of his league fighting in the UFC. Between his lack of experience and his knee problems, the UFC was going to have a hard time getting a fight out of Kimbo that would live up expectations. I look at this proposed fight with Mitrione as a last ditch effort to save their investment.

I find the fight to be a bit of hypocrisy coming from the UFC. Dana White blasted Elite XC after Seth Petruzelli claimed he was offered more money to keep his fight with Slice on their feet. By firing Houston Alexander for not engaging with Slice, White is basically guilty of the same thing that he accused Elite XC of doing, which was manipulating a fight and hurting the integrity of the sport. At this point Alexander’s firing is well known and the word is out among Kimbo’s opponents that you better engage in a stand up war or there will be repercussions. It is practically the same thing and it goes against everything the UFC claims that MMA is about. Try defending this one to a UFC critic who says that the UFC is barroom fighting with no skill.

This is a golden opportunity for Matt Mitrione. Mitrione was arguably the most controversial fighter on TUF. Mitrione’s first fight on TUF was a great one, as he and Scott Junk had a standup slugfest. Following the fight, Mitrione did nothing but complain and even claimed at times that his “brain was rattled.” Mitrione was defeated in his next fight by James McSweeney, losing to a guillotine choke on the ground. Mitrione came back and won his first official UFC fight defeating Marcus Evans via knockout on the TUF 10 finale.

The fight is far from a done deal, yet there are plenty of reports that indicate that there is something to this matchup. If Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione does happen, the chances are pretty good that you will see a standup war between the two. Mitrione showed he had a great chin in that fight with Junk and should be able to hang with Kimbo. As for Kimbo, I just think that the arthritis in his knee will prevent fans from seeing the explosive Kimbo Slice that most MMA fans hoped to see in the UFC.

Regardless, I think Dana White will get his wish and at least have the fists flying at UFC 113 if this fight comes to fruition.

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The hype continues for The Ultimate Fighter 10 on Spike TV. The competition will feature Kimbo Slice and other heavyweights competing for a UFC contract. Kimbo sat down for a video interview at the UFC 100 Fan Fest and had some interesting things to say.

This particular interview spotlights Kimbo breaking down street fighting and UFC. Say what you will about him, but he is an impressive media interview. Kimbo seems a lot more polished and comfortable with the media than he was when he fought for Elite XC.

The Ultimate Finale airs live December 10 and will likely feature Kimbo Slice making his live UFC debut.

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The buzz about Kimbo Slice and The Ultimate Fighter 10 continues for MMA fans. One of the big questions would be what Kimbos’ UFC competition would look like? While the list of fighters isn’t overly impressive, it does reveal that the show won’t be easy for Kimbo.

The list of fighters is intriguing on paper, yet their backgrounds reveal a different story. The list also begs to questions what standards UFC had for accepting fighters into the house. TheSun.com wrote the following about the fighters.

ROY NELSON: Boasting a 13-4 MMA record, the 32-year-old is a former Elite XC fighter who is perhaps best known for being knocked out by Andrei Arlovski last October.

WES SIMS: Formerly on the UFC roster, the 29-year-old was cut after just one year in the promotion in 2004 after losing three successive fights to Frank Mir (twice) and Mike Kyle.

MARCUS JONES: Former NFL defensive end for Tampa Bay Buccaneers between 1996 and 2002. Occasional guest on the popular American radio show Bubba the Love Sponge. Trained in MMA for just over two years.

MATT MITRIONE: Another ex-NFL player, debuted as a rookie in 2002 for Minnesota Vikings. Very little MMA experience but trains with highly-regarded UFC heavyweight Jake O’Brien.

WES SHIVERS: NFL veteran and a late call-up to replace fellow pro-footballer Rex Richards. Very confident of winning the whole thing. Speaking last year, he bragged: “The only reason I have six fights now is because we have trouble finding opponents. One fight in particular, I had four opponents back out on me in a two-week period of time.”

JIM YORK: Nicknamed “Big”, York shares one thing in common with Kimbo – he too has beaten Britain’s James Thompson. The 33-year-old New Zealander emerged victorious from their Sengoku 7 clash after KO’ing the Englishman in the opening round of their bout in March.

JUSTIN WREN: At 22 years old, The Viking is the youngest contestant in the new series. He has a 6-1 MMA record and trains with UFC star Travis Lutter’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team.

MIKE WESSEL: The Ohio native has already fought in the UFC, losing to Antoni Hardonk via TKO at UFC 92 in the second round. However, it should be noted that Wessel only took that fight on a week’s notice, and UFC president.

SCOTT JUNK: Another fighter with previous UFC experience. The 30-year-old lost via heel hook in the opening round of his UFC 72 bout against Hungarian Christian Wellisch in September 2007.

ZAK JENSEN: Boasts a 7-3 MMA record and is noted for his strong wrestling ability. Has suffered defeats to fellow TUF alumni Brad Imes and Mike Whitehead.

DARRILL SCHOONOVER: An impressive 10-0 MMA record sets the big Texan apart from the rest of the cast. The 23-year-old is an early favourite to win the series and UFC contract.

BRENDAN SCHAUB: Has fought in MMA for over two years but little is known about his ability. A 4-0 record suggests he has raw skills but his lack of experience could count against him.

JON MADSEN: Part of legendary UFC welterweight Matt Hughes’ stable but only has one MMA fight to his name – a KO win over Cody Griffen earlier this month.

TOM BLACKLEDGE: British MMA enthusiasts may already be familiar with Blackledge – he fights out of the Wolfslair in Widnes. He will be hoping to repeat the success of teammate Michael Bisping by winning TUF, but his 8-6 record suggests the odds may be against him.

ABE WAGNER: Big Nebraskan holds a 6-2 professional MMA record and could be the surprise package of this season.

Is UFC stacking the field for Kimbo Slice? You decide. A quick look at several of the fighters tells me that they are absolutely stacking the field. They are putting fighters in the house that haven’t even fought a fight! What kind of competition will that be someone who trained under Bas Rutten for the last several years?

Bodog.com doesn’t think so. Early odds for Kimbo are out,

Will Kimbo Slice make the Finals of The Ultimate Fighter Season 10?
Yes +250 (5/2)
No -350 (2/7)

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Check out EliteXC: Street Certified – Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott on DVD by clicking here.

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I know The Ultimate Fighter season just ended, but I am already pumped for the next season. Check out the first promo for TUF 10 to hit the television market. The ad features coaches Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, and the newest UFC fighter Kimbo Slice! One look at this promo tells you everything you need to know about the dollar signs Dana White sees in Kimbo Slice.

Check out EliteXC: Street Certified – Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott on DVD by clicking here.

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