The rumored match up between Kimbo Slice (2-0) and James Thompson (14-8) is apparently booked for the CBS Saturday Night Fights EliteXC main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on May 31, according to Carson’s Corner.
Bob Carson — the host of the mixed martial arts radio show — revealed that his team has received official confirmation from high ranking ProElite officials, ending (or so it appears) weeks of speculation regarding a possible opponent for the magnetic Miami native.
Ken Shamrock, Ron Waterman and others have also been discussed in the past as possible challengers.
Slice is on a two-fight win streak since his MMA debut in late 2007, defeating Bo Cantrell via submission (punches) and most recently Tank Abbott via knockout at EliteXC: “Street Certified” this past February. He is perhaps the most recognizable and marketable star on the EliteXC roster despite his lack of experience. That is due in large part to Slice’s exposure on YouTube.com as a street fighter who beat beat all but one foe (Sean Gannon).
He now trains with former UFC champion and MMA legend, Bas Rutten, to improve his all around skill and technique. However, it’s more than likely possible that any skill set besides striking won’t come into play against “The Colossus.”
Thompson is a former Pride FC and Cage Rage veteran who made a name for himself in the sport with an intimidating physique and good punching power. However, he looked noticeably less jacked in his EliteXC debut, during which Brett Rogers put him to sleep in less than three minutes. It was his second straight loss via knockout and the third time in his last four fights.
And that’s Thompson in a nutshell: Either he gets knocked out or he knocks someone out. In fact, in 22 professional fights he has only gone the distance once time (a win over Dan Severn). According to the report, the British fighter will train for the Slice bout in Las Vegas and work with Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, Marc Laimon, and others to prepare for the heavyweight showdown.
It would be a shock to see Thompson attempt to turn this into a grappling contest. More than likely expect this one to remain upright for as long as possible until either Slice or Thompson drops.
It’s the kind of exciting and memorable finish that EliteXC will look to deliver on its network television debut.
79 Comments »
WAR KIMBO!
Kimbo will be submited by any half decent fighter with ground game. He isn’t ready for the top tree fighters yet and may never be. But he will be in exciting fights no matter what. I love watching the big guy land those hooks and uppercuts and the ko. I would like to watch him have to defend the take down against an opponent that wants to exploit his weakness, or stand up with a proven striker(Buzz Berry would have been a better british opponent). he did choke out ray mercer though. hey thats showbiz
ha ha ha, kimbo kicked butt so i say fu to all you haters. Kimbo can obviously hold ring in mma. Just wait until he gets some more training. Unstopable Kimo Slice!
man, I just hope that Kimbo will face a good BJJ practitioner soon so that we can see his ground game. Im getting sick of this steade diet of cans he’s getting.
Not saying BTW that The colossus is a can, but chin-wise he is … and we all know that his chin will be tested. This seems a 100% guaranteed HL reel KO win for Kimbo “the can-opener” Slice
Thompson’s chin=ass sauce
Thompson game plan: 1. Rush his opponent 2. Get knocked out.
Another guy with no ground game for Kimbo. Might as well call this one Back-Yard Street Brawl 3.
[quote comment=”398320″]Thompson game plan: 1. Rush his opponent 2. Get knocked out.
Another guy with no ground game for Kimbo. Might as well call this one Back-Yard Street Brawl 3.[/quote]
I completely agree, if Thompson doesn’t bolt across and get clipped on the chin I’ll be shocked.
I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the last. first an exhibition match with mercer, than bo cantrel who’d be somewhere around the same as mercer, than tank who is better than mercer, now thompson who is better than tank. This is his third professional fight ppl, don’t worry after this they’ll give him someone better than thompson but most of you guys seem to think that with a 2-0 record he should be fighting big foot, now that would be unfair. He’ll slowly get there as time goes by and his record improves, and only then he’ll be deserving of fighting bigger names.
sell your company’s office supplies to raise funds for this 1. its a sure bet…. thompson is 2-6 in his last 8.
Thompson is 2-6 in his last 8 fights and I saw him get knocked the F#$% out in Miami during the EliteXC show by Brett Rodgers. Who is Rodgers? And second, if I was him I would make a beef. The guy he just beat down is now fighting on a National TV. Its great match making putting the guy who lost against the guy who won! Next time Rodgers should lose so he can climb the ladder, fight on CBS, and be a punching bag for Kimbo.
I really cant see a significant improvement in opponents given to Kimbo. So far Cantrell, Abbott and Thompson are all one dimensional fighters, the only way they can win is by knockout. Its a disgrace in my opinion. I agree that he could be a good fighter but the fact that he is still facing opposition so similar to one another does nothing for his credability. Put him in against someone with some ground game or Muay Thai style of fighter. Hes been training his ground game long enough to be pretty comfortable on the ground so I really dont see any reason why they cant put him in against a reasonably rounded opponent. Its the only way he is going to be more respected in MMA and taken more serious.
I’ve never been a fan of Tank, but I’m pretty sure he could still knock out James Thompson. This is not a progression. It’s static at best.
I just think this is a really dumb fight to book. Shaw’s boy gains nothing from this fight. Thompson was knocked silly by Roger’s inside 3 minutes last time round so who’s gonna blink if Kimbo does the same? While if Thompson should miraculously pull it off, that pretty much kills Kimbo’s career.
When I heard rumours of Thompson being Kimbo’s opponent my one thought is they are really not giving Kimbo anyone who is actually going to challange him. While I dont fully agree with the Mir vs Lesnar fight, in the end Lesnar asked for that fight and got right in there and fought someone who would test him. How is Thompson, a guy who many people have sugested his nickname be changed to Glass Jaw, fighting Kimbo now… I just really dont get it. Gary Shaw goes and cuts down for how Dana White and the UFC has used Lesnar thus far and look at what he is doing with Kimbo. This is worse then the worse of the TUF favortism. Give Kimbo someone who has a freaking ground game, I am getting sick of this crap. I understand Kimbo is training with Bas but I actually want to see this supposed ground game in action.
[quote comment=”398342″]I really cant see a significant improvement in opponents given to Kimbo. So far Cantrell, Abbott and Thompson are all one dimensional fighters, the only way they can win is by knockout. Its a disgrace in my opinion. I agree that he could be a good fighter but the fact that he is still facing opposition so similar to one another does nothing for his credability. Put him in against someone with some ground game or Muay Thai style of fighter. Hes been training his ground game long enough to be pretty comfortable on the ground so I really dont see any reason why they cant put him in against a reasonably rounded opponent. Its the only way he is going to be more respected in MMA and taken more serious.[/quote]
On paper I’d say tank knocks out bo, and Thompson knocks out tank. Again, these are not good fighters, but with a 2-0 record is good enough, kimbo will slowly climb up that ladder and prove himself (either by being a fake or an improved bas rutten fighter).
This guy is going to get cans and more cans as long as the pay per view is making money. For Gary Shaw to actually test his golden goose makes no sense. The UFC in the past has over promoted fighter ie Brock Lesnar but at least they test them. Lesnar went in with Mir a former champ. If Kimbo wants to be taken seriously and not as a freak show then a real challenge must be given to him. I’m not saying put him in with Fedor or someone like that but at least someone that can last more than 29 seconds.
what do people expect kimbo to turn into? Brawlers have a history in mma, kimbos toughness is nothing new and nothing special. History will repeat itself with kimbo like it has with houston alexander, melvin guillard, and tank. The difference is that kimbo has elite xc making sure he will win giving kimbo fans the perception that he is so tough that he can dominate the sport and hang with top ten HWs.
This card is stacked!!
SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZE FEST…When are they going to test him instead of feeding him cans just like Fedor…I am telling you now they need to sign Gannon…Thompson is a D-Level fighter…Above anything else he has faced but come on this is the MAIN EVENT…An F and D level fighters are in the MAIN EVENT…That is bad for the sport…
Whos next for Kimbo after this fight, UFC 6 veteran Cal Worsham? This dude sucks. He will never hold a strap where there is any real competition. Id put money on Ricco Rodriguez over this jerk off any day.
[quote comment=”398416″]SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZE FEST…When are they going to test him instead of feeding him cans just like Fedor…I am telling you now they need to sign Gannon…Thompson is a D-Level fighter…Above anything else he has faced but come on this is the MAIN EVENT…An F and D level fighters are in the MAIN EVENT…That is bad for the sport…[/quote]
I agree Thompson isn’t exactly top class but SNOOZE FEST?? I doubt it, I don’t think either of these fighters will end up in the Hall Of Fame but there should be some good action…until Thompson is KO’d, Don’t get me wrong I’m no advocate of Kimbo’s but he def has the power to knock out Thompson…Oh wait tho, so does my Gran!
p.s…It’s a shame Thompson doesn’t have a bit more skill instead of just rushing opponents, he is a very very cool/classy guy and would make a much better UK poster boy for Dana than Bisbing… But no WAY he will ever make it to the UFC off his performances
[quote comment=”398335″]I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the last. first an exhibition match with mercer, than bo cantrel who’d be somewhere around the same as mercer, than tank who is better than mercer, now thompson who is better than tank. This is his third professional fight ppl, don’t worry after this they’ll give him someone better than thompson but most of you guys seem to think that with a 2-0 record he should be fighting big foot, now that would be unfair. He’ll slowly get there as time goes by and his record improves, and only then he’ll be deserving of fighting bigger names.[/quote]
Very good comment and I agree. He is going through what most fighters go through in the smaller shows. He’s very green on MMA and his big name is the only reason why ppl want him fighting top 5 caliber fighters, but that would be a mistake on everyone involved. Yes, he has to go up in competion each time he fights but he doesn’t have to fight Minotaro tomorrow.
Look at this list.
Royce Gracie
Fedor Emilienenko
Randy Couture
Chuck Liddell
Matt Hughes
GSP
Anderson Silva
BJ Penn
I could keep going with top level fighters names but the question is this. Who did they fight in their 3rd professional fight?
yes but their third pro fight was never a main event. if you are going to make him a main event let him fight someone who will put up a good show.
There’s nothing more angering in MMA than Elite XC’s spoon feeding crap to Kimbo. Oh wonderful, another “top level” contender for Kimbo to annihilate. Kimbo is a one dimensional nothing that got his name beating up nobodies in street fights. So he’s got some power. I guess every fight he’ll ever compete in will be handpicked jobbers. Let’s take James Thompson for instance. Lost 6 of his last 8 fights. And conveniently ol’ James has a glass jaw because he lost all fights but one by KO or TKO. Wow… can’t wait to see this hogwash.
WTF on the gimme fight? Everyone thinks he’s so great…but why are they giving him a guy who has lost 6 of his last 8 fights…5 of them by KO or TKO? What a crock.
[quote comment=”398532″]WTF on the gimme fight? Everyone thinks he’s so great…but why are they giving him a guy who has lost 6 of his last 8 fights…5 of them by KO or TKO? What a crock.[/quote]
FFS… He has ONLY had 2 MMA fights and has only been training MMA for what? Less than a year? If you look at Thompsons experience PRIDE/Cage Rage etc, then he is probably about the right level of opponent, PLUS, from the org’s perspective, will make a good freak show match up with more than likely a KO finish which is good for TV
[quote comment=”398354″][quote comment=”398342″]I really cant see a significant improvement in opponents given to Kimbo. So far Cantrell, Abbott and Thompson are all one dimensional fighters, the only way they can win is by knockout. Its a disgrace in my opinion. I agree that he could be a good fighter but the fact that he is still facing opposition so similar to one another does nothing for his credability. Put him in against someone with some ground game or Muay Thai style of fighter. Hes been training his ground game long enough to be pretty comfortable on the ground so I really dont see any reason why they cant put him in against a reasonably rounded opponent. Its the only way he is going to be more respected in MMA and taken more serious.[/quote]
On paper I’d say tank knocks out bo, and Thompson knocks out tank. Again, these are not good fighters, but with a 2-0 record is good enough, kimbo will slowly climb up that ladder and prove himself (either by being a fake or an improved bas rutten fighter).[/quote]
Linx: I will have to agree! What do you people want? For Kimbo to be matched up against someone that he cant handle, like the UFC did with Brock?
I would have preffered to see what Kimbo could have done against a submission wrestler like Ron waterman but THompson is better than anyone he has ever faced in mma, so whats there to complain about.
Its a fair fight, not like what the UFC is doing by maqtching Mir up against Mccully…now thats a BS fight!
Collossus, dept collecter, Mega punk, or whatever the hell thompson is calling himself these days is a big tough dude, who has experience on the big stage. It will be a nice Bang! To bad it will only last 2 minutes or less. Cant wait to bet on the UNDERS of that fight!
[quote comment=”398500″][quote comment=”398335″]I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the last. first an exhibition match with mercer, than bo cantrel who’d be somewhere around the same as mercer, than tank who is better than mercer, now thompson who is better than tank. This is his third professional fight ppl, don’t worry after this they’ll give him someone better than thompson but most of you guys seem to think that with a 2-0 record he should be fighting big foot, now that would be unfair. He’ll slowly get there as time goes by and his record improves, and only then he’ll be deserving of fighting bigger names.[/quote]
Very good comment and I agree. He is going through what most fighters go through in the smaller shows. He’s very green on MMA and his big name is the only reason why ppl want him fighting top 5 caliber fighters, but that would be a mistake on everyone involved. Yes, he has to go up in competion each time he fights but he doesn’t have to fight Minotaro tomorrow.
Look at this list.
Royce Gracie
Fedor Emilienenko
Randy Couture
Chuck Liddell
Matt Hughes
GSP
Anderson Silva
BJ Penn
I could keep going with top level fighters names but the question is this. Who did they fight in their 3rd professional fight?[/quote]
I think Couture fought Belfort in his third match…that was very good competition at the time…I’m just saying…
I guess EliteXC is working with what they got right? I mean, the UFC’s HW division is looking a lil sad lately, but it’s far better than any other promotion. I can’t even name more than 5 or 6 guys in EliteXC.
[quote post=”5622″]I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the last. first an exhibition match with mercer, than bo cantrel who’d be somewhere around the same as mercer, than tank who is better than mercer, now thompson who is better than tank. This is his third professional fight ppl, don’t worry after this they’ll give him someone better than thompson but most of you guys seem to think that with a 2-0 record he should be fighting big foot, now that would be unfair. He’ll slowly get there as time goes by and his record improves, and only then he’ll be deserving of fighting bigger names.
Very good comment and I agree. He is going through what most fighters go through in the smaller shows. He’s very green on MMA and his big name is the only reason why ppl want him fighting top 5 caliber fighters, but that would be a mistake on everyone involved. Yes, he has to go up in competion each time he fights but he doesn’t have to fight Minotaro tomorrow.
Look at this list.
Royce Gracie
Fedor Emilienenko
Randy Couture
Chuck Liddell
Matt Hughes
GSP
Anderson Silva
BJ Penn
I could keep going with top level fighters names but the question is this. Who did they fight in their 3rd professional fight? [/quote]
Ok so we dont know off hand who those fighters fought in their 3rd fights. On the other hand we didnt know who most of those fighters were when they fought that fight. If you want to be the star and make all the money you better be willing to step up and fight someone besides a giant tomato can. If you want to take time to grow and learn the game dont put yourself forward as a headlining fighter. Great here is Kimbo vs the giant tomato can in the main event again. If you are gonna make the money and be the face of your organization you best fight some real fighters. If Kimbo shows so much promise he should be able to fight better quality opponents not the typical guys a beginner would fight.
I think Rooster should get in the ring with Kimbo OrangeSlice. That would be a helluva matchup!
[quote post=”5622″]I really cant see a significant improvement in opponents given to Kimbo. So far Cantrell, Abbott and Thompson are all one dimensional fighters, the only way they can win is by knockout. Its a disgrace in my opinion. I agree that he could be a good fighter but the fact that he is still facing opposition so similar to one another does nothing for his credability. Put him in against someone with some ground game or Muay Thai style of fighter. Hes been training his ground game long enough to be pretty comfortable on the ground so I really dont see any reason why they cant put him in against a reasonably rounded opponent. Its the only way he is going to be more respected in MMA and taken more serious.[/quote]
[quote post=”5622″]On paper I’d say tank knocks out bo, and Thompson knocks out tank. Again, these are not good fighters, but with a 2-0 record is good enough, kimbo will slowly climb up that ladder and prove himself (either by being a fake or an improved bas rutten fighter).[/quote]
Whatever, I can’t WAIT for this! I love Thompson fights.
[quote post=”5622″]Linx: I will have to agree! What do you people want? For Kimbo to be matched up against someone that he cant handle, like the UFC did with Brock?
I would have preffered to see what Kimbo could have done against a submission wrestler like Ron waterman but THompson is better than anyone he has ever faced in mma, so whats there to complain about.
Its a fair fight, not like what the UFC is doing by maqtching Mir up against Mccully…now thats a BS fight!
Collossus, dept collecter, Mega punk, or whatever the hell thompson is calling himself these days is a big tough dude, who has experience on the big stage. It will be a nice Bang! To bad it will only last 2 minutes or less. Cant wait to bet on the UNDERS of that fight! [/quote]
Obviously since you bum him. Come on, im not saying to put him up against Couture or Fedor but why not someone with ground game. I mean who has Thompson beaten to be seen as a potential threat? He lost to Neil Grove and Bret Rogers. Why not put him against one of those two instead of taking a step backwards? Put him in against someone whos atleast won their last fight. He talks a good fight so put him in against someone who can be a bit of a challenge.
The funniest thing is how so many people commenting are just now realizing that Kimbo is EliteXC’s freak-show cash machine, nothing more, nothing less.
I thought Kimbo was 3-0?
I think Couture fought Belfort in his third match…that was very good competition at the time…I’m just saying…
Yes he did. Again, Randy being the one exception to every rule known to MMA, but you catch my drift. As far as being the face of an Organization, Gary Shaw put him there. Kimbo doesn’t even trash talk. What’s he supposed to do. He’s a streetfighter fighting for peanuts in backyards, then Shaw comes along, hey here’s a couple hundred grand if you come fight for me. Is he supposed to say no, I’m a no talent knock out street bums only fighter. OF COURSE NOT!!!!
Come on people!!! This is the first nationally televised MMA event ever. The face of the organization is currently Kimbo Slice. Do you really expect them to put Kimbo against somebody who has a good chance of beating him? That said, Thompson is a step up from what Kimbo has faced before. Whoever thinks that Thompson wouldn’t kill Tank Abbott is smoking crack.
Thompson may be an average fighter, but he has fought in some entertaining fights before. His fight against Aleksander Emelianenko was one of the most entertaining prefight stare downs/quick fights ever. If you haven’t seen it go watch it on YouTube.
[quote comment=”398500″][quote comment=”398335″]I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the last. first an exhibition match with mercer, than bo cantrel who’d be somewhere around the same as mercer, than tank who is better than mercer, now thompson who is better than tank. This is his third professional fight ppl, don’t worry after this they’ll give him someone better than thompson but most of you guys seem to think that with a 2-0 record he should be fighting big foot, now that would be unfair. He’ll slowly get there as time goes by and his record improves, and only then he’ll be deserving of fighting bigger names.[/quote]
Very good comment and I agree. He is going through what most fighters go through in the smaller shows. He’s very green on MMA and his big name is the only reason why ppl want him fighting top 5 caliber fighters, but that would be a mistake on everyone involved. Yes, he has to go up in competion each time he fights but he doesn’t have to fight Minotaro tomorrow.
Look at this list.
Royce Gracie
Fedor Emilienenko
Randy Couture
Chuck Liddell
Matt Hughes
GSP
Anderson Silva
BJ Penn
I could keep going with top level fighters names but the question is this. Who did they fight in their 3rd professional fight?[/quote]
well said. it is very rare that a fighter starts their career by fighting big name opponents, but as a headliner maybe someone a little better should be in order. i know that they want to make as much money as they can by giving Kimbo winnable fights. it would be a disaster for his career if Thompson pulls off a upset.IMO he does have the good old ” punchers chance” hes got dynamite in his hands and glass for a chin. one of these guys is geting KOed,most likely thompson.
[quote post=”5622″]Very good comment and I agree. He is going through what most fighters go through in the smaller shows. He’s very green on MMA and his big name is the only reason why ppl want him fighting top 5 caliber fighters, but that would be a mistake on everyone involved. Yes, he has to go up in competion each time he fights but he doesn’t have to fight Minotaro tomorrow.
Look at this list.
Royce Gracie
Fedor Emilienenko
Randy Couture
Chuck Liddell
Matt Hughes
GSP
Anderson Silva
BJ Penn
I could keep going with top level fighters names but the question is this. Who did they fight in their 3rd professional fight?[/quote]
Royce Gracie vs Gerard Gordeau in final of UFC tournament
Fedor vs Hiroyo Takada
Randy Couture vs Vitor Belfort
Chuck Liddell vs Jeremy Horn
Matt Hughes vs Dave Menne
GSP vs Travis Galbraith
Anderson Silva vs Fontinelle
BJ Penn vs Caol Uno
There are some creditable opponents for some of these fighters and considering Royce Gracie had already beaten Shamrock in only his second fight and was at a final against this guy he already proved he was the real deal. And another point, most these guys came up from nowhere, no one knew who they were so they werent going to fight the elite because they were unknown. Kimbo is known, we know he can stand and trade but he is training to be all rounded so he needs to be tested against well rounded fighters, not just sluggers.
Paul Buentello has been calling Kimbo out for a while now. Gary Shaw always says he’d put his fighters againt anybody, then why not ( The Head Hunter ) way better fighter than Thompson. It makes sense not to put Kimbo against class A fighters yet, but atleast a fighter who can take a punch and a bit well rounded. I’d like to see how he takes knees, elbows, and his defense on take downs. He fought bums on the street, then ran into Gannon and got his ass whooped. He’s fighting bums in MMA, so when he runs into a B class fighter he’ll get whooped again.
LOL…i imagine this is just a fight to build Kimbo’s fan base and MMA record before they give him a real MMA challenge. Joe “Glass Chin” Thompson is the perfect candidate for a first round knockout.
Thompson is a can.
What is this wwe. This fight will last under 45 seconds maybe less than 20. This says alot about what elite thinks about kimbo.
My mom could knock out Thompson. Hey Gary just a little hint buddy…… its the fights that attract fans not some name thats built up with a fake Canstructed record.
Nobody that knows about mma is gonna watch this garbage. Just to set the record straight I like Kimbo but I would rather see him lose in a good fight than fight someone so beneath his talent level that the only thing to be determined is the time of ko.
[quote post=”5622″]Ok so we dont know off hand who those fighters fought in their 3rd fights. On the other hand we didnt know who most of those fighters were when they fought that fight. If you want to be the star and make all the money you better be willing to step up and fight someone besides a giant tomato can. If you want to take time to grow and learn the game dont put yourself forward as a headlining fighter. Great here is Kimbo vs the giant tomato can in the main event again. If you are gonna make the money and be the face of your organization you best fight some real fighters. If Kimbo shows so much promise he should be able to fight better quality opponents not the typical guys a beginner would fight.[/quote]
My sentiments exactly.
[quote comment=”398617″][quote post=”5622″]Linx: I will have to agree! What do you people want? For Kimbo to be matched up against someone that he cant handle, like the UFC did with Brock?
I would have preffered to see what Kimbo could have done against a submission wrestler like Ron waterman but THompson is better than anyone he has ever faced in mma, so whats there to complain about.
Its a fair fight, not like what the UFC is doing by maqtching Mir up against Mccully…now thats a BS fight!
Collossus, dept collecter, Mega punk, or whatever the hell thompson is calling himself these days is a big tough dude, who has experience on the big stage. It will be a nice Bang! To bad it will only last 2 minutes or less. Cant wait to bet on the UNDERS of that fight! [/quote]
Obviously since you bum him. Come on, im not saying to put him up against Couture or Fedor but why not someone with ground game. I mean who has Thompson beaten to be seen as a potential threat? He lost to Neil Grove and Bret Rogers. Why not put him against one of those two instead of taking a step backwards? Put him in against someone whos atleast won their last fight. He talks a good fight so put him in against someone who can be a bit of a challenge.[/quote]
Very well said JJ. However, the answer is easy……because he is a circus attraction.
He has no MMA skills. Its horrible to hear people say he is committed to becoming the best because he trains with Bas Rutten. What a crock of sh_t. Gary Shaw has set him up with the best training camp to look after their main attraction.
If I hear another true MMA fan profess their love for this guy, I’ll scream!!!
[quote comment=”398793″]Paul Buentello has been calling Kimbo out for a while now. Gary Shaw always says he’d put his fighters againt anybody, then why not ( The Head Hunter ) way better fighter than Thompson. It makes sense not to put Kimbo against class A fighters yet, but atleast a fighter who can take a punch and a bit well rounded. I’d like to see how he takes knees, elbows, and his defense on take downs. He fought bums on the street, then ran into Gannon and got his ass whooped. He’s fighting bums in MMA, so when he runs into a B class fighter he’ll get whooped again.[/quote]
i agree the Head Hunter would be an awesome opponent.
James thompson? Man i swear that these elitexc guys are favoring kimbo in every way, i think he should be taking on more serious competition rather than james thompson, this guy has has been knocked out 7 times, I wonder what they expect kimbo to do to him…
[quote comment=”398842″][quote comment=”398793″]Paul Buentello has been calling Kimbo out for a while now. Gary Shaw always says he’d put his fighters againt anybody, then why not ( The Head Hunter ) way better fighter than Thompson. It makes sense not to put Kimbo against class A fighters yet, but atleast a fighter who can take a punch and a bit well rounded. I’d like to see how he takes knees, elbows, and his defense on take downs. He fought bums on the street, then ran into Gannon and got his ass whooped. He’s fighting bums in MMA, so when he runs into a B class fighter he’ll get whooped again.[/quote]
i agree the Head Hunter would be an awesome opponent.[/quote]
I also agree that Buentello would be the perfect opponent. He is primarily a striker who would stand and trade with Kimbo the entire time. I dont know much about Kimbo’s takedown defense, but Buentello’s wrestling is weak at best so the fight would be a stand up War.
The problem is that the headhunter could beat Kimbo, and EliteXC just isn’t going to let that happen, and could you really blame them? The reality is he is a big draw (not in my eyes, but people tune in to his fights). Antonio Silva is a better fighter, but is boring at times and doesnt have half the fan following that Kimbo does. EliteXC doesnt have too many fighters that can draw a crowd, and they are lucky to have a novice fighter like Kimbo create such a buzz for them. From a business stand point, you cant expect them to feed him to the wolves. He is there most valuable Heavyweight at the moment so we have to expect that EliteXC is going to protect him as much as possible.
Why all the hate for this guy? the UFC has been babying Bisping for like 2 years now and he has had 20 mma fights. They protect many of there investments, so how can you not expect EliteXC to do the same thing.
Would you prefer to have Kimbo matched up against someone that will just outclass him like the UFC did to Lesnar by having him fight Mir?
is Kimbo hiding a soft chin under that big a$$ beard.
just a thought, i know that having a beard like that does provide a small amount of protection. at or near the elite level of MMA every small advantage helps.
the Pitbull Andrei Arlovski hasnt been clean shaven after the Maineiac KOed him.
[quote comment=”398748″][quote comment=”398500″][quote comment=”398335″]I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the last. first an exhibition match with mercer, than bo cantrel who’d be somewhere around the same as mercer, than tank who is better than mercer, now thompson who is better than tank. This is his third professional fight ppl, don’t worry after this they’ll give him someone better than thompson but most of you guys seem to think that with a 2-0 record he should be fighting big foot, now that would be unfair. He’ll slowly get there as time goes by and his record improves, and only then he’ll be deserving of fighting bigger names.[/quote]
Very good comment and I agree. He is going through what most fighters go through in the smaller shows. He’s very green on MMA and his big name is the only reason why ppl want him fighting top 5 caliber fighters, but that would be a mistake on everyone involved. Yes, he has to go up in competion each time he fights but he doesn’t have to fight Minotaro tomorrow.
Look at this list.
Royce Gracie
Fedor Emilienenko
Randy Couture
Chuck Liddell
Matt Hughes
GSP
Anderson Silva
BJ Penn
I could keep going with top level fighters names but the question is this. Who did they fight in their 3rd professional fight?[/quote]
well said. it is very rare that a fighter starts their career by fighting big name opponents, but as a headliner maybe someone a little better should be in order. i know that they want to make as much money as they can by giving Kimbo winnable fights. it would be a disaster for his career if Thompson pulls off a upset.IMO he does have the good old ” punchers chance” hes got dynamite in his hands and glass for a chin. one of these guys is geting KOed,most likely thompson.[/quote]
In chuck liddels 3rd pro fight he fought jeremy horm… randy fought vitor belfort in his 3rd fight… lyoto machida fought rich fraklin in his 3rd fight.. bj penn fought caol uno in his 3rd fight…. matt hughes fought dave menne in his 3rd fight and fedor fought ricardo arona and hoyce gracie fought ken shamrock in his second fight so dont tell me he shouldnt be fighting someone better then thompson
What a joke! I’d love to see this blow up in Gary Shaw’s face if Thompson won. Elitexc can be as conservative as they want with Kimbo, but if he keeps fighting chumps, he keeps on running the risk of a catastrophic loss. At least if you put him in there with a top fighter a loss won’t be devastating to his marketability.
And if they want to keep putting B level fighters up against Kimbo then why not let “Cabbage” have a shot at him. At least the guy can take some punishment. That would be a lot more satisfying than watching Kimbo destroy Thompson in 30 seconds.
[quote comment=”398963″]What a joke! I’d love to see this blow up in Gary Shaw’s face if Thompson won. Elitexc can be as conservative as they want with Kimbo, but if he keeps fighting chumps, he keeps on running the risk of a catastrophic loss. At least if you put him in there with a top fighter a loss won’t be devastating to his marketability.
And if they want to keep putting B level fighters up against Kimbo then why not let “Cabbage” have a shot at him. At least the guy can take some punishment. That would be a lot more satisfying than watching Kimbo destroy Thompson in 30 seconds.[/quote]
i agree, cabbage is also a good match up for Kimbo .
The point the haters are missing is that Kimbo is a good attraction, he brings ppv buys and that is the reason he’s getting what he is getting. Funny how many of you UFC lovers are not complaining the fact that Lesnar got paid WAY too much for the record that he holds, but I understand that he brings in PPV buys, just like Kimbo. Let me brake down some reasons:
1 — Kimbo’s record does not/should not allow him to fight top fighters
2 — Kimbo is new to the sport and should be allowed time to grow
3 — Kimbo does not choose his opponents, EliteXC does. Don’t hate the man because he does not choose who he fights and if you’re going to throw Lesnar’s name in the comparison table you should know that Lesnar is the one who wanted to fight Mir (I remember well watching a press conference where Dana said he did not want to give him a big opponent yet)
4 — It’s dumb business to throw your PPV buys guy under the bus, you’ll lose in business.
5 — Rather you want to believe it or not, Kimbo is climbing a ladder in which one day he’ll face someone that could stop him (it’s a matter of time).
6 — Why hate on a guy that is trying to grow in the business? Bas said he is training very hard who are we to disclaim Bas? Just because the dude was a street brawler? c’mon ppl, that does not make MMA look bad, his story should be used as inspirational instead of being shameful. You guys need to stop hating on the dude, he’s getting mad cash because he deserves it (even though he hasn’t proved it inside the octagon, he’s proved outside of it).
[quote comment=”398917″][quote comment=”398842″][quote comment=”398793″]Paul Buentello has been calling Kimbo out for a while now. Gary Shaw always says he’d put his fighters againt anybody, then why not ( The Head Hunter ) way better fighter than Thompson. It makes sense not to put Kimbo against class A fighters yet, but atleast a fighter who can take a punch and a bit well rounded. I’d like to see how he takes knees, elbows, and his defense on take downs. He fought bums on the street, then ran into Gannon and got his ass whooped. He’s fighting bums in MMA, so when he runs into a B class fighter he’ll get whooped again.[/quote]
i agree the Head Hunter would be an awesome opponent.[/quote]
I also agree that Buentello would be the perfect opponent. He is primarily a striker who would stand and trade with Kimbo the entire time. I dont know much about Kimbo’s takedown defense, but Buentello’s wrestling is weak at best so the fight would be a stand up War.
The problem is that the headhunter could beat Kimbo, and EliteXC just isn’t going to let that happen, and could you really blame them? The reality is he is a big draw (not in my eyes, but people tune in to his fights). Antonio Silva is a better fighter, but is boring at times and doesnt have half the fan following that Kimbo does. EliteXC doesnt have too many fighters that can draw a crowd, and they are lucky to have a novice fighter like Kimbo create such a buzz for them. From a business stand point, you cant expect them to feed him to the wolves. He is there most valuable Heavyweight at the moment so we have to expect that EliteXC is going to protect him as much as possible.
Why all the hate for this guy? the UFC has been babying Bisping for like 2 years now and he has had 20 mma fights. They protect many of there investments, so how can you not expect EliteXC to do the same thing.
Would you prefer to have Kimbo matched up against someone that will just outclass him like the UFC did to Lesnar by having him fight Mir?[/quote]
Don’t get me wrong I like watching Kimbo’s fights. I’m a fan of anybody with KO power. But Gary Shaw has built him up so much that now it’s time for a fight than can atleast give him a bit of a test. And as for the UFC and Lesnar, Brock was dominating Mir before getting caught in the knee bar. I give Brock more respect than Kimbo for taking on a former champ, top bjj skills, and definatly not an over the hill chump. One question though, would anybody pay to see EliteXC? I mean the only reason I watch it is cause I have Showtime. The main events always have contraversy.
Kimbo is obviously over-rated, but I don’t why everybody gets mad just because he has more fans than a lot of better fighters. Who cares? You don’t have to cheer for him, but everyone has the right to cheer for whoever the hell they want. And it’s not like Kimbo is disrespecting the sport and saying he’s the best. He just loves to fight, and is supporting his family very well by doing so. Why are you gonna hate on that?
[quote comment=”399018″]The point the haters are missing is that Kimbo is a good attraction, he brings ppv buys and that is the reason he’s getting what he is getting. Funny how many of you UFC lovers are not complaining the fact that Lesnar got paid WAY too much for the record that he holds, but I understand that he brings in PPV buys, just like Kimbo. Let me brake down some reasons:
1 — Kimbo’s record does not/should not allow him to fight top fighters
2 — Kimbo is new to the sport and should be allowed time to grow
3 — Kimbo does not choose his opponents, EliteXC does. Don’t hate the man because he does not choose who he fights and if you’re going to throw Lesnar’s name in the comparison table you should know that Lesnar is the one who wanted to fight Mir (I remember well watching a press conference where Dana said he did not want to give him a big opponent yet)
4 — It’s dumb business to throw your PPV buys guy under the bus, you’ll lose in business.
5 — Rather you want to believe it or not, Kimbo is climbing a ladder in which one day he’ll face someone that could stop him (it’s a matter of time).
6 — Why hate on a guy that is trying to grow in the business? Bas said he is training very hard who are we to disclaim Bas? Just because the dude was a street brawler? c’mon ppl, that does not make MMA look bad, his story should be used as inspirational instead of being shameful. You guys need to stop hating on the dude, he’s getting mad cash because he deserves it (even though he hasn’t proved it inside the octagon, he’s proved outside of it).[/quote]
well said.
he has a bad gh gut
This fight should be a laugh to watch but to expand on the question JV asked “Who pays for these third rate PPV events?” if you can answer that question with “Me, I do” then just stop it OK!
This pumped up street numpty made his name through free media distribution on the internet and we should keep it that way.
Don’t mug yourself by paying for this just watch it on Youtube or dowload like the rest of his fights. Keep Kimbo free!
“The point the haters are missing is that Kimbo is a good attraction, he brings ppv buys and that is the reason he’s getting what he is getting.”
Umm…so is Forrest. Only difference is Forrest just beat a guy named Shogun.
“Funny how many of you UFC lovers are not complaining the fact that Lesnar got paid WAY too much for the record that he holds, but I understand that he brings in PPV buys, just like Kimbo.”
Frankly, I don’t care how much a guy gets paid. Sure he brings in ppv buys. But there are plenty of good fighters that bring in PPV buys. (Read above) And Lesnar, remember, wasn’t the main card; Sylvia/Noguerra was. And Lesnar has a legitimate collegiate wrestling pedigree.
“Let me brake down some reasons:”
First, learn to spell ‘break’.
“1 — Kimbo’s record does not/should not allow him to fight top fighters”
Agreed. But it should also not allow him on the main card.
“2 — Kimbo is new to the sport and should be allowed time to grow”
Agreed. Just like Lesnar and Alexander and the like. But not as the main card.
“3 — Kimbo does not choose his opponents, EliteXC does. Don’t hate the man because he does not choose who he fights and if you’re going to throw Lesnar’s name in the comparison table you should know that Lesnar is the one who wanted to fight Mir (I remember well watching a press conference where Dana said he did not want to give him a big opponent yet)”
I don’t read a lot of comments about people mad at Kimbo. I read a lot of comments from people about being mad at Shaw for setting up these opponents for Kimbo.
“4 — It’s dumb business to throw your PPV buys guy under the bus, you’ll lose in business.”
Correct. It’s also (long term) dumb business to have your PPV guys suck. It undermines both the sport and your credibility as a promoter.
“5 — Rather you want to believe it or not, Kimbo is climbing a ladder in which one day he’ll face someone that could stop him (it’s a matter of time).”
Doubtful he will get that high on the ladder. Not by fighting crap. Thompson is worse than Tank. You become the best by fighting the best; win or lose…and Kimbo isn’t Diaz; Kimbo is too old to get that high up that fast.
“6 — Why hate on a guy that is trying to grow in the business?”
He isn’t trying to grow the business; he’s trying to grow his wallet.
“Bas said he is training very hard who are we to disclaim Bas?”
Hard to speak badly about Bas but do you think Bas is going to say his own fighter that he trains trains like crap?
“Just because the dude was a street brawler? c’mon ppl, that does not make MMA look bad, his story should be used as inspirational instead of being shameful.”
A former street brawler/porn industry bouncer who got fame by beating up people half his size, videotaping the grossly mismatched street fights, putting them on the internet, using the “n” word quite liberally and is all about the benjamins; yep, inspirational indeed…
“You guys need to stop hating on the dude, he’s getting mad cash because he deserves it (even though he hasn’t proved it inside the octagon, he’s proved outside of it).”
Again, he’s proven nothing; he deserves nothing. Think about guys like Brad Imes; training their whole lives and still slugging it out in small shows working for peanuts. Brad Imes would kick Kimbo’s ass. Kimbo is making the money he is making simply because he video taped himself beating the crap out of guys half his size and out of shape and put those videos on the internet. What a hero. I’m sorry, I can’t respect Kimbo, his talent and therefore Gary Shaw and the whole promotion.
Kimbo is one ugly dude
great match. and thank the writer so much for remembering me -
Sean Gannon
[quote comment=”398335″]I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the last. first an exhibition match with mercer, than bo cantrel who’d be somewhere around the same as mercer, than tank who is better than mercer, now thompson who is better than tank. This is his third professional fight ppl, don’t worry after this they’ll give him someone better than thompson but most of you guys seem to think that with a 2-0 record he should be fighting big foot, now that would be unfair. He’ll slowly get there as time goes by and his record improves, and only then he’ll be deserving of fighting bigger names.[/quote]
Really you “can’t stand people that hates on kimbo.” I can’t stand people who don’t know when to add an s to a word and when not to.What is everyone supposed to like kimbozo because you do?I don’t hear him complaining that clown gets paid a ton of money for fighting cans.If you had a brain you would understand most people are not complaining about kimbozo in general but that if he is being paid like a big name he should fight big names.The comparison about who guys fought in there 3rd fight is bull sh*t and here’s why.Chances are none of them were being paid 6 figures for fighting nobodies were they genius?
[quote comment=”400003″][quote comment=”398335″]I can’t stand ppl that hates on kimbo. frankly we can see that they are slowly giving him improved fighters, not good fighters, but improved over the la