How will Kimbo Slice do in TUF 10?
It seems like a majority of the 8 participants (so far) in TUF 10 are ex-NFL players with some MMA fights under their belt.
Marcus Jones, the 1996 first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, enters TUF with a 4-1 professional MMA record, which includes four first-round victories via stoppage (with an average time of just 91 seconds per win). Three of the wins came via TKO and one via submission.
The 35-year-old played football at the University of North Carolina, where he was a four-time letterman, an All-American and the 1995 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-6 defensive tackle played six NFL seasons with the Bucs. In his best season, 2000, he ranked eighth in the league with 13 sacks. He spent two additional seasons with the Buffalo Bills (but didn’t play in the regular season) before giving up the sport. Soon after, he joined instructor Rob Kahn at Gracie Tampa and eventually made his professional MMA debut in 2007.
Matt Mitrione, who had a nine-game stint with the New York Giants in 2002, will be one of the season’s least-experienced fighters (on paper, anyway). He has no professional fights, according to the major fighter databases, though he reportedly has fought as an amateur.
The 30-year-old Illinois native was an All-Big Ten defensive tackle for Purdue University. He went un-drafted after his senior year in 2000 but still earned his way into the NFL as a free agent. In addition to the Giants, the 6-foot-4 Mitrione spent some time with the Minnesota Vikings (though he didn’t appear in any regular-season games for the team) before leaving the NFL in 2006.
Brendan Schaub, a 6-foot-4 fullback for the University of Colorado who spent some time with (but didn’t play for) the Buffalo Bills, is 4-0 as a professional MMA fighter. He’s often compared to his longtime training partner, undefeated UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin. Like Carwin, Schaub has made quick work of his opponents since turning pro in 2008. In four professional fights, he has four first-round TKOs, and the average length of each fight is just 59 seconds.
The 26-year-old Colorado native played for the Arena Football League’s Utah Blaze before focusing solely on MMA. Schaub, the son of a second-degree Tae Kwon Do black belt, is a Golden Gloves boxing champion and the 2008 Colorado Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Absolute Advanced Grand Champion. He currently trains with Greg Jackson’s renowned Team Jackson camp in New Mexico and T’s KO Fight Club in Colorado.
Wes Shivers, who had a short NFL stint with the Atlanta Falcons in 2000, is 0-1 as a professional and 4-0 as an amateur, according to MMA.tv’s fighter database. (However, his record is listed as 6-0 in some places). The muscular 6-foot-7 fighter is well versed in grappling and Muay Thai and previously competed as a super heavyweight before a lack of available opponents prompted a move down to heavyweight.
The 32-year-old Team Hammer Hill fighter was a standout offensive lineman at Mississippi State University. The Tennessee Titans drafted him in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft. After playing three games with the Falcons in 2000, he left the NFL and focused on his MMA career.
So…How do you see Kimbo Slice doing against these guys especially now that there won’t be a crowd of fans looking on to see if he could live up the hype that he installed on youtube? Will Dana White offer him a contract to fight with the UFC regardless of whether or not he wins the Ultimate Fighter 10 competition?
NOTE: So if Bobby Lashley get in as a competitor of TUF 10, will he do better than Ferguson (Kimbo Slice)?
Layla
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Ariana
kimbo is small compared to these guys and seth petruzelli the only guy to beat kimbo is really a lightweight heavyweight so there are some questions about kimbo’s chin but i think he has a good look at it but if bobby lashley joins and i hope and pray he does thats going to be my favorite to win it all
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Adrian
You did your homework, huh?
Kimbo, in my opinion, is just a hype. He had a good run, but you can never hide the truth. His internet video fights were fixed. Not I’ll pay you to lose, type of fixation, but if you look at the videos, all his spectators are one sided.
He’ll do well against the types who will be intimidated by his size and blank expressions.
December 6th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Mollie
I would hope that training with Bas Rutton he went over some of the basics of ground fighting and basic conditioning-which seemed to be one of his very weak points, Sure he can knock people out but he better vastly improve his conditioning or he’ll be gassed and be susceptible to an easy takedown, I do have to give him some credit for even trying this out because he must know he’s in with a different level of fighters, I hope he takes it serious and wins a couple of matches just to shut up all the haters.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Alexander
Kimbo = Fraud and IMHO Bas Rutten lost a lot of credibility going so over the top and promoting him and training him. Rumors have it that Bas kicked his ass two hours/day every day while they trained and Bas needs two new knees.
Kimbo is all show and no substance.
December 8th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Jessica
well i hope he does beat the odds and get a contract on the UFC
when will TUF 10 be aired on spike tv?
December 9th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Bailey
At best he might make it to the second round. Most of these guys are better trained, more experience, and likely in better shape.
December 12th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Kaylee
It’s a complete ratings ploy, we all know it… but from a money making standpoint it makes a ton of business sense. This is a season that will draw in even the Youtube junkies, and maybe these people will continue to follow the sport after the season ends. It will be nice to see Kimbo in a fight with unbiased referees. (I’m still annoyed with the James Thompson fight… they stood them up when Thompson was in side control… fixed fight).
This is going to be fun to watch. I think if Kimbo trains like crazy, he could have some success. Do I think he’ll win? Definitely not… but hey anything’s possible. This is a season where loads of people will watch just to see what happens. I’d like to see Rampage train him… with the one-liners alone it would make for great TV. Hey, it worked… we’re all going to watch.
I think he’ll be able to turn himself into a real fighter if he works hard enough… but I think somebody who has more experience/ a better grappler will win the show. He won’t mess with Dana… that’s his new meal ticket. As long as he makes a decent showing, White will allow him to compete… he’s a moneymaker, that’s the bottom line, and the UFC is a business. I think this is the reason they’re not having them fight to get on the show for season 10… just 16 guys getting into the house. Yes, if he has a decent showing, Dana will let him into the UFC… Kimbo is 10,000 times more widely known than Junie Browning, and look how he’s in the UFC.
Yes… I think Bobby Lashley would do better… he has a MUCH, MUCH better grappling background (before the WWE he was a wrestler in the armed forces). I don’t know much about these ex NFLers… but if one of them can grapple… they’ll take Kimbo out.