What next for Kimbo?

So Dana has said he is cutting Kimbo but he still hasn't been released from his contract. Here are a couple of reasons why:


• Highest-rated debut episode, Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” -- 4.1 million viewers (September 2009)

• Highest-rated debut episode replay, Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” -- 1.1 million viewers (September 2009)

• Highest-rated single episode, Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” -- 5.3 million viewers (October 2009)

• Most-watched single bout (live or taped), Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” -- 6.1 million viewers (October 2009)

• Highest-rated season, Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” -- 2.2 million average viewers (September-December 2009)

• Most-watched live UFC cable-televised event in 2009, Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale -- 3.7 million viewers (December 2010)

• Most-watched live UFC cable-televised single bout in 2009, Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale (December 2010) -- 5.2 million viewers


I really don't think he's going anywhere. I think 113 PPV numbers will be decent because Kimbo was on the card. I think he'll be kept in the UFC and used for Ultimate Fight Night cards. He's too big of a draw. If the UFC cut him, Strikeforce will snap him up. Kimbo is the single biggest draw in MMA, including Brock Lesnar. I think Kimbo vs Sapp is the biggest money fight out there. Kimbo is the biggest star in the US, Sapp is the biggest in Japan. Hold the fight somewhere like South Africa or India and time wise that fight works for everyone.

If Liddell loses to Franklin, then Liddell vs Kimbo has to happen IMO.

Liddell wont get cut and he wont fight outside the UFC, he has a job with UFC forever as long as he retires with them.

Scott Coker said he doesnt want Kimbo, they wasnt to try and keep a high level of fighter or something he said!

Kimbo should fight in Japan, Minowa is the fight I think would seriously sell, Minowa is very popular in Japan, Sapp isnt the name he used to be over there, I think the fans over there would love to see Minowa fight him. Could even put his Superhulk title on the line!

Maby Sakuraba would go for an openweight fight with him? Theres a few good freakshow fights over there, but then again is he even popular in Japan??

Shame Bas Rutten wouldnt make one last comeback and liverpunch the fuck out of him!

"Kimbo is the single biggest draw in MMA, including Brock Lesnar"


If UFC 113 sells over 1.6 mil PPV's then.....



Kimbo is out of UFC for sure, i think his future will be small up and coming shows like Moosin, he should fight Pudz

There was mention of him fighting in Japan also.


Or Strikrforce can have their go on the Kimbo merry go round and get a few fights out of him aswell.


What Kimbo should do now is have his knee looked at more.

Kimbo wasn't the headliner of 113 so comparing it to Lesnar's fight is daft. Look at the figures for any of his network tv fights. Biggest numbers ever. And the UFC's claims of 1.6million for UFC 100 have been largely discredited after the initial report showed 1.2million.

Kimbo hasn't been cut yet, and I doubt he will be. Dana is just a mouthpiece. The Fertittas make the decisions and they are stupid enough to cut someone who is the biggest draw they have.

Kimbo vs Chuck in the UFC will happen if Chuck loses to Franklin because it's the biggest ratings draw they could do except for Kimbo vs Brock.

Strikeforce would sign him because CBS would demand it. Coker said he didn't want Kimbo AFTER Kimbo signed for the UFC. Coker is a decent guy by all accounts but he plays games as well.


Ben, Sapp is still the biggest name in Japanese combat sports. Minowa has a cult following, he's not hugely popular. Sapp made a tv appearance recently and it was the highest rated show of the week. He regularly does pro wrestling and it's always a sell out crowd. He opens a restaurant and thousands turn up to see him. The guy is still just as big in Japan as ever. Minowa isn't even on the radar.

If Brock was on TUF or fought on a free card on Spike he would destroy all those numbers Kimbo set. No one come close to Brock for drawing power for PPV's. And it would be even greater difference on Spike.

Kimbo will get his release papers soon enough, Buentello got his papers a few weeks after he was told he was cut. Im sure it will be the same for Kimbo.


It would be better for Kimbo to leave the UFC anyway, and continue to make some money in lower organisations before he gets exposed even more in the UFC, and loses some of his marketabilty.


A 36/37 yr old with bum knees who is playing catch up and still learning technical aspects of MMA, was never going to be long term partnership with UFC. It has proved to be very succesful with the TUF stint but thats as far as it goes it seems.

Buentello was told he was being cut and was cut on the next day. It takes a week to process the papers. Kimbo hasn't been cut.

Brock doesn't appeal in the same way Kimbo does. Mostly because he's a cunt.

To be fair, I beleive Kimbo was part of the most watched MMA fight ever, im not entirely sure though.

Is he bigger than Lesnar though? Im not sure, he hasn't proved himself on PPV yet. Liddell vs Kimbo would make huge numbers but Kimbo did lose to Meathead at the end of the day, even if he did start well. If he does get released, I think Japan would be the best for him but since outside Mo and Mousasi the LHW division in SF is quite weak, and he is willing to drop to that weight he could be useful there on free tv. Fedor vs Kimbo would make huge numbers as well but that fight would never happen, I wouldn't be suprised if that fight wasn't sactioned for being uncompetitive.

Lesnar is a draw BECAUSE he is a cunt, he is that appeal of everyone wanting to see him lose.

The Novelty of Kimbo is probabally wearing off, the more he looses I think the less people will want to see him. I dont think he could make 205 Chelsea, I hear he used to be 270lbs+ He did well to get down to 215 but the cut clearly half killed him, his cardio against Houston is shocking and he looked huge, he is maby like Crocop, stuck being a small heavy. Cavalcante looks a promising Lhw in SF, MAby Gracie will be a force. The Lhw devision there is picking up a little.

I didnt realise Sapp was still so Popular Anfield, I know he was like Beckham over there in the early 2000's but I though he wasnt such a big deal any more. Yeah Kimbo vs Sapp would work in Japan, Though Id rather see Minowa twisting his leg backwards myself!

Lesnar is a draw becuase of his popularity due to his short but extrememly succesful stint with the WWE. And also because he is a huge scary looking fucker who's physique and breathtaking success in the sport in such a short amount just automatically generates a large amount of hype and interest by itself.


Look at the PPV numbers the Couture fight did, and he was actually pretty respectful in the build up to that fight, sure he showboated abit towards the end of Herring fight but no body really payed attention to that and doesnt really explain why he has done so well in his last 2 fights.


After the fight at 100, he was a total dick to everyone, sponsors fans etc.... we havent seen how that will affect him, but you can imagine it can only be even more postive effect on him, and coupled with the fact that he is returning from an illness which was hyped abit at the time...... I can only imagine UFC 116 to be another extremely successful event even though the rest of the card is abit below the level in terms of quality of the rest of the UFC 100 card.

Gracie ofcoarse, forgot about him. He looks very good, Cavalacnate looks solid, nothing special. Doubt he will ever be a top 10 fighter and he isn't on the level of Mousasi or Mo.

Im having 2nd thoughts on Mousasi now! I think Jacare would have done him in if he hadnt Upkicked him. Maby a bit early for Gracie to fight him but Cavalcante would give Mousasi a decent scrap, Still they have some pretty thin devisions. They could do with Bulking up their roster, that Aussie promotion has a few old boys and half decent guys that SF could use... I also hear Buentello needs a job! Sign him up for a fight with Lavar Johnson

What about this Bellator Co-Promotion? Lombard is a fighter they could do with he said he would go to 205 to figth Mousasi but him.

Lombard vs Jacare or Hendo
Alvarez vs Melendez
Thomson vs Huerta
Dan Hornbuckle vs Whitemare

Theres a few good co-promotion fights even if Bellator dont have any heavier fighters to offer.

redmeanie77 wrote:Lesnar is a draw becuase of his popularity due to his short but extrememly succesful stint with the WWE. And also because he is a huge scary looking fucker who's physique and breathtaking success in the sport in such a short amount just automatically generates a large amount of hype and interest by itself.


Look at the PPV numbers the Couture fight did, and he was actually pretty respectful in the build up to that fight, sure he showboated abit towards the end of Herring fight but no body really payed attention to that and doesnt really explain why he has done so well in his last 2 fights.


After the fight at 100, he was a total dick to everyone, sponsors fans etc.... we havent seen how that will affect him, but you can imagine it can only be even more postive effect on him, and coupled with the fact that he is returning from an illness which was hyped abit at the time...... I can only imagine UFC 116 to be another extremely successful event even though the rest of the card is abit below the level in terms of quality of the rest of the UFC 100 card.

GSP is a big draw and on the back of TUF Bisping vs Hendo was a big draw as well. To try and give Lesnar credit for the 1.2million people that bought the PPV is a big much.

Kimbo drew near 6.5mil against James Thompson. In a much smaller promotion and with much less hype. Forget the fact that it was free and consider that number. 6.5million. IN ELITE XC! Against James Thompson. Biggest draw in MMA. Not even debatable.

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (4-2) is at home in Miami and will soon decide what his fighting future holds.

Slice's manager, Mike Imber, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the heavyweight fighter is taking time off before he takes the next step in his career.

"He has a lot of offers and opportunities on the table, so it's up to him," Imber said via text message.

Slice was released by the UFC after his second career loss to fellow "The Ultimate Fighter 10" veteran Matt Mitrione at UFC 113, which was held May 8 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

"I've got nothing but respect for Kimbo," UFC president Dana White told reporters after announcing his decision to cut the YouTube star. "I like him as a person. He carried himself really well."

But he added Slice didn't have what it took to cut it in the octagon.

Imber said he was "not sure" whether Slice was surprised by the release but expressed gratitude toward the UFC.

"Those guys gave Kimbo an incredible opportunity and (we) can't thank them enough for that," Imber said. "Who knows what the future will bring with them?"

The UFC sent a shockwave around the MMA community when it signed Slice out of left field to appear on "TUF 10." White had previously called him a "freakshow" during his days as posterboy for the now-defunct EliteXC, but the UFC exec changed his tune when Slice answered a challenge to join the Spike TV-televised reality show.

Slice's fighting skills were widely panned by the MMA community, though he helped generated the highest ratings to date for "The Ultimate Fighter."

Among his "TUF 10" castmates, Slice drew a mixture of ire and curiosity before he fell prey to veteran Roy Nelson in the preliminary round of the reality show tournament (the fight aired on the show's third episode and drew a record 6.1 million viewers). After campaigning vocally for a second opportunity, he declined a possible chance to replace Matt Mitrione in the show's quarterfinals due to an ailing knee. He earned his first UFC victory at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale with a unanimous decision over Houston Alexander.

Imber declined to elaborate on Slice's current opportunities but said they were in both boxing and MMA. The manager left up to Ferguson which to choose.

"It's been his call from the beginning, and it's his call now," Imber said

His release still hasn't been formalized. According to Loretta Hunt the UFC still hold his exclusive rights. I'd take her word(despite the fact that she works for Sherdog) over MMAjunkie.

Maby if they have his contract they arent keen to release him and let someone else make money off him. He is in the new UFC game and all so maby they will stop him fighting elsewhere like they did with Couture. If they have got him for a year or two given his age etc.. they may be being smart stopping him going elsewhere??

Maby I think UFC are so sneaky and underhanded.... but it kind of makes sence. What do people think about that?

Possibly.

I'd reckon his popularity will start to slide from now on but there is definately still ratings to be gained from a superfight/freakshow with someone like Chuck before he gets punted. A lot of his "fans" would be either people who bought into the myth of Kimbo as a great streetfighter or others who those who simply wanted to see him get his ass whipped. Although Kimbo got the win against Alexander the fight was poor and not really a great advert to the casual fan. After the Mitrione fight I'd be surprised if anyone actually believed that Kimbo was capable of achieving anything in the UFC in advance of his sideshow status.

People said his popularity would slide after he lost to Petruzelli and he became even bigger.

Dana was interviewed on ESPN earlier and he never said Kimbo was released. He said he wasn't ready to fight at UFC level, but he could easily be setting up to have him on UFN shows, or use him on WEC shows as a draw.

WEC shows would be strange... Maby the undercard of a fight night I suppose it was hasty enough to cut such an earner. They would have their hands full trying to make him seem legit again though...

On an ultimate fight night he's a co-main eventer.

WEC would be strange but that company just doesn't draw well enough unless Faber is on the card.

Shaw is a bit of a dick and he ruined EliteXC but he's spot on with what he says. Kimbo vs Toney would have been HUGE! Probably the biggest PPV ever if Kimbo had been built up right and Toney had come in off a good win.

I think they should have booked that as Toney's first fight. It would have sold well and the UFC could have hyped either winner into a fight against an established name like Randy, which would have again sold well.

I thought that Kimbo was the 1st option that was given to Toney by the UFC but he turned it down flat saying he would only fight one of there top stars,shit,he was wanting to fight Brock for his 1st fight,I don't think he would of settled for a newbie in Kimbo,in every interview I have seen,I think Toney has refered to Kimbo as a joke.
Nelson wanted it also,calling out Toney,but Toney showed no interest.

I could be wrong but I think the only fighters he would of fought were Brock,Randy or Chuck.

Toney begged for a fight in the UFC, he was in no position to turn anyone down to be fair.

He might of been the one publicly calling out Dana and the UFC but negotiations seemed to go on for ever.

didn't even Toney come out at the start and say it wasn't happening because Danas offer was not worthy of a world champion fighter and when he can come back with a serious offer they can talk again.

I think because Toney did it all publicly,and the UFC kinda tried to keep it behind closed doors,Toney actually ended up being in a better position than he should ever of been in to negotiate.

So I don't think he was exactly begging for a chance,more of a tactic to put the UFC in a corner by publicly challenging them with this boxing vs MMA bullshit,so If he didn't get what he wanted,he can always go back to the,"well I tried but they wouldn't agree to a contract because they are scared that a world class boxer will embarrass any of their stars"

This is why I said at the time,that Dana should of been alot more public about it,and turned it on Toney through his own blogs or something.
Announce what you have offered him publicly or gave the public a rough Idea of the amount,which I'm sure would be at least 5 times the amount of any other HW making their UFC debut and said "look if you are that confident that you can beat any of our fighters then step up,sign the contract and fight who ever we decide to put in front of you."