So for the hardcore MMA fans, we all had a good laugh at last minute fill in Seth “Silverback” Petruzelli, a UFC reject and former The Ultimate Fighter Season 2 loser, who threw half a punch into Kimbo Slice’s eye, dropping him to the canvas and crushing the mystique of the Internet brawler. As funny as it was that the oh so scary Kimbo got dropped by a relative “no name,” it was even more hilarious to watch Jared Shaw (Pro Elite’s V.P.) in the background screaming at the referee, “back of the head” as Seth hammer fisted Elite XC’s cash cow into unconsciousness. Yes, the shots were illegal, but I believe unintentional from a fighter in shock that he was actually beating one of the most enigmatic and feared fighters in MMA today, and the outcome was not going to be changed. Kimbo was going down, and he wasn’t getting up. Seth Petruzelli, your new MMA man of the moment.
Now, 1st I want to get to the bad of the situation. This is disaster for Elite XC. Already hemorrhaging money at $55 million in debt, their biggest draw just got punked which could lead to people thinking Elite XC is a joke, ruining their future ratings, and eventual bankruptcy and the end of the fledgling MMA company. That is bad. I want Elite XC to succeed because competition between anyone and the UFC is good for the sport. So what do you do with Kimbo now?
Do not, under any circumstances give him a rematch with Seth or allow him to fight Brett “The Grim” Rogers. If Seth beats him again, it’s all over. Brett will beat him and that won’t help either. I say set the fight up with Ken Shamrock again. Though brittle and a sad caricature of the fighter he used to be, Ken still draws big ratings and people will tune in for the fight. Two big names equal big ratings. Also, despite falling from a half ass right, Ken isn’t knocking out anyone. His jaw is glass and I don’t think he can takedown Slice so it’s a big name win for the former porno bodyguard. Then just continue to feed Kimbo losers and hope Bas Rutten can build him into something until Elite XC can get a positive cash flow situation, and showcase other fighters.
To the good, this is helpful to Kimbo. The unbeaten record is gone and there has to be less pressure on the man so hyped up and talked about. As a fighter, he is young and this is a learning experience every fighter needs. Bas will know how to build up his Heavyweight and Slice showed class in the loss. Keep in mind, as scary as he looks, the guy is a family man, generally pretty respectful to fighters, and rather humble for a super-star. Less pressure, more focus, equals a better fighter. He’ll come back from this and still has a future in the sport. I’ll tune in to see how he rebounds for sure. Don’t you think others will be interested as well?
In the end, this is just a misstep in the road for a fighter, and can be forgotten in the long run. How he handles the loss will tell us more about his future than any win. Lets just hope Elite XC will be around long enough for Kimbo Slice to make another appearance in the spotlight.
Now, 1st I want to get to the bad of the situation. This is disaster for Elite XC. Already hemorrhaging money at $55 million in debt, their biggest draw just got punked which could lead to people thinking Elite XC is a joke, ruining their future ratings, and eventual bankruptcy and the end of the fledgling MMA company. That is bad. I want Elite XC to succeed because competition between anyone and the UFC is good for the sport. So what do you do with Kimbo now?
Do not, under any circumstances give him a rematch with Seth or allow him to fight Brett “The Grim” Rogers. If Seth beats him again, it’s all over. Brett will beat him and that won’t help either. I say set the fight up with Ken Shamrock again. Though brittle and a sad caricature of the fighter he used to be, Ken still draws big ratings and people will tune in for the fight. Two big names equal big ratings. Also, despite falling from a half ass right, Ken isn’t knocking out anyone. His jaw is glass and I don’t think he can takedown Slice so it’s a big name win for the former porno bodyguard. Then just continue to feed Kimbo losers and hope Bas Rutten can build him into something until Elite XC can get a positive cash flow situation, and showcase other fighters.
To the good, this is helpful to Kimbo. The unbeaten record is gone and there has to be less pressure on the man so hyped up and talked about. As a fighter, he is young and this is a learning experience every fighter needs. Bas will know how to build up his Heavyweight and Slice showed class in the loss. Keep in mind, as scary as he looks, the guy is a family man, generally pretty respectful to fighters, and rather humble for a super-star. Less pressure, more focus, equals a better fighter. He’ll come back from this and still has a future in the sport. I’ll tune in to see how he rebounds for sure. Don’t you think others will be interested as well?
In the end, this is just a misstep in the road for a fighter, and can be forgotten in the long run. How he handles the loss will tell us more about his future than any win. Lets just hope Elite XC will be around long enough for Kimbo Slice to make another appearance in the spotlight.
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