• MMA

  • News

  • Kimbo set to debut for UFC

    November 23, 2009

Kimbo Slice.
Kimbo Slice.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

LAS VEGAS -- Heavyweight Kimbo Slice will make his live UFC debut Dec. 5 on the Season 10 finale of "The Ultimate Fighter," Spike TV confirmed Monday.

The TV network said Slice's opponent in Las Vegas will be named at a later date. There has been speculation that it could be hard-hitting light-heavyweight Houston (The Assassin) Alexander, possibly at a catchweight.

Slice's first fight in the UFC failed to lived up to the hype when he was stopped by former IFL fighter Roy (Big Country) Nelson in the second round of a disappointing bout that aired during the third episode of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show in late September.

The UFC trumpeted the heavyweight showdown as "the biggest fight in the history of The Ultimate Fighters." But the bout was anything but.

Spike continues to trumpet that Slice may see more action on the show, hinting that another fighter might withdraw through injury.

Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, proved again to be out of his element when the mixed martial arts contest with Nelson went to the ground in the cage at the UFC's training centre in Las Vegas.

Slice, who became an Internet sensation as a street fighter, has a 3-1 record as an MMA fighter, beating questionable opposition in EliteXC before he was stopped in 14 seconds by Seth Petruzelli, a light-heavyweight who was a late injury replacement, in October 2008.

His inexperience on the ground was exposed by British journeyman James Thompson the fight before, although Slice survived to win by third-round TKO.

The Dec. 5 card at the Palms already features light-heavyweights Matt Hamill versus Jon (Bones) Jones, and Brian Stann versus Rodney Wallace; lightweights Frank (The Answer) Edgar versus Matt Veach, and Canadian Mark Bocek versus Joe Brammer; and welterweight John Doomsday (Howard) versus Dennis (Superman) Hallman.

The TUF finalists have yet to be determined. Nelson and Brendan Schaub have made the semifinals, to be joined by James McSweeney or Matt Mitrione and Marcus Jones and Darrill Schoonover.