Kimbo resurfaces but not in MMA, Carwin to train with Fedor and how to help get the sport in N.Y.
So much for Kimbo Slice returning to MMA, or even commencing on a rumoured boxing career.
It appears one of my favourite interview subject's next gig will be part of a different platform: Japanese Pro Wrestling. Very unfortunate as I will never stop believing he could have been more than what he was in MMA.
I wish him well, but deep down inside I wish he would have never left the watchful eye of Bas Rutten, and still stayed under the tutelage of those at American Top Team. Something doesn't seem right in this scenario.
My colleague Dustin Green recently caught up with UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin, who spoke at length about his health, surgery, the upcoming bout between Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos as well as hopefully getting the chance to train with Fedor Emelianenko.
MMA Payout has another great piece about the UFC's legalization efforts in New York, and how they can modify some of their key points to perhaps increase their chances of succeeding. Paramount to the already established argument of the sports economic impact would be to also increase the education portion, so as to teach the media about "what is MMA?"
Concentrating on the sport's safety record, as well as what combat sports encompass the all-round fighting that is MMA, would likely turn over some of the media who are sitting on the fence, which in turn, would help spread the word with the voting public and the decision-making legislature.
For those who remember the old WCC events from 1995 (I'm staring at a VHS copy right now), they did just that, showcasing the various "arts" in mixed martial arts. A boxer boxing, a Judoka throwing, a BJJ player submitting his partner. While that helped some of the fan base 16 years ago, this visual aid can still work, nearly two decades later.
Remember when Paul Daley sucker-punched Josh Koscheck after their fight in Montreal? According to legal expert David Nelmark, "Semtex" was lucky he never got charged for assault, which, to the extreme, could have landed him some jail time.
And for those keeping track of the ongoing court battles between Zuffa and Bellator, looks like the UFC is winning.
