For better or worse, MMA makes its mainstream debut tonight on CBS, and the main draw is former bouncer/backyard brawler Kimbo Slice.Slice is, in reality, quite an enigma. He's often portrayed as being some kind of ruffian thug who has bashed his way into the sport of MMA. All he knows how to do is fight. But Slice is incredibly well spoken, and actually earned an academic scholarship to the University of Miami (remember, it's a private school) before dropping out after a year and half for unknown reasons. But for as mild mannered as he seems when he's sitting down and chatting thoughtfully with people, he's also capable of this.
Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports has a great column about how Kimbo isn't actually the face the of MMA, and he argues that UFC has actually done a much better job of establishing their league than EliteXC. I don't think there's any real debate about that. It's true.
He also argues that EliteXC and CBS are portraying a false message about MMA to mainstream America by making Kimbo their main draw.
Is that true? I'm not sure.
But regardless of whether Kimbo is just being set up to knock down tomato cans or or not doesn't really matter anymore. He's on TV representing MMA tonight, and his bout alone could take the sport forward or seriously push it back.
I know I'll be watching.
Q it up here with us.
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