Quite a few months ago, UFC President Dana White said that he would never just give Kevin Ferguson (AKA Kimbo Slice) a job in the UFC. The only way Kimbo could ever fight in the world's premier mixed martial arts organization, according to White, would be if he won a spot by competing in their reality show The Ultimate Fighter, which serves as a tryout of sorts for aspiring fighters.

Personally, I never thought that Kimbo would take him up on it. Based on everything he has ever done so far, it just seems like Kimbo had no interest in truly proving himself against high caliber opponents, and was content to be more of a side show, beating up on underqualified opponents.

As it turns out, I was wrong. Yahoo! Sports MMA writer Kevin Iole has reported that Kimbo has called Dana White's bluff, and will appear on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, which will feature 16 heavyweights.

Does anyone think that Kimbo has a chance? My guess is no. He was dominated in his fight against Seth Petruzelli, who lost on an earlier season of the show. Other than Petruzelli, who was actually a full weight class lower than Kimbo at the time AND took the fight on less than 24 hours notice, Kimbo's opponents have been rather lackluster.

I suppose there's a chance that he could win a fight or two if he really trains hard with his coach, whether it be Quinton "Rampage" Jackson or Rashad Evans, but at 35 years old, it's not very likely that he will improve that much. His former trainer Bas Rutten had good things to say about his eagerness and work ethic, and even compared him to current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, but there's still something to be said for the theory that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Either way, this is a genius move by both Kimbo and Dana White. Kimbo becomes relevant again, and has a chance to really prove himself. He has nothing to lose, because... well... he has never really HAD anything to lose.

White, on the other hand, gets guaranteed ratings for his show. Regardless of his skills, Kimbo Slice IS the biggest name in mixed martial arts. Steve Cofield has called this the biggest coup in UFC history... and he's absolutely right. The UFC will drag out his time on the show as long as possible. Look for him to be paired up in the last fight of each round, as long as he stays in. Don't be surprised if he draws the easiest opponents possible. No matter how much Dana White has talked badly about this guy, it's in the UFC's best interest to see him stick around as long as possible. People WILL watch, and Dana White knows it.

Filming has already started, and Rampage is already tweeting (albeit cryptically) about it. Personally, I can't wait to see what happens with it. No matter what, it will definitely be entertaining.


Y! Sports exclusive: Kimbo gets TUF [Yahoo]
Kimbo signing: Biggest coup in UFC history [Cage Writer]