Kimbo Slice Signed to Fight UFC Legend Tank Abbott
By Anna Elizabeth Anderson
Jan 4, 2008
The EliteXC Mixed Martial Arts promotion has announced the main event for its Saturday, February 16th to be broadcast on Showtime from the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami. Internet fighting legend Kevin Ferguson, better known the world over as "Kimbo Slice" will step into the cage against UFC legend David "Tank" Abbott.
Kimbo Slice Signed to Fight UFC Legend Tank Abbott
Mmanewsdesk.com editor Arturo Collozo Jr., whose site has posted dozens of Kimbo Slice's legendary underground street fights, stated this bout has been a long time in the making. "When Kimbo made his official MMA debut, knocking out Bo Cantrell in only 19 seconds, he immediately went into hype mode and had a handshake-staredown with Tank. Promoters wanted to hype up their match, and everyone went into pro wrestling mode."
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The fight between Kimbo and Tank was originally scheduled for the Cage Fury Fighting Championship promotion in New Jersey for October, 2007, but the promotion canceled the event due to dire financial problems. Kimbo was signed by EliteXC, and the group then entered into negotiations with Tank to put the fight back together.
"This is a really interesting fight," commented MMA News Desk's Collozo, "because both these guys are hardcore brawlers, and they're going to slug it out, punch for punch, until one guy falls down."
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EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw also confirmed Gina Carano, the MMA female fighting sensation who will appear on this season's American Gladiators television show, will fight on the card, along with EliteXC heavyweight Antonio "Big Foot" Silva. Kyle Noke, best known as the bodyguard of the late Steven "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin, will fight middleweight Scott Smith on the show.
"With all the curiousity factor surrounding Brock Lesnar's UFC debut on SuperBowl weekend against former champion Frank Mir, EliteXC has their own version of MMA's Next Big Thing in Kimbo Slice if they can market this show properly," MMA News Desk's Collozo noted, "Kimbo vs Tank may not be a pretty fight, but it's going to resemble two old school gang lords going toe to toe in prison."
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