The time has finally come: tonight, we find out if Ken Shamrock Seth Petruzelli can defeat Kimbo Slice in the much-hyped main event of tonight’s EliteXC Heat event.
Remember, this card airs live at 9e/8c on CBS in the United States. Viewers outside the U.S. are plain out of luck.
Here’s tonight’s televised card:
Heavweight bout: Kimbo Slice v. Ken Shamrock Seth Petruzelli
Welterweight Title Bout: Paul Daley v. Jake Shields(c)
Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski v. Roy “Big Country” Nelson
Women’s bout: Gina Carano v. Kelly Kobald
Middleweight bout: Benji Radach v. Murilo “Ninja” Rua
If you’d like to listen to a great preview of this show, check out MMA Shoot Podcast #2.
At yesterday’s EliteXC: Heat weigh-ins, Gina Carano was again in danger of not making weight. She had to strip down to nothing just to get there, which made for a pretty funny scene.
No need for a podcast table of contents for MMA Shoot #2–on this edition, Ian joins me to preview Saturday’s EliteXC: Heat show that will air on CBS. The main event of that show features Kimbo Slice taking on Ken Shamrock in a highly-anticipated fight. Also on the card are Jake Shields v. Paul Daley for the Welterweight Title, Gina Carano v. Kelly Kobald, Andrei Arlovski v. Roy Nelson and Cristiane Cyborg v. Yoko Takahashi.
I’ll also post other Kimbo Slice videos throughout the week, including his professional MMA fights, so be sure to check those out this week here at MMA Shoot.
Check out the YouTube clip above, and you’ll hear what I’m talking about. Here’s a few quotes from the interview:
On the “story” behind the fight:
“…You’ve got a veteran fighter, obviously at the end of his career…my best, strong days are behind me, but I’ve got enough to beat this guy. So, I’m looking forward to getting into this and exposing him for what he is. He’s a big, strong guy, and in the future, he could be something. But again, people are billing him as ‘the MMA,’ and he’s not. There’s so many other guys out there that are so more well-rounded in that heavyweight class, that for him to get all this recognition is just unfair to them. And it’s not that Kimbo’s doing anything wrong, I mean, he’s a guy that’s taking what’s given to him, you know, and if I was in his situation, I’d be taking all that I could get, too.”
On Kimbo Slice’s power:
“I dunno man, maybe it’s just being ignorant and being hard-headed, because that’s the kind of person that I am, I’m very stubborn, but I call it like I see it, and I don’t see the guy having power. I see he generates a lot of power for a big guy, but I just don’t see it. I saw a lot of the guys he’s knocked out but he usually knocked them out when they were tired…I see a guy that’s just a big dude, that punches and has got some power, but he’s not like Mike Tyson.”
On Kimbo Slice’s weight advantage:
“If you’re big and strong and you can’t move, it’s a disadvantage in this sport because there’s so many ways to attack a person. There’s jabs, there’s quick punches, there’s in-and-out, there’s leg kicks, there’s clinches and sweeps, there’s all kind of things. If you’re big and strong, it’s only gonna last a short time. You’re gonna be able to try and control a guy a short time, but eventually, the quickness is gonna get ya.”
On other thing we asked Shamrock about was his illness before his last fight. He talks about that illness in the interview–it was pretty serious stuff. He’s by no means making excuses, but it might explain his performance against Robert “Buzz” Berry.
EliteXC has made it official: Kimbo Slice will face MMA legend Ken Shamrock at EliteXC: Heat on CBS. The event takes place on October 4.
Way back in February, Ken Shamrock was a guest on our podcast hotline. Ian actually asked him about a potential fight with Kimbo. Here’s what Ken had to say:
“You know, it’s funny. People ask me, ‘what, are you crazy, you’d fight him?’ And it’s like, listen, ‘once a warrior, always a warrior.’ I don’t care if I was in a wheelchair, if somebody asked me to fight, wanted me to fight somebody, I’d fight him. That’s just my heart, that’s just who I am. And whether I think that I’ve got a chance or not, what being in a wheelchair I’d still fight them. But I believe that Kimbo is very beatable, you know, I’m not just saying that because there’s an opportunity there. You know what, the guy’s young, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s had some success, but anybody that is a veteran in this sport understands that unless you have a lot of time in the ring, that you do not, and you have not been tested completely on what you’re about, and I believe Kimbo has not been tested, and I believe that I have the ability to test him and his weaknesses.”
If you’d like to listen to Ken’s comments, I went ahead and posted the clip on YouTube:
Granted, this is before Kimbo’s controversial defeat of James Thompson (and Shamrock’s loss to Robert “Buzz” Berry in England). One could argue that Kimbo has been tested now. Still, that’s just one test, and Kimbo definitely didn’t pass with flying colors. Shamrock is a veteran who’s gone through wars with some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts.A lot of people are asking the question, “Does Ken Shamrock have anything left in the tank at this point in his career?” Despite his recent string of first round losses, which date back to April 2005, I think he does. When I heard that this fight had been made, my initial response was that Kimbo would win in round one, but I’ve changed my mind.
Think about why this fight was made: so Kimbo could have another “easy” fight against a big name. EliteXC doesn’t want Kimbo to lose–he’s their cash cow. He transcends MMA, and with their recent (rumored) financial troubles, they can’t chance it. That’s why they’ve put off the fight with Brett Rogers, which many people think Kimbo would lose. It’s all about giving Kimbo more time to train with Bas Rutten.
Sometimes, best laid plays go awry. Don’t think that couldn’t happen here, regardless of what’s happened in Ken’s last five fights. Shamrock knows why he’s been put in this place, and he’s going to want to prove himself. There’s also the rumors of a brother v. brother fight with Frank Shamrock next year, and a win over Kimbo slice would give that fight more credibility. Ken is going to be motivated for this fight.
It reminds me of college football. You see a team that’s ranked high in the polls go in and lose to an unranked team the week before they face their rival. While Kimbo won’t overlook a legend like Shamrock, the winner of this fight goes on to face Brett Rogers–Kimbo has to be anticipating that fight after all the trash talk. If he starts thinking about that matchup too much, he just might be toast.
I may be going out on a huge limb here, but I’m throwing it all out. Throw out the records. Throw out the size advantage. Throw out the hype. I think Ken Shamrock might overcome it all, and pull off a huge upset.
I know one thing for certain: I’ll be tuned in on October 4. While a lot of so-called “MMA experts” might crap all over this fight, the storyline here is a classic one. The aging veteran gets a chance on the biggest stage of all to beat the rising superstar–you couldn’t ask for better drama.
