Brock Lesnar vs. Kimbo Slice
By Curtis Clontz on Aug 06, 2008
Brock Lesnar and Kimbo Slice are two of the most popular names in MMA. Lesnar will look to receive his first win in the UFC against Heath Herring at UFC 87 and Kimbo will again headline the next EliteXC card. If you compared these two they would be something like night and day or oil and water. One was a Collegiate All American wrestler, the other was a YouTube sensation. One is considered an up and coming challenger for the UFC heavyweight title, while the other is considered to be a cash cow that may never fight for a title. At first glance it may not seem that these two giants have anything in common but if you take a serious look at the two, they have one thing in common that no one is talking about.
Dana White and the UFC have always said that Kimbo Slice will never fight in their organization and that he would get crushed in their largest weight class. I agree with this assessment and think he would get smashed. EliteXC may not be the UFC but they do understand that they need to use Kimbo for everything they can get. They use Kimbo to get viewers to tune in. Many of these viewers are not MMA fans, and some may not have ever ordered a MMA PPV. They are drawing in fans that watched Kimbo fighting in backyards against anyone that was willing. Combine that with his association with the pornography business and you have a superstar in the making that will put fans in the seats. Take away Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano from the EliteXC and they are nothing.
On the other side of the fence, Dana White and the UFC have a former superstar as well. They have their own heavy weight cash cow named Brock Lesnar. Brock is knows from his days as an All American Wrestler as well as being a professional wrestler. The WWE superstar was a hit far before he made him move from the squared circle to the octagon. He was known as a man that dominated in the ring (or so I have been told). Either way he has made the transition from the choreographed game to the fight game. So far in the UFC he hasn’t fared very well. He is 0-1. He lost to Frank Mir in a fight that he was winning and close to finishing. While Frank Mir has finished taping the latest season of TUF and waits for a title shot, Brock has to fight a hungry and revived Heath Herring.
Kimbo and Brock are both superstar that will make tons of money throughout the next year. They will generate attention and make people watch the shows that they are in. The funny thing is they have one thing in common that no one is talking about. No it isn’t the lack of a ground game, it is the way they are being used by their parent company. Although the UFC won’t admit to it, they are using Brock Lesnar just like Elite XC is using Kimbo. They both are using their past fame to bring in viewers. It is hilarious just how much Brock Lesnar have been promoted and advertised. Brock Lesnar doesn’t have half the wrestling credentials of Josh Koscheck and he wasn’t promoted no where near as much. The UFC is doing this to draw some of the WWE or pro wrestling fans that do not watch MMA. If they can extend their viewing population then Brock has done his job. Kimbo is doing the same for the other group.
At this point in time neither Kimbo or Lesnar have proven that they are worth their paychecks in terms of being a fighter, but sometimes it is all about the tangibles. They bring in viewers because of their name. This is something the likes of Clay Guida can not due. The UFC’s heavy weight division is the weakest in the organization by far! None other comes close. Lesnar is adding to a sub par division in the worlds strongest MMA organization. While Brock is expected to make a title run, no one knows what the future holds for Kimbo. One thing is for sure, they both will continue to make money, and they both will put fans in the seats.
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Good article.
While both organizations use the fighters to attract more fans, I believe both fighters are aware that they’re being marketed heavily. And while many other fighters may bitch and moan about Lesnar’s and Ferguson’s salaries they need to understand that drawing power, and marketability is very important to any professional sports. Most fighters and organizations have to build personalities over time. Kimbo and Brock are tested and prepackaged for the MMA market.
Note, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has 90 amateur fights and 39 professional fights. It’s not like he walked in the business and began making millions for his fights.
Antonio Margarito who has been fighting for 15 years just recently earned his biggest pay-day ($1.6 million) by defeating Miguel Cotto. As tough as Margarito is, I doubt he’ll ever sell as many tickets as Mayweather or Oscar De La Hoya.
In the end, Brock Lesnar and Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson deserves all the cheddar that they earn. As Brock is fond of saying, this is a business. I will not be surprised if Tito Ortiz actually increases Affliction’s PPV buys. Because Ortiz understands how to entertain a crowd and can put on an exciting show. People can call him washed-up but his near submission from his back of Lyoto Machida was crazy!
Hey i TOTALLY AGREE, only in it, as far, as to say:
THAT THESE TWO PEOPLE DESERVE THE MONEY THEY GET WHEN THEY PUT THERE LIVES ON THE LINE FOR____” THE FAME AND ROYALTIES THEY GET!!”
but the reality is they DESERVE! whatever they get out of the deal!
(The business of America is Business)
The reason:
They…………………………………….. E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N!!!!!!!!
haha..good article tho! very good incite and perspective!
Are they worth it for the people they bring in….yes absolutely… Are they worth it in terms of MMA and the way they fight…Absolutely not!
Kimbo is a beast… brock is huge too… i just dont think anyone will stop kimbo in this decade i mean he will have a perfect record easiler vs these scrub fighters. If there would be any wrestler kind of fight to face kimbo it should be batista! brock is not tall enough to fight kimbo the only one if there is any to beat him has to have longer arms than kimbo, and has to be tough enough. Brock to me is like another tank abbott but in shape.. if kimbo faces him it will go two round KO kimbo wins! i dont think anyone could disagree with that result!
Andrew,
That was by far the dumbest thing I have EVER read in my life. Lesnar was an NCAA wrestling champion. That is what got him into pro wrestling, which at the time had more money earning potential for Lesnar than mma. Batista is some body builder/actor that trains for looks.
You talk about reach? … What did Tim Sylvia’s reach do for him when the much shorter and lighter Randy Couture pounded the living hell out of him?
The most important thing is skill. Lesnar actually has a real background, Slice and even Batista do not. If your going to name another pro wreslter that may have been able to cut it in mma i’m surprised you didn’t say Kurt Angle instead of Freakin Batista. I mean, my god man!
So, now Slice has lost againt a no-name medicore fighter, way smaller than him, and you Andrew must feel really foolish.
Brock would DESTROY Kimbo Slice.
Brock actually fights real, credible opponents, and the way he handled himself againt mir even though he lost, and his last win over Herring says a ton for someone with such limited mma experience.
Bottom line, Kimbo Slice is DONE, FINISHED in MMA. He is the laughing stock that everyone with brains knew he was from the beginning.
And Brock? Brock Lesnar reminds me of a bigger stronger version of a younger Randy Couture. And that says a lot. If Brock evolves as a figher the same way Couture did, well just think.
Gordan,
I unfortunatly aren’t as high on Brock as you. Just because he has a good college wrestling background doesn’t mean he will be champ. Josh Koscheck has 4 D1 NCAA titles and is the best college wrestler in MMA. Then you have several that wrestled in the olympics or were an alternate. Brock needs to continue to develop his ground game. Brock COULD be a champ one day if he continues to work and deelop his game.
Tim’s reach wasn’t able to helo him against Randy because Couture is a very intelligent fighter. Randy had a better game plan and was simply better.
i heard dave batista has been doin mma since his early 20s n would beat lesnars ass in a ufc fight.. i mean he is 6″5 300 pounds to me thats considered a monster
Man kimbo slice will whoop brock lesnar’s ass all day.. as long as they dont set the shit up like kimbo’s last fight the nigga didnt even get hit!! but all else aside they try to make UFC a fucking WWF puttin brock lesnar for a title shot and should of never had the title shot EVER!! hes got to beat somebody to get a title shot. not heath fucking herring either
people hate on kimbo cause he came off the street with no experience bangin people in the ring. if anyone that has watched kimbo fight knew the last fight was set up when kimbo didnt even come out throwing a punch????
Chris,
C’mon man…What kind of Kool-Aid you drinking?
LMAO Uh Chris, did you miss the Couture fight? Slice doesn’t have a chance against Lesnar. Lesnar is a better striker – he punches harder than Slice, has superior reach, better clinch, powerful elbows, speed, agility, and let’s not even get into wrestling.
Brock Lesnar > Kimbo Slice in 10/10 fights.
look andrew u have to be a dumbass to think kimbo slice would beat brock lesnar.
brock is bigger way bigger kimbo is big but he only fights no names people off the street look he gets in the cage with a real guy and smaller dude and looses people of the street they dont know what to think brock would reck kimbo in the 1st round by ko and would not break a sweat onece on the ground he would be done he is good and some day the greats
I said before Lesnar reminds me of a bigger, stronger, younger Couture, and after I said that he beat Couture. Go figure.
As far as the reach comments, there is far mroe to it than reach. Even in boxing, where it’s WAY more about reach, Mike Tyson was dominating heavyweight against much taller opponents for years,and Tysons’s ACTUAL height is only 5,9. Which is a MIDGET for heavyweight. ANd Tyson is far from intelligent.
An intelligent man with skills can easily overcome a reach disadvantage. Even Jeff Monson at 5,9 dominated his fight against The tall Tim Sylvia. The judges gave the fight to Sylvia because he stuck to his pathetic game plan which sort of worked, since it was just to circle and jab, and basically just be a coward and not “fight” at all.
So Lesnar is at no significant “disadvantage” for reach trust against someone who is 6,5 trust me.
Anyway, I agree the Lesnar needs to “evolve” as a fighter like I already stated, and he needs to improve ALL his game, not just ground game.
I just wish he wouldn’t rely on that hammerfist so much, he could do some serious damage is he just learned to do what some smaller fighters do in the same situations.
I think Lesnar will lose several more fights before he becomes a truly respected and skilled MMA figher, but as long as he doesn’t give up, I totally think he will get there.
Right now, I think Fedor right now would pretty much humiliate Lesnar, but if Lesnar contunies to improve significantly, he has a good chance at surpassing Fedor. YEAH i SAID IT!
Let time be the judge baby, you heard it from me first!
By the way Batista fans. Bob Sapp is WAY bigger and stronger than Batista with way more MMA experience, and is still far from being a really good mma fighter.
Bob Sapp vs Lesnar would be interesting though.
Oh, and 1 more thing. Batista’s background before WWE was streetfighting and petty crime, and with bodybuilder aspirations and his REAL weight is probably significantly under 300lbs, probably like 275-290 lbs. WWE likes to add lbs to everyone.
stop talkin up shit now lads!!! brock and fedor maybe in a yr or two and im a big brock fan but still tink fedor will be 2 strong. first brock has to get over mir and maybe minataro before he can be classed a a great mma fighter and u seriously tink kimbo could even compete in the ufc go off and sort your head cause u seriously are 1 dumb fuck !!!
Alrite well aint you tha dumb fuck now seems how kimbo slice dumped Houston Alexander (an actual ufc fighter, not just a nobody on the streets)on top of his head and completely dominated him the second and third round!Kimbo has worked his ass off on his ground game recently but still has a lot of training and conditioning to do to prove himself. so now anybody who was talking shit about kimbo and how he sucks and will never have the strength or skill to fight in the ufc now say some shit! Now for the talk about Kimbo vs. Lesnar, Brock Lesnar is another favorite of mine because he came from a fake ass wrestling show for fake fighters and joined the toughest league in the world!AND HE DOMINATES! Kimbo Slice is a beast but without the proper training from now on he will not be skilled enough to fight Brock Lesnar and win! But with a little time i think Kimbo will suprise alot of people hes a super fast learner and is very strong so im gonna say give Kimbo a year to get a little more training and conditioning and ITS ON!!!!
Why are people even debating this stuff. You have got to be kidding me. Lesnar could play around and taunt and still KO Kimbo standing up in the first round.
I would bet my life savings(and i am not a gambler) that kimbo could not beat the lowest rated light heavyweight in the ufc. Petrezelli could not even make it into the ufc as a light heavyweight and cut weight to fight light hvy that night. 245 vs 205 and seth ko’d kimbo like nothing. If they fought again as heavyweights, there is no way kimbo would make it to the second. Some ufc fighters are more reserved and may take longer, but he would have no chance.
No skill, no brains (he said japan was a city)(see u tube) = no chance
I agree, at this point Kimbo would have no answer to Lesnar’s wrestling game. Neither really have a clue what to do on the ground, but size and strength alone would allow Lesnar to get his hand raised in this one.
kimbo slice is a big guy but i thimk if they fight they go in to all three rounds and go to decision brock would get kimbo in quickness but kimbo will get brock in striking
who could argue with that result
lol oh the memories. I can’t believe there are still people who think Kimbo would even make it out of the first round with Lesnar. Also funny that Lesnar apparently doesn’t know what to do on the ground.
Oh well. Someone’s gotta bet against the guy so the smart folk can make some money off Lesnar.
That is pretty funny…lol
Lesnar still has some work to do on his BJJ, but he would destroy Kimbo… Brock Lesnar is undisputed heavey weight Champion, we’ll see if Kimbo even makes it out of the Ultimate Fighter House. Lesnar still has some work to do on his BJJ, but he would destroy Kimbo…
Brock Lesnar is undisputed heavey weight Champion, we’ll see if Kimbo even makes it out of the Ultimate Fighter House. Lesnar still has some work to do on his BJJ, but he would destroy Kimbo…
Kimbo hasn’t taken hits from real fighters… set up matches, thrown matches, etc.. big deal.
I’d rather see Iron Mike enter UFC…