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Kimbo Slice more Catchweight fights or moving down to light heavyweight

Prior to his unanimous decision win over Houston Alexander this past weekend at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale,Kimbo Slice experienced the physical – and  mental effects – of what it takes to make weight. 

Ferguson, who was knocked out a preliminary-round matchup on “TUF 10” by eventual show champ Roy Nelson, took a fight with non-cast member Alexander at a catch-weight of 215 pounds.

After a slow first round in which his opponent circled constantly and rarely engaged, Ferguson eventually closed the distance and used his still-developing clinch work and ground game to take the decision win.

The fight certainly didn’t produce the fireworks many predicted (and earned more than a few scathing reviews from the fight community), but Ferguson secured his future in the organization with the win.

Could his future involve more catchweight fights – or maybe a full switch to light heavyweight?

“I leave that to my guys,” Ferguson said. "I've got a smart team. … I let those guys, with (UFC president) Dana (White) and the matchmakers, figure it out. They’ll work something out. I trust their judgment as far as my future is concerned in the UFC.”

That’s not a “no,” but it’s not a “yes” either.

The drop, of course, would depend on his ability to cut weight. The former streetfighter and YouTube superstar fought at heavyweight four times for EliteXC promotion, and “TUF 10″ actually became a heavyweights-only season simply because of Kimbo’s last-minute availability and interest in competing on the long-running reality series, which desperately needed something to boost ratings.

And though Kimbohad plenty of notice about his 215-pound fight with Alexander,the decision at first seemed to not be a good one.

“If I drink a glass of water, I’m back at 230 pounds,” he said. “It’s really a mental (struggle). I didn’t know how serious it was going to be, but it’s really a mental challenge for me right now.”

After Saturday's finale, though, Kimbo Slice was singing a different tune. n fact, he downplayed the weight cut and said it wasn't as bad as he first said it was and said he easily recovered.

“I don’t think it affected me at all,” he said. "I put some weight back on the night before the event. I ordered up room service – twice.”

While Ferguson is unlikely to compete for a title anytime soon, he's certainly a draw. Despite Saturday’s snoozer with Alexander, fans will still tune in for the bearded brawler. And if he's open to catch-weight fights – as well as bouts at both heavyweight and light heavyweight ,he gives the UFC more options to book marketable opponents.

Such versatility is rewarded, of course. For example, despite competing in no title fights, former middleweight champ Rich Franklin headlined three pay-per-view fights in 2009, two of which came at catch-weight bouts, because he was willing to move up and down in weight.

With the UFC's schedule of events almost full through the first part of 2010, it'll likely be March or April at the earliest that we see Kimbo back in the octagon. Expect serious consideration when it comes to the weight class in which he returns.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Shotokan, Uncategorized, aikido, battojutsu, hakko ryu, jeet kune do, jiu jitsu, judo, jujutsu, karate, kendo, kenpo, kickboxing, krav maga, kung-fu, martial arts, martial arts weapons, mixed martial arts, mma, muay thai, samurai, san soo, self defense, shaolin, shintaido, shorin ryu, taekwando, taijutsu, tegumi, wushu. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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