5.2 Million Viewers Tuned In To Watch Kimbo Slice On Spike

5.2 million viewers tuned into Spike TV Saturday night to watch internet sensation, Kevin Ferguson, better known as "Kimbo Slice." Many people are hailing that a success for the UFC & Spike. Maybe so - but it's not something that legitimizes MMA as a sport. 

For one thing, 5.2 million viewers were probably horrified at what they saw. I know I was one of them. The fact of the matter is, the Kimbo-Alexander fight was atrocious. Easily the worst fight of the night on the card. Houston Alexander spent the majority of the fight circling Kimbo Slice. There was hardly any action. The only awesome thing (and surprising) that happened during the fight was when Kimbo suplexed Houston, and made an effort to show some of his grappling ability (which isn't much). At the end of the fight, both fighters bent down and put their hands on their knees, gulping for air the way a fat kid does when he walks up a flight of stairs.

I said Kimbo Slice was garbage before, and I still believe he his, but I guess he deserves some props for showing SOME improvement. His grappling game is still horrible, but at least he tried. I just don't like the baggage that comes with Slice; he's an ex-Internet street fighter, and many people tune in to see a spectacle - a freakshow - not MMA. The 5.2 million viewers who tuned into Spike to see Kimbo Slice fight proves that.

I would like to see Kimbo Slice fight again on Spike, against an opponent who will engage with him, and not run away like Houston Alexander did.

Kimbo Slice Is Garbage

Kevin Ferguson, better known as "Kimbo Slice" is criminally overrated by a lot of MMA fans. Quite frankly, he's garbage. Kimbo slice is nothing more than a brawler - an overrated brawler at that, with little to no ground game. Seth Petruzelli has shown us that Kimbo is nothing more than a swing-at-the-fence street brawler by stopping him in 14 seconds, and Roy Nelson cemented this fact.

Kimbo Slice is garbage, but I can't fault the guy for stepping into the MMA world to compete. My biggest problem with slice isn't necessarily slice, it's with his fanboys; the morons who watched him on YouTube and thought he could compete at the highest level of MMA - without any serious training. And the new comers to MMA are still trying to hype Kimbo up, and keep making excuses for his losses.

Let's face the facts: Kimbo Slice is 35 years old with no ground game, arthritis and below average striking. He might have excelled in the world of bar brawls and street fights, but he'll never amount to anything big in the UFC. Kimbo is and will always be a spectacle/freak show for ratings.

Kimbo Slice has also shown no willingness in the past to work on his ground game or take down defense; two integral areas where he needs to improve if he wants to be taken seriously and succeed. Kimbo might get a few wins before it's all said and done, by banging out some heavyweight slugs; heavyweights who aren't smart enough to take the fight to the ground; but Kimbo Slice will never be a serious UFC heavyweight contender.

Boxing Elitists Don't Get It

Boxing elitists don't get it. Mixed martial arts is here to stay and is not going away anytime soon. MMA is not a 'fad' as so many boxing fans like to proclaim; the sport is only growing - and believe it or not, has so much success because of boxing:

Boxing is a part of MMA. All MMA combatants start the fight standing up; boxing is just one aspect of a dynamic, well-rounded fighter. Half of MMA's viewers/fans watch boxing as well. Many boxing fans have crossed over to watching MMA, in addition to boxing, or in place of boxing. Believe it or not, boxing has not hurt the sport of MMA, it has helped it, and vice-versa. Both sports feed off of each other. Chances are, if you appreciate two athletes slugging it out in a ring wearing boxing gloves, you'll also appreciate and enjoy two combatants punching, kneeing, elbowing, and grappling with their opponent.

Boxing is certainly more popular worldwide than MMA is, but you have to remember, the sport has a long history. Boxing has been reestablished for well over a hundred years, and have a pretty decent talent pool to dip into.

As a whole, the sport of MMA draws a lot of similarities to boxing as a reestablished sport. I say "reestablished" because boxing has been around since ancient times - but so has MMA! MMA has its roots in the ancient Olympic sport, pankration. Pankration, like modern MMA, was a mix of boxing and wrestling. It combined striking (kicks too) with grappling.

Both MMA and boxing are ancient combat sports, both reintroduced as a sport to the public, after hundreds of years of exile. Both sports involve the struggle of man - one on one. Both sports overcome language or cultural boundaries, and both sports have universal appeal.

There will always be a place for boxing - it's ancient and is a form of MMA - but eventually MMA will surpass boxing for being the number one preference when it comes to combat sports. MMA is so much more diverse and dynamic; it involves boxing, kick boxing, muay thai, judo, sambo, BJJ, wrestling and any other style you can imagine that might be effective. It's the combination of striking - punches, kicks, elbows, knees - with grappling that makes the sport so entertaining and much more appealing than boxing; a sport that involves hitting with your fists only. There are so many different ways to win in MMA it's ridiculous. I think it's the dynamic nature of the sport that will eventually lead to worldwide appeal. MMA is already the fastest growing sport in America.

Boxing elitists need to accept that modern day pankration is here to stay.