07th Jun 2010
Whats Next for Kimbo?
A mere month after his release from UFC by President Dana White, rumor has it Kimbo Slice is looking to try his hand at bare-knuckle boxing once again. While this style of fighting is no doubt more fitting to Kimbo Slice’s well known talents as a street brawler, it will lack the same attention and recognition he enjoyed as a UFC member. From his relative anonymity as a former collegiate football player at both the University of Miami and Bethune-Cookman to his seemingly overnight transition to an internet street-fighting icon, Kimbo Slice has come to epitomize the idea of a viral celebrity. Perhaps, Slice attempted the jump from simple street throw downs to the professionally trained arena of MMA long before he was well seasoned enough to have real success.
While he hasn’t embarrassed himself in UFC competition by any means, the cult like following that amassed around Kimbo Slice prior to his going pro in the fight game has dwindled down a result of his struggles. Still, with such a recognizable face and personality, Slice would seem to be a logical choice for ventures outside of the octagon. Already, he has parlayed his celebrity to secure some smaller endorsement deals, including a comical “Kimbo vs. Caterpillar” bit for an internet anti-virus software company. Though the UFC might not have been the right fit for Slice, it would be a tragedy to see him exit from the fighting world on such a low note. Keep in mind, he is 36 years old, around the time many professional athletes transition to the other side of the camera. Whether he would have the on-air talent to serve as a commentator or color man remains to be seen, but he should strike while he is still relevant and the iron’s still hot before Slice, as Mike Tyson would say, “fades into Bolivian.”
