MMA FanHouse

Frank Shamrock Not Impressed With Cung Le, Could Fight Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz

Michael David Smith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:06:00 EST

Frank Shamrock is 35 years old and clearly past his prime as a fighter, but in this interview with MMA Rated, he makes clear that he's got plenty of fights left in him:

Shamrock said he expects his next fight to be in October against the winner of this month's EliteXC Scott Smith-Robbie Lawler rematch. But he then detailed a long plan in which he said he'll keep fighting into 2009, 2010 and perhaps beyond.

Shamrock said that he'd like to have a rematch with Cung Le, but he expressed frustration that he'll have to be the one who does the bulk of the promoting for that fight.

"The problem with Cung is he's not a good promoter -- people don't know who he is," Shamrock said. "Cung is a good martial artist. He's not very good in front of the camera."

And then Shamrock added that he expects that he'll eventually fight his adopted brother Ken Shamrock, and that he'll have a rematch with Tito Ortiz, even though he has no idea who will promote it.

"The deal is progressing nicely," Shamrock said of a potential Ortiz fight. "We don't really have a company for it yet. EliteXC is making a good bid for it."

Even though Shamrock is past his prime, fights with the Lawler-Smith winner, Le, Ortiz and his brother would all be big ones. We'll be hearing a lot from Frank Shamrock.

Frank Shamrock Not Impressed With Cung Le, Could Fight Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dana White on Kimbo Slice: 'I Want to Banish This Guy Back to YouTube'

Michael David Smith — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:32:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Elite XC

UFC President Dana White appeared this week on Dan LeBatard's radio show, ostensibly to promote UFC 86. But thanks to LeBatard's persistent questioning, they spent more time discussing Kimbo Slice than they spent discussing Quinton Rampage Jackson or Forrest Griffin.

White was clearly annoyed that he even needed to discuss Kimbo, and he repeated his assertion that his own lightweight champion, B.J. Penn, could defeat Kimbo. White said he would like to arrange a Penn-Kimbo fight, "So I can start watching him on YouTube again. ... I want to banish this guy back to YouTube. That's where he belongs. He belongs on YouTube."

In other news, White acknowledged that UFC's heavyweight division is in a rebuilding phase, but he said the reason he hasn't signed Fedor Emelianenko is that Fedor doesn't want to fight any high-quality fighters.

Dana White on Kimbo Slice: 'I Want to Banish This Guy Back to YouTube' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gina Carano: 'No Excuse to Not Make Weight'

Michael David Smith — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:39:00 EST

Filed under: Women's Sports, Elite XC, MMA Videos

When Gina Carano failed to make weight for her EliteXC fight on CBS last month, I wrote that it was totally unacceptable, and I was surprised by how many MMA fans tried to make excuses for her. So I was glad to see that Carano herself isn't making excuses:

"There's really no excuse, I don't think, to not make weight," Carano said. "There's no excuse. I just didn't make it and so I'm going to have to try harder next time."

Carano also said she agreed with her opponent, Kaitlin Young, that their fight should have gone on, despite Young's badly bruised face: "In guy fights, they don't stop it until it's cut," Carano said.

Carano said she expects to fight next in October.

UPDATE: Carano previously responded to my criticism in this interview with Dave Hollander.

Gina Carano: 'No Excuse to Not Make Weight' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elite XC's Second CBS Show Better Than the First Even Without Nick Diaz-K.J. Noons

Josh Alper — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, MMA/Boxing, Elite XC

Over the weekend, MDS opined that it looked like Elite XC's second show on CBS would be better than the first. They released the particulars of that card, set for July 26 in Stockton, California, and it is indeed a good show.

As expected it will be headlined by a rematch for the middleweight title between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith. The first fight, on the initial CBS telecast, ended too early when doctors ruled Smith couldn't continue after Lawler's thumb found its way into his eye. Lawler looked like the better fighter last time but Smith was holding his own and, hopefully, this time we'll get a satisfying finish.

Interestingly, Elite XC chose not to pit Nick Diaz against K.J. Noons in a lightweight title fight. Diaz, who is from Stockton, will fight Thomas Denny instead and one would hope the match is intended to wet whistles for a card centered on a title fight down the road.

There will be two other title fights, however. Jake Shields will meet Nick Thompson for the vacant welterweight title and Antonio Silva will meet someone for the vacant heavyweight belt. It's a shame that none of the fine heavyweights fighting for Affliction the week before will be an opponent for Silva as the best that Elite can offer aren't really worthy of a title fight.

It will be interesting to see how the show fares in the ratings without Kimbo Slice. There's better MMA but no crossover star to anchor the affair.

Elite XC's Second CBS Show Better Than the First Even Without Nick Diaz-K.J. Noons originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Kimbo Slice, but EliteXC's Second CBS Show Will Be Better Than Its First

Michael David Smith — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:48:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

The first EliteXC mixed martial arts show on CBS got solid ratings but disappointed most hard-core mixed martial arts fans.

The second EliteXC show on CBS will likely see a ratings drop, now that the novelty is gone, and without EliteXC's biggest name, Kimbo Slice. But for MMA fans, it's going to be a better show.

The July 26 main event will feature Robbie Lawler against Scott Smith, a rematch of their fight last month that was well on its way to being a very good one before it was called off because of an unintentional eye poke. The undercard is expected to feature Nick Diaz vs. K.J. Noons for EliteXC's lightweight title, as well as fights involving welterweight Jake Shields and heavyweight Antonio Silva.

That means that basically all of EliteXC's most talented fighters will fight that night. And that will make the show a good barometer for where EliteXC is: If the show does well, it tells us that fans view EliteXC as an organization with enough talented fighters that it doesn't need Kimbo to draw an audience. If the show falls flat, it tells us that EliteXC is basically just Kimbo Slice and everyone else -- and Kimbo just isn't enough to keep a promotion afloat.

I'll be rooting for the show to succeed: It would be a great step forward toward MMA becoming a regular fixture on network television.

No Kimbo Slice, but EliteXC's Second CBS Show Will Be Better Than Its First originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forrest Griffin: I Never KO'd Kimbo Slice

Michael David Smith — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:09:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Elite XC

A couple of months ago we noted the rumor that Forrest Griffin, who will fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship next month, had knocked out Kimbo Slice during a sparring session.

Dan Le Batard had Griffin on his radio show today, and Griffin put those rumors to rest:

"I never knocked Kimbo out. Let's just get that clear. Kimbo's not the kind of guy you want to have angry at you. I like the guy so I'd assume not piss him off and have him try to beat me up."

Griffin also said that he thinks highly of Kimbo because he sees a little of himself in Kimbo.

"He didn't go the conventional route -- but you're talking to a guy who also didn't go the conventional route," Griffin said to Le Batard. "He wants to learn the sport. He likes the sport, he wants to do it, he wants to be a professional fighter."

Aside from the Kimbo stuff, the interview was interesting mostly because Griffin gave a lot of testy answers. When LeBatard asked him if he likes pain, Griffin answered, "That's a silly question. No. I like ice cream, I don't like pain."

Forrest Griffin: I Never KO'd Kimbo Slice originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EliteXC Will Return to CBS on July 26 for Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith Rematch

Michael David Smith — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:25:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

EliteXC has announced that the Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith rematch will be the main event when it returns to CBS on July 26.

By scheduling another MMA show less than two months after its first one, CBS is making clear that it was pleased with the ratings that MMA delivered -- even if many MMA fans thought EliteXC's show was less than impressive.

Antonio Silva, who is widely regarded as the best heavyweight under contract to EliteXC, is also expected to fight in the July show, perhaps for the vacant EliteXC heavyweight title. Putting two fighters not named Kimbo Slice in the cage for the heavyweight belt would be the right move for EliteXC -- a gesture that would demonstrate that their organization is about more than just an unskilled fighter with a big name.

EliteXC Will Return to CBS on July 26 for Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith Rematch originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Live Blog: EliteXC, Adrenaline

Michael David Smith — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:59:00 EST

Filed under: Featured Stories, Elite XC

Welcome to the FanHouse live blog of tonight's mixed martial arts action, where we'll provide live, round-by-round updates of the EliteXC and Adrenaline shows.

Tonight's biggest fight will be the EliteXC lightweight title bout between champion K.J. Noons and challenger Yves Edwards. Other fights I'm looking forward to seeing include EliteXC's Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey, and Adrenaline's Jason Guida vs. Mike Russow.

We'll discuss them all tonight, beginning after the jump.

MMA Live Blog: EliteXC, Adrenaline originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EliteXC: Nick Diaz Weighs In 9 Pounds Over

Michael David Smith — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:34:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

Nick Diaz showed up a ridiculous nine pounds overweight at yesterday's weigh in for tonight's EliteXC fight against Muhsin Corbbrey, making it the third straight weekend that a fighter in a high-profile mixed martial arts event has failed to make weight.

Diaz weighed in at 169 for the 160-pound fight. Corbbrey also missed weight, at 164, but that was because he had been told in advance that there was no reason for him to dehydrate on weigh-in day because Diaz wasn't even close to making weight anyway. They're now calling it a 168-pound catchweight fight, and giving Diaz the standard one-pound buffer. Corbbrey's manager John Blanken explains why Corbbrey agreed to fight anyway:

"We need to take this fight. This fight makes my guy's career. We need to fight him and beat him, so that's what happens."

Two weeks ago Gina Carano missed weight for EliteXC's CBS show, and last week Thiago Alves missed weight for his UFC 85 main event against Matt Hughes. They and their defenders always have excuses, and none of those excuses matter. When you agree to take a fight at a certain weight, it's your responsibility to get to that weight, and fighters who don't give the sport a black eye.

EliteXC: Nick Diaz Weighs In 9 Pounds Over originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Live Chat: Elite XC in Honolulu

Josh Alper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC, Elite XC, IFL, Affliction for MMA

Elite XC returns from its trip to network television tomorrow night with a card from Honolulu on Showtime. The main event will feature lightweight champion K.J. Noons against the veteran Yves Edwards. That match will be preceded by an undercard featuring Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey, Murillo "Ninja" Rua vs. Tony Bonello, Rafael Feijao vs. Wayne Cole and Dave "Pee Wee" Herman vs. Ron Waterman.

We'll be talking about that card at 1 p.m. today during a live chat. We won't limit the discussion to that show, however, so feel free to drop by to talk about Donald Trump's foray into the MMA world via a stake in Affliction, Dana White's still mysterious announcement, the potential demise of the IFL and anything else on your mind.

So drop by at 1 where we'll be chatting after the jump.

MMA Live Chat: Elite XC in Honolulu originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tito Ortiz Says He Could Fight Kimbo Slice, Takes Another Swipe at Dana White

Michael David Smith — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:25:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Elite XC, MMA Videos

Tito Ortiz hasn't decided when and where he'll fight again, but in this video he says he's done with UFC, and he hints that he could sign with EliteXC and fight Kimbo Slice:

"Dana White has made the biggest mistake of his career," Ortiz said of the UFC president. "He let one of the greatest fighters in UFC history get away, and it's because he had a lot of personal vendetta against me."

As for his next move, Ortiz said, "Fighting at heavyweight is a possibility for me. People want to see me fight Kimbo. He has a lot to learn, but he's going out and learning those things. He's learning the jiu jitsu. He's learning the wrestling. He's learning the things to be a well-rounded fighter."

I'm sure Ortiz vs. Kimbo would get great ratings on CBS or a great buy rate on pay-per-view, but I'm not sure that EliteXC wants to do it because I think Ortiz would destroy Kimbo. Ortiz isn't a great fighter, but he has far more skill than Kimbo, who has a long way to go before he'll really be a well-rounded fighter. EliteXC doesn't want its meal ticket exposed.

Tito Ortiz Says He Could Fight Kimbo Slice, Takes Another Swipe at Dana White originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frank Shamrock: Bruce Lee Would Be Proud of Kimbo Slice

Michael David Smith — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:10:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

Bruce Lee has been dead for almost 35 years, and the world of martial arts has changed dramatically since he died. But he's still probably the most influential martial artist in modern history, so it's not surprising that in a Fight Ticker interview with Frank Shamrock, Lee's name came up.

What is surprising is what Shamrock says Lee would think of what mixed martial arts looks like today:

FightTicker.com: How do you feel Bruce Lee would feel about MMA's current trajectory?

Shamrock: I think he'd be proud of Kimbo Slice.

FightTicker.com: How come?

Shamrock: Well I think Kimbo is that accidental martial arts guy. He fell into the sport. Hey, he was doing it anyway; he was beating people up. But here's a real, structured, honest to goodness way (to beat people up). It's crazy, but in a lot of ways, there's a lot of truth to it.

At first glance, Kimbo Slice's approach might seem diametrically opposed to Bruce Lee's. But on closer inspection, I think Shamrock is right: Lee wanted to bring martial arts to the masses, and in his own way, Slice has been the poster boy for just that. I agree with Shamrock: Lee would welcome people like Slice into the sport.

Frank Shamrock: Bruce Lee Would Be Proud of Kimbo Slice originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill O'Reilly on EliteXC: 'What Are We, the Roman Empire Now? I Guess We Are'

Michael David Smith — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC, MMA Videos, MMA Media Watch

On his Fox News show,Bill O'Reilly hosted a discussion of Saturday night's EliteXC mixed martial arts show, and he suggested that professional mixed martial artists who suffered no serious injuries are somehow comparable to gladiators being forced to fight to the death:

"What are we, the Roman Empire now?" O'Reilly asked. "I guess we are, right?"

Guest Bernard Goldberg replied, "Well the Roman Empire did eventually fall, and that's what I want to lead up to." He later suggested that CBS executives would be happy if an MMA fighter died during a fight.

Said the other guest, Jane Hall, "You can get a rating with live executions. Why not do that?"

I like both Goldberg and Hall (I can't honestly say that I like O'Reilly), but they're just so ridiculously out of touch on this issue that it's hard to know where to start. I will address one specific quote from Hall, though.

Hall said during the discussion, "One of the reviewers I read said, 'This sport is basically boxing with more opportunity to inflict brain damage.'"

I don't know which "reviewer" Hall was referring to, but that is flat-out wrong and simply irresponsible. It has been very, very well established that the risk of brain injury is greater in boxing than it is in mixed martial arts. One quick knockout blow to the head, which we often see in MMA, is nowhere near as dangerous as a series of repeated blows to the head, which we often see in boxing.

That Hall would repeat such a claim without bothering to find out what the experts say does not speak well for her.

Bill O'Reilly on EliteXC: 'What Are We, the Roman Empire Now? I Guess We Are' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kimbo Slice to Fight Brett Rogers in October

Michael David Smith — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:34:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

After Kimbo Slice defeated James Thompson in the first mixed martial arts show in prime time network television history, fellow heavyweight Brett Rogers took the podium at the post-fight press conference and called Slice's performance "garbage" and "unacceptable."

If that was Rogers' attempt to hype himself up as the next opponent for Kimbo, it worked. Slice appeared on Dan Le Batard's radio show today and said he'll fight Rogers next, "probably in October."

"They called me out, and now they got the fight," Slice said of Rogers and his camp.

Slice acknowledged that his aura took a bit of a hit with the way he struggled to defeat Thompson, but he insisted, "I was in shape. I was ready. I was ready for a battle."

He'd better be ready for Rogers. Cousins of Ron Mexico calls it a dangerous fight for Kimbo, and I agree. In fact, right now I'd have to call Rogers the favorite.

Note: Neither Slice nor Rogers is the best heavyweight in EliteXC. That honor belongs to Antonio Silva. Hopefully, Silva will get to fight the winner of the Slice-Rogers fight.

Kimbo Slice to Fight Brett Rogers in October originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Thompson Thinks He Got Screwed, but Kimbo Slice Didn't Tap in Round 1

Michael David Smith — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:41:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

A lot of people think James Thompson got screwed in his loss to Kimbo Slice Saturday night, and now Thompson himself is making clear that he agrees.

In an interview with Five Ounces of Pain, Thompson acknowledges that he was "rocked" by a combination from Kimbo in the third round, but he says he thinks referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight too quickly without giving Thompson a chance to recover. He also says he thinks Miragliotta was too quick to stand the fighters up when Thompson had Slice in side control in the second round, and that he thinks Miragliotta would have stopped the fight late in the second if Kimbo had been giving unanswered elbows to Thompson, rather than vice versa.

However, while some people have said that Kimbo tapped out when Thompson had him in a guillotine choke in the first round, Thompson says Kimbo didn't tap, and that he was shocked when he heard that some people were suggesting otherwise. So that portion of the conspiracy theory can now be put to bed once and for all.

Overall, Thompson is fairly reasonable in his assessment of the fight. I think that, all things considered, Miragliotta's refereeing gave Slice a bit of an advantage, but I don't think there was any fix, and Thompson never alleges that there is. Thompson does, however, say he wants a rematch, and I think he should get one.

James Thompson Thinks He Got Screwed, but Kimbo Slice Didn't Tap in Round 1 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Schedule: UFC, EliteXC, Affliction, WEC, IFL, StrikeForce, More

Michael David Smith — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Elite XC, IFL, WEC, Dream, Affliction for MMA

Here's a look at the upcoming events in mixed martial arts:

Saturday, June 14
EliteXC: Return of the King, K.J. Noons vs. Yves Edwards, Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey, Honolulu, 10 p.m., Showtime.

Adrenaline: Jeff Monson vs. Mike Russow; Daiju Takase vs. Terry Martin Chicago, 7 p.m., no American TV.

Sunday, June 15
Dream 4: Shinya Aoki vs. Katsuhiko Nagata, Japan, HDNet.

Saturday, June 21
The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale: Evan Tanner vs. Kendall Grove, Diego Sanchez vs. Luigi Fioravanti, Las Vegas, 9 p.m., Spike TV.

Friday, June 27
Strikeforce: Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson, San Jose, 11 p.m., HDNet.

Saturday, July 5
UFC 86: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin, Las Vegas, 10 p.m., pay-per-view.

Saturday, July 19
Affliction: Banned: Tim Sylvia vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Anaheim, pay-per-view.

Monday, July 21
Dream 5: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Joseph Benavidez, HDNet

Saturday, August 9
UFC 87: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch, Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring, Minneapolis, 10 p.m., pay-per-view.

Saturday, September 6
UFC 88: Chuck Liddell, Atlanta, pay-per-view

MMA Schedule: UFC, EliteXC, Affliction, WEC, IFL, StrikeForce, More originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Cuban on EliteXC: 'I Think They Did a Great Job for a First Show'

Michael David Smith — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:25:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is an emerging player in the world of mixed martial arts. His HDNet shows MMA regularly, and he's rumored to be interested in promoting pay-per-view shows as well.

But if Cuban considers EliteXC to be competition, that's not stopping him from praising the first foray into MMA on network television. In an interview with MMARated.com's Ariel Helwani, Cuban spoke highly of EliteXC:

Ariel Helwani: What were your overall impressions of the show?

Mark Cuban: I think they did a great job for a first show.

AH: Do you think that was a good representation of the sport?

MC: Why is everyone so caught up in whether this was a good representation? It was an entertaining show. It was mostly existing MMA fans as viewers. It was easy to watch the card and MMA fans did. This was not a show that new fans jumped on board to watch. That doesn't happen in a 1st broadcast.

Cuban seems to have a different taken than most MMA observers in saying that this didn't attract new fans to MMA, it just brought in a larger number of existing fans than cable or pay-per-view does. I'm not sure if he's right or wrong about that, but I'm glad to hear what he thinks -- Cuban is one of the smartest people in sports, and it's good that he's getting involved in MMA.

Mark Cuban on EliteXC: 'I Think They Did a Great Job for a First Show' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kimbo Slice Trainer Bas Rutten: Fight Should Have Been Stopped in Second Round

Michael David Smith — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:16:00 EST

Filed under: Elite XC

Bas Rutten is a legendary figure in mixed martial arts, a former UFC champion, and currently the trainer for Kimbo Slice.

Because of his affiliation with Kimbo, everyone wants to know what Rutten thinks about Kimbo's victory over James Thompson on Saturday night. Rutten answers with a post on his official web site, and although he mostly defends Kimbo, he says something shocking at the end: He actually thinks referee Dan Miragliotta should have stopped the fight and awarded it to Thompson late in the second round. Rutten writes:

People ask me if the fight should have been stopped at the end in the second round, I say YES because those are the rules, it should have been stopped because Kimbo didn't do anything to improve his situation. But I think what made the ref NOT do it was the fact that Kimbo was giving his thumbs up the whole time to let the referee know that he was OK.
This was the refs decission, not Kimbo's.

So Rutten believes Thompson should have been awarded the victory late in the second round. I disagree.
The rule in question states:

Referee Stoppage: the referee may stop a match in progress if: a fighter becomes dominant to the point where the opponent is unable to intelligently defend himself from attacks, which may occur as quickly as a few seconds

There's some room for interpretation in that rule. It doesn't say the referee "must" stop, it says the referee "may" stop. In general, the rules give the referee fairly wide latitude, and Dan Miragliotta, the referee in this particular match, felt that he could let it go. I respect Rutten for giving his true opinion even when it reflects badly on his own fighter, but I don't agree with that opinion.

Kimbo Slice Trainer Bas Rutten: Fight Should Have Been Stopped in Second Round originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video Claims EliteXC Fixed Kimbo Slice Fight

Michael David Smith — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:51:00 EST

Filed under: MMA/Boxing, Elite XC, MMA Videos

Although I think referee Dan Miragliotta was a little quick to stop it, I do not believe that Saturday night's Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson fight was fixed. But a lot of people do believe that, and I think it's fair to give their side of the story. This video is the best case I've seen so far:

So why do I believe the EliteXC fight was legit?

Let's take the claims presented in the video point by point:

1. Kimbo tapped out at 2:47 of the first round. It's inconclusive from the video whether Kimbo was tapping while Thompson had him in the guillotine, or whether he was just putting his hand on Thompson's arm. But if Thompson felt a tap, wouldn't he have started jumping up and down, celebrating that he had just won the fight? And if Kimbo really felt that he were being choked out, wouldn't he have continued tapping and not just touched Thompson's arm quickly?

2. Miragliotta shouldn't have stood them up at 2:56 of the second round. I agree, he shouldn't have. Thompson was in an advantageous position and should have been given more of an opportunity to exploit that advantage. But referees stand guys up all the time in positions where one fighter has an advantage. That doesn't mean the ref is in the tank for the fighter at the disadvantage.

3. The fight should have been stopped in the last minute of the second round. I disagree. Although Thompson was raining elbows down on Kimbo's head, and Kimbo was showing pathetic ground defense, the fact is that Thompson's elbows really weren't doing that much damage. If you look at Kimbo after the second round, he appeared to be drained from a cardio standpoint, but he didn't look dazed from shots to the head.

4. The stoppage was early. I agree, but I also think Miragliotta's case is valid: Thompson had the glassy-eyed look of a guy who had been concussed.

Overall, I don't think any of the three men in the cage for Saturday night's main event put on a particularly impressive showing. But that doesn't mean the fight was fixed.

Latest MMA Photos

Kimbo Slice, right, throws a punch at James Thompson of Manchester, England during the second round of their EliteXC heavyweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Saturday, May 31, 2008. Slice won in the third round on a TKO. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Rich Schultz, AP

Kimbo Slice, top, has James Thompson of Manchester, England in a head lock during the second round of their EliteXC heavyweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Saturday, May 31, 2008. Slice won in the third round on a TKO. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

** EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT ** Kimbo Slice, right, throws a punch to the the ear of James Thompson of Manchester, England that knocks him to the canvas for a TKO in the third round of their EliteXC heavyweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Saturday, May 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

UFC fighter Chuck Liddell arrives at Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guy's Choice" Awards held at Sony Studios on May 30, 2008 in Culver City, California..Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guys Choice" Awards - Arrivals.Sony Studios.Los Angeles, CA United States.May 30, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (55026688), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

CULVER CITY, CA - MAY 30: LA INK's Kat Von D (L) and UFC fighter Chuck Liddell present the "Ballsiest Band" award onstage during the taping of Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guys Choice" Awards held at Sony Studios on May 30, 2008 in Culver City, California. The show airs on June 22, 2008 at 10PM ET/PT on Spike TV. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Getty Images

CULVER CITY, CA - MAY 30: UFC fighter Anderson Silva accepts the "Most Dangerous Man" award onstage during the taping of Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guys Choice" Awards held at Sony Studios on May 30, 2008 in Culver City, California. The show airs on June 22, 2008 at 10PM ET/PT on Spike TV. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Video Claims EliteXC Fixed Kimbo Slice Fight originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ref Dan Miragliotta Defends Stoppage of Kimbo Slice-James Thompson Fight

Michael David Smith — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: MMA/Boxing, Elite XC

Mixed martial arts referee Dan Miragliotta was harshly criticized by CBS announcer Gus Johnson on Saturday night for stopping the Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson fight.

Since then he's been more than harshly criticized -- some MMA bloggers have even suggested that the fight was fixed.

In an interview with Cokin and Cofield on ESPN Radio in Las Vegas, Miragliotta defended his decision. Saying the criticism of the stoppage comes from "13-year-old kids on the web that never fought a day in their life," Miragliotta said his reason for stopping the fight was simple:

"Why I stopped the fight was the uppercut-cross-hook-uppercut combination that knocked him on his ass -- well, not on his ass, but it knocked him into the fence. I looked into his eyes. I saw the blank stare, I knew he was out of it, I stopped the fight, and when I grabbed him to tell him the fight was over he still thought he was fighting Kimbo. He tried to take a swing at me and didn't realize where he was at."

Miragliotta called Thompson's badly damaged ear "one of the most disgusting things I've seen in a fight, ever," but said the ear was not the reason he stopped the fight -- Miragliotta stopped the fight only because Thompson looked dazed from being punched in the head. He also said that, contrary to what Brett Rogers thinks, Slice never tapped out during the fight. And he said Thompson was never close to finishing Slice.

Although I personally think Miragliotta stopped the fight prematurely, I never thought the fight was fixed, and I respect Miragliotta as a referee. Stopping a fight is a judgment call, and Miragliotta made his judgment.

Ref Dan Miragliotta Defends Stoppage of Kimbo Slice-James Thompson Fight originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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