Although Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson may have fought for the last time for the UFC, it doesn’t mean he’s done completely with MMA. Slice has been a ratings juggernaut for every card he’s ever fought on, but after his loss to fellow “Ultimate Fighter” castmate Matt Mitrione, Dana White said his time with UFC is likely done.
“That’s probably Kimbo’s last fight in the UFC,” said White. “Kimbo made it farther than I thought he would,” stated the UFC president. “He came in and took this serious, trained, and went after it.”
“I’ve got nothing but respect for Kimbo, and I like him as a person, and I think he’s carried himself really well,” added White.
“His first fight, it wasn’t like the YouTube fights that you saw, but he won that fight. He deserved another fight in the UFC, and he lost,” continued the UFC president.
When asked again about Kimbo‘s status in the UFC, White was more definitive.
“He’s done. We’re going to cut him,” said the UFC figurehead.
Slice may need to look no further than his former employer for his next fight. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker spoke to the Sherdog Radio Network today and addressed the possibility of Slice fighting in Strikeforce and spoke about rumors that Slice may face former NFL star Herschel Walker.
“You’re like the sixth person who’s contacted me saying, ‘Hey, you have to put together Herschel Walker vs. Kimbo Slice,'” Coker shared. “The thing is with Kimbo is he was successful with the ratings, but when we purchased (the contracts) from Pro Elite, the deal at that time (for Kimbo), we felt was too rich for long-term viability…We haven’t revisited it internally yet, so as of right now I think we’re going to stick with our course, which is putting on the best fighters in the world in the best matchups.”
Coker will undoubtedly answer the Kimbo question hundreds of more times, especially with the Strikeforce event this coming weekend in St. Louis. With the negative publicity after last month’s show in Nashville, Coker and Strikeforce may be hesitant, but no one can deny the drawing power of slice and the interest he creates in the sport.
