Even acknowledging the harsh words UFC President Dana White previously had for Kimbo Slice, once the brawler joined the cast of “The Ultimate Fighter,” it pretty much appeared a given that he would score at least one live fight inside the Octagon.
When the “The Ultimate Fighter 10” premiere rating came in at a record level, it became all but a lock that, barring injury or incident, Slice would earn a fight on the live finale regardless of his performance on the show–the fight would simply do a monster rating for Spike TV.
But even knowing Slice would have some sort of a future in UFC, most still assumed he would be protected during his run on the reality show. Slice has clearly been the main draw, and if he were removed from the equation by virtue of a loss early in the season, it could have a detrimental effect on viewership.
In a moment that seemingly proved that the UFC reality show is not “booked” with ratings in mind, shockwaves went through the MMA world when it was announced that Slice would fight veteran and frontrunner Roy Nelson in the third week of the season. With many weeks left, it seemed surprising to cynics that UFC would risk exposing (and eliminating) Kimbo so early. Pairing Slice with Nelson would be especially perplexing if the show were scripted; while Nelson is known as a talented fighter in MMA circles, he is unknown–and looks particularly unathletic–to the casual fan.
Predictably, Slice lost the way most assumed he would if facing an experienced fighter–he got taken down, was rendered defenseless, and defeated when the referee ended the fight via TKO in round two. In what was likely to be the most-watched fight in “TUF” history, Roy Nelson eliminated Kimbo from the competition.
Kimbo fans, however, might still have hope. In the promotional material for next week’s edition of the show, UFC teases that former NFL player Marcus Jones, scheduled to represent Team Rampage in the fight next week, might be unable to compete, allowing Kimbo to step in as a replacement.
It should be noted that UFC was careful not to outright confirm a Kimbo fight for next week; the advertisement simply served as a tease to keep Kimbo fans watching the show in the wake of Slice’s elimination. Nonetheless, the LA Times adds more fuel to the fire.
According to an anonymous LA Times source within UFC, Slice’s performance on Wednesday’s episode left him “strongly positioned” to fill in as a replacement should a fighter go down to injury this season.
