RIP Kimbo Slice
Out of context: Reply #12
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- mg330
I used to be much more into the UFC in the mid 2000s. The "Kimbo Slice as MMA pioneer" line is confusing, because he really didn't even start training in MMA specifically until the mid 2000s, 2005 to be exact with his debut fight in 2007.
By 2007, the UFC was already on event 84. True MMA pioneers - the guys who mixed multiple fighting styles together, had mostly come and gone. I realize MMA wasn't exclusive to the UFC, there were tons of organizations and still are. Just because Kimbo was there at the right time when MMA's mainstream popularity was really taking off, doesn't make him a pioneer.
This is more a case of lackluster journalists under the gun to get articles out not knowing what they're talking about. If they'd used the word "icon" and applied it more to street fighting and backyard brawling that preceded his professional career, then they'd be on the right track.
- oh man he came way after mma took off. if anything he gave it a little bit of life when the heavyweight was dead. a couple years after Couture and Liddel.sofakingback
- I will say he was the only fighter I know that was popular for youtube street fighting. and not many UFC guys are straight up street guys. So that was uniquesofakingback
- Kinda reminded me of tank abbottsofakingback
- Emphasis on "little bit." It was cool to see him in organized fights for sure. But the guys who made it what it is were already out or nearing retirement.mg33
- It was definitely unique. I think one piece that's important here is when "MMA" as an actual fighting style started.mg33
- Because in the early days you had guys that excelled at one discipline (a boxer vs. a karate guy, for example) and later you had guys developing and trainingmg33
- in hybrids of multiple disciplines. Good in standup, good on the ground, morphing styles into something new.mg33
- Yea man, Pride was the fucking best. Do you remember the tournament that had all the heavy hitters? Fuck what was it. Im gonna dig for it.sofakingback
- Alister Overeem was the guy I was rooting for but he got handled.sofakingback
- I got really into it around the time of the first Ultimate Fighter tv show. Used to obsess over it. I'd love to know what it's like to be in that kind of shapemg33
- and mental mindset. So many great fights over the years.mg33
- Pride Final Conflit. Those were the days. https://en.wikipedia…sofakingback