It’s been half a decade since MMA fans last saw Kimbo Slice compete in the sport. On Friday night, that absence away from Mixed Martial Arts will come to end as the 41-year-old Slice steps into the cage against 51-year-old Ken Shamrock at Bellator 138.
While Slice still plans on using the stand-up approach that made him a viral sensation during the early days of You Tube, he’s developed more confidence in his complete MMA game.
“In the past, we would [train] ground. With Bas Rutten and Randy Khatami, we did ground,” Slice said in a pre-fight press scrum. “I just didn’t have a love for the ground. I didn’t care for the ground. I was just like a bull with horns, just coming in to gorge my opponents.”
“Over the years, I found a comfort zone on the ground. I’m not saying I’m ground-savvy, but I can defend some s**t. I can stuff the takedown. I can feel something coming, feel an ankle lock coming. I can feel something coming on, scooting the hips out, getting under-hooks.”
But the priority for Slice remains to score the highlight-reel finish.
“You will still see me coming in to knock him out, don’t get me wrong,” Slice said. “Ken’s still a dangerous opponent. He’s still the most dangerous fighter I will probably ever fight. For the nature of it, he’s very skilled. He’s very very skilled, and I’m just expecting him to be Ken. I’m not here to shake his hand. I’m here to punish him.”
As far as Kimbo’s feelings towards Ken? He’s not Shamrock’s biggest fan, and he’s found plenty of things about the UFC veteran that irritates him.
“The permanently stupid look on his face [annoys me]. I don’t like looking at him. I don’t like his shirts he wears. I just don’t like Ken.”
Looking forward towards the fight, Kimbo is expecting Shamrock to be sharp early, and that’s when Slice wants to put him away.
“I feel like that is when Ken is going to be at his best. The first 3 to 4 minutes,” Slice said. “I know Ken’s going to be at his best, and that’s the Ken I want. I want to meet him head up in the center of the cage, and we go from there. If I lose this fight, I want it to be against the best Ken Shamrock.”
“I know four or fives minutes into it, after breakfast there’s lunch. I know during the lunch period, the second quarter, he’s going to be a little bit iffy. I can knock him out easy, but I want to knock him out for breakfast when he’s at his best. That’s the Ken I want.”
Looking forward to the future, Kimbo Slice isn’t exactly gunning for a title shot, but he wouldn’t rule one out either.
“I haven’t thought about a title,” Slice said. “I keep a target on my back from the nature of it, from the beginning of it. I’m sure the target is still there. With that being said, yeah our doors are open to fight anyone. If a title comes across the table, I’ll take it.”