Maddux Sports Blog

Time for a quick break from football to look at grown men beating the heck out of each other. Tomorrow is the third edition of EliteXC’s network television run on CBS. It’s also the second time on CBS that we get to/have to watch Kimbo Slice fight. He has had three fights so far. In two of them he was ridiculously dominant, and in the third he was mostly dominant but it took him longer to get the win and he showed that he ddn’t have anything approaching stamina. This time around he is fighting one of the all-time legends of MMA - Ken Shamrock. Shamrock was the first heavyweight champion in the UFC, and he’s had some all-time great houses. Unfortunately, the 44 year old Shamrock has seen better days. He’s till one of the scarier men on the planet, but he has lost his last five fights, and seven of his last nine.

Slice is at -400 in this fight, and Shamrock is at +300. My first reaction in this case would be to look at the underdog. That’s a pretty sweet price, or at least it would be if Shamrock stood a chance. But does he?

Maybe, but probably not. There are three big things going against him. First, he obviously been beaten on too many times. He’s old and the body just isn’t holding up as well as it should. Second, he’s not as nimble as he used to be. Slice isn’t light on his feet, but if he catches a guy and can land a shot then it is over. I don’t have nearly as much faith in Shamrock’s ability to avoid that shot as I would have a few years ago. Next, Shamrock isn’t particularly heavy for a heavyweight - 205 pounds. Slice is about 40 pounds heavier, and he’s ridiculously strong, too. Shamrock is giving up a big advantage, and that’s a lot to overcome.

It’s not that Slice can’t be beat. He seems to have a few potential Achilles’ heels. His stamina isn’t good, so if Shamrock is fit and can stay out of trouble long enough to go deep in this one then he could be in a good place. Similarly, if Shamrock can use his smaller size to an advantage and make Slice chase him around then the big man might not hold up. Slice also hasn’t spent a lot of time on the ground. If he has to go down in this fight then he would be facing a guy with much, much more grappling experience. Slice appears to have been training hard, and he’s working on his technique, but it remains to be seen if that practice can overcome experience.

So how does it boil down? As I see it Shamrock should have retired long ago. Slice isn’t a great fighter, but Shamrock has lost to guys who aren’t as good and who don’t pack nearly the punch. I don’t think Shamrock can keep up here. That means that Slice is the pick. That being said, I don’t see a lot of value in him at the current price. At -300 or -250 I’d have to think about it, though.

The time slot on CBS that was once reserved for Mary Tyler Moore will be filled by mixed martial arts. Some people are viewing the prime time debut of EliteXC as the first sign of the apocalypse. I just look at it as another potential betting opportunity. Here’s a quick look at what is on tap for tonight (I know I am on three favorites in three matches, but there’s no avoiding it):

Gina Carano (-280) vs. Kaitlin Young (+220) - UFC fans will immediately notice something they aren’t used to here - these dudes are women. Carano is recognized as the top female MMA fighter in the world. If you watch the new version of American Gladiators (does anyone?) then you will recognize her as Crush. She’s undefeated in MMA over her two year career, and had a strong Muay Thai career before that. Young has only been a pro since October, but she has put together four nice wins since then. She lost last time out, but she’s not a pushover here. Still, Carano should win unless something goes wrong for her.

Robbie Lawler (-250) vs. Scott Smith (+200) - This fight is for Lawler’s middleweight title. It’s not the main event, but based on potential it certainly should be. Lawler is only 26, but he’s a veteran who has been around. Prior to being here he had seven fights in the UFC. He also coached on season six of The Ultimate Fighter. He had an excellent year last year, but has had injury problems to start this year. Smith also has experience with The Ultimate Fighter, but as a contestant in season four. He lost to Travis Lutter. He’s undefeated in EliteXC, but that’s not saying much since he has only fought once. This one should be fun to watch because both guys like to stand up, and both are tough to knock out. These guys should have a brawl, and the winner will be the last one standing. I expect Lawler will still have his belt at the end of the night.

Kimbo Slice (-600) vs. James Thompson (+400) - This is the main event, but purists would say that Slice, a street brawler, has no business topping a card like this. He used the internet effectively to build a following, though, so he has earned it. He’s had two pro fights after leaving the streets, and he has crushed both opponents in a combined 62 seconds. Of course, neither Bo Cantrell or Tank Abbott were at the top of their game when he faced them. Cantrell’s game never really had a top. Thompson is known as The Colossus. He’s been around for about five years. His most notable victory was over the legendary Dan Severn. That win led to his biggest embarrassment, though - he fought Aleksander Emelianenko and was knocked out in just 11 seconds. It’s that same glass jaw that Slice will be looking for, and I like his chances of finding it. I think that this one will end in a knockout, and I doubt it will make it out of the first round.