UFC President Dana White said if the cult phenom Kimbo Slice were to ever grace The Octagon, he’d have to join the cast of the Spike TV reality show The Ultimate Fighter.  Now, thanks to an official announcement on Monday, Slice will suit up and join season 10 of the hit show; and if you’re on either side of the negotiation, all you can ask yourself is, “why the hell not?”

Kimbo Slice rose to prominence on the internet, fighting hacks in backyards to millions of YouTube hits.  His cult status grew, he got an article in Maxim (the first I had ever heard of the guy), and then up steps Showtime TV’s promotion Elite XC.  Due to his popularity, Slice was given headline bouts and won with ease in his first fights on cable, including an all too fun to watch KO of Tank Abbott.  CBS, being the parent of Showtime, saw the boom of MMA growing and decided to bring Elite XC, and more notably Kimbo, to prime time television.  The ratings were solid, he won his first CBS fight, and then it all crashed down.

The match was set…3-0 Kimbo Slice, the phenom, to take on veteran Ken Shamrock.  But a last minute injury forced Shamrock out, so in steps Seth Petruzelli (I still don’t know who he is).  The crumbling of the Slice aura took only 14 seconds, and bam, the Elite XC promotion crumbled with it.  Petruzelli’s 1st round KO spelt the end of Slice as a legit MMA fighter…or did it?  The criticism had been there throughout his “MMA” career, from fans to media to Dana White himself.  But the popularity is there and Dana is not a stupid man.  He said sure, he could fight in the UFC…if he goes through the rigors of the TV show and proves he’s actually a legit fighter.  The Kimbo camp had long defended him.  “He trains with MMA legend Bas Rutten and has spent time at XTreme Couture,” were the constant refrains.  Now Slice has a chance to prove it.

From Kimbo’s perspective, why not?  You were either looking at being a freak show in Japan or you were going to try your hand and boxing.  This was the best option for him, especially if proving his legitimacy as a fighter is a priority for him.  But some may not see the worth from a business standpoint and the UFC.  All I can say is…freak shows sell.  More people will watch season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, dubbed “The Heavyweights”, at least from the get-go.  His first fight on the show will create a buzz, and if he is able to bust his ass and make the finale…well, wait, now all of a sudden we’re looking at a Kimbo Slice fight, inside The Octagon, with people watching.  And Dana White makes money.

No-brainer for either side, and coming from the hardcore fan…I freaking love it.  If Slice comes in and gets his ass beat in his first fight on the show, then that’s damn hilarious, and it proves all the nay-sayers right.  And it makes for good TV, a ratings spike, maybe some more viewers on a consistent basis, and at the very worst…TUF continues at the status quo.  Say he wins some fights though.  Say Kimbo Slice wins his first fight, and then his second fight, and then all of a sudden he’s a fight away from the contract.  And just think…if Slice makes the finale, he’ll have won (at least) 3 straight fights, against REAL MMA fighters, under UFC jurisdiction and on national TV.  He’s already wildly popular (and has retained much of his fame), and now he’s got a buzz around him.  Yeah, sure Slice is happy…but Dana and the UFC are the real ones laughing all the way to the bank.

Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter will be coached by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Suga” Rashad Evans, and will feature all heavyweight fighters.  Both Jackson and Evans are both former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions, and can add to the MMA bushel of an eager Slice.  Kimbo has continued training, and from a pure technical standpoint, coaches like that help him, no question.  Add to the fact that the personalities of Rampage, Evans, and Slice on one reality show could double Spike’s ratings…yep, again, this one is a no brainer.

So tell me all you want how Kimbo Slice is a fraud, how he’s a joke, how he doesn’t deserve to be earning a pay check from the sport.  Give me all the arguments against the guy you want, and all I’ll say back to you is “scoreboard”.  Slice can’t do any harm to Dana White’s UFC.  Will a few hundred people stop watching his product?  Maybe…but those might be the same people who threatened to give up their season tickets when the Flames signed Todd Bertuzzi.  All Slice can do is help the UFC, even if it’s only for 2 episodes of their long running reality show.  But if you’re Dana White, once again, all you can says is…”why the hell not?”

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