MMA Hot Stuff

Elite XC "Heat" Video Weigh-ins and Predictions

The weigh-ins for tomorrow night's Elite XC "Heat" card definitely delivered the goods on this much hyped event.

The full video of the weigh-ins is below so you can enjoy watching everyone step on the scale but here are some highlights.

Gina strutted in wearing sunglasses (I'm guessing she thought the florescent lights are more powerful down there in Florida). After she made her way to the scale, she stepped up... and tipped the scale at... 142.75. WTF? She didn't make weight (again)? OMG What to do, what to do... Oh, yeah strip. She had some very nice handlers hold towels for her while she took off her already skimpy clothes and on the third attempt finally had an official weigh in at 141lbs. The show will go on! Gina, I kid, I kid. I know you could kick my ass so I'm just playin. :)

Then the defending Elite XC champion of the world - and the oh so hot - Jake Shields weighed in at 169.75 lbs. During the standard face off Paul Daley had a mouth full of smack and spewed it all over Jake while they were touching hats bill to bill. Jake not only took it, but gave some back and also threw out a flashy and confident smile. So confident in fact that he blew Paul a kiss and set off a shoving match. The two had to be seperated by EliteXC officials while both men continued shouting at the other. Sparks flew, and tomorrow punches will fly! 

The next highlight worth mentioning is the worlds "most dangerous man" (and almost oldest) Ken Shamrock weighing in at 206.5-lbs and the world famouss street fighter Kimbo Slice weighing in at 234.5-lbs. Again during the standard face off Ken was a gentleman and faced Kimbo but Kimbo turned his back. Ohhhhh the nerve! Ken didn't take to that and gave Kimbo a little shove. The crowd broke out into a flurry almost as if this were an actual street fight! We know how it sets Ken off when fighters don't "respect" him, a la Tito Ortiz.

If this is a glimpse of what we have to look forward to tomorrow night, it's sure to be one great fight after another.

Before you jump to the video, here are my predictions. As always, winners in green.

Murilo Rua vs Benji Radach - If Rua can get this on the ground he'll win.
Gina Carano vs Kelly Kobald  - This is a tough one to call. Kelly has lost her last two fights, however she hasn't fought in over a year. I do think Gina has spent more time promoting herself than training. I give this fight to Kelly by TKO.
Andrei Arlovski vs Roy Nelson - The Pitbull has been training with Randy Couture, and since he was suppose to be getting ready for battle with Josh Barnett, I know he's ready. I give this match up to Andrei. His bite is bigger than his bark!
Jake Shieds vs Paul Daley - While Paul is a great striker, I don't think Jake is going to give him the chance to land anything, as Jake will take Paul down fairly quickly. MMAHotStuff knows Jake has been working on his takedowns and also keeping fighters up against the cage, so I think Jake will win this fight by submission.
Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock - This one makes me a little sad. Frankly I can't believe Ken would step into a cage with Kimbo, he's such an animal. Yes Ken has much more formal experience, and is technically a better fighter. Better submissions, more experience, etc. But while Kimbo has a very lean MMA record, he's proven so far that nobody can stop him. I hate to say Ken is old, but he's old and really hasn't shown much heart in his last few fights. Ken, keep your hands up and hope to god he doesn't break your nose. Kimbo by KO.

Okay, now.. the video from weigh-ins.

Poll Results: Is Kimbo Slice the real deal?

MMAHotStuff readers have made their point clear regarding Kimbo Slice. The results are:

15.4% of you said "Yes, he's got talent to be one of the best".

38.5% of you are "Undecided, he needs to fight a high quality opponent".

46.2% of you said "No, he's an internet sensation that hasn't proven anything in MMA".

So it seems clear, at this point MMA fans aren't ready to accept Kimbo as much more than a marketing scheme for EliteXC. In Kimbo's defense, EliteXC isn't making it very easy to judge Kimbo's talent with the competition they've given him, and even more so due to the lack of competition they have for him.

Granted his upcoming fight with Ken Shamrock may show us something, but that's only if it gets past the first round given Shamrock's tendency to lose early in his last 5 fights. Kimbo may find himself painted into a corner with EliteXC. It seems the fight people really want to see is Kimbo VS Brett Rogers given their run-in at the post-fight press coference back in May. Rogers is a big fighter with some good skill, but beyond that there's not much on the horizon that will truly answer the MMAHotStuff poll question.

ESPN MMA Live: Episode 16

Here's episode 16 of ESPN's MMA Live. We get to hear more about Kimbo Slice VS Ken Shamrock, and we even get to hear from Ken himself as he joins MMA Live via phone. We also get to hear Kenny's thoughts on his upcoming bout with Joe Stevenson at UFC 91.

EliteXC: Kimbo Slice to face Ken Shamrock on October 4th

It's official, the Kimbo Slice show rolls on. It's been announced that Kimbo's next opponent will be none other than UFC legend, Ken Shamrock.

The two will mix it up in the cage on the next CBS event on October 4th in Florida. We'll get to see Kimbo and Ken on prime time television.

Kimbo is coming off a controversial win over James Thompson on CBS' first live broadcast. Many thought Kimbo tapped when he was caught in a standing guillotine, some thought the ref stopped the fight prematurely, and some thought he dominated. Needless to say, there are still some answered questions about Kimbo's talent as a mixed martial artist.

Although Shamrock leaves much to be desired given that he's 44 years old, on a 5 fight losing streak (4 by TKO and his last by KO, and all in the first round) and hasn't won a fight since 2004, he does pose a challenge for Kimbo given his submission prowess and experience in the cage. He's also a good fit for what EliteXC is trying to do, which is pull in viewers to increase ratings and get Kimbo some notable wins without putting him in too much risk of losing.

I think we'd all like to see Kimbo fight someone that's not well past their prime, but for now I think we have to settle for seeing Kimbo come up slowly. EliteXC can't afford to put Kimbo in the same situation Brock Lesnar was put in (fighting a former world champ that is still in his prime while he has limited experience). The UFC has multiple "Brock Lesnars" as well as the ability to continue his storyline after he lost to Mir, EliteXC has only one Kimbo Slice and they must protect it or risk losing credibility and fans.