Here's the latest edition of our editorial series, QBE's. We're covering "The Ultimate Fighter" and its newest star participant, the one and only Kimbo Slice.
Legitimacy can be a tough thing to establish, and an even tougher thing to maintain. You need look no further than one Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in order to believe as much. While he may in fact hold the title as the most recognizable figure in all of MMA (perhaps all of combat sports), eclipsing other high-profile names like Liddell and Lesnar, whether or not he's deserving of his status...is an entirely more sordid affair.
Interestingly enough, much like Mr Slice, the sport of MMA has suffered through the ills of a perceived lack of legitimacy, and in fact is still in the business of fully wresting its image away from the lingering specter of bloodsport that characterized its early years. While its path to acceptance grows clearer seemingly every day, no single occurrence, outside of possibly the establishment of a unified MMA rules structure by the New Jersey state Athletic Commission in 2000, did more to set the sport on its road to legitimacy than "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series.
Now, having done its share to solidify MMA's credibility as a legitimate sporting entity, "TUF" finds itself in the precarious position of having to establish (perhaps with irreversible certainty) whether or not Kimbo is a legitimate figure in MMA, and worthy of his pop culture status as a bona fide tough guy. Viewers...millions of them, will be standing by to find out.
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To be sure, the Ultimate Fighter has been a bit of a mixed blessing for the Mixed-Martial Arts world. While I doubt sincerely that a single fighter, fan, or MMA promoter would prefer to live in a world where TUF never existed, I do think most would acknowledge at least to some degree that its bounty has come with its share of negatives in tow.
While casual fans and those unfamiliar with the sport may have gained a greater appreciation for its techniques and practitioners as a result of the show, the degree to which debauchery and degradation are espoused within the confines of the house does little to diminish the perceptions by MMA outsiders that the sport is the trade of unkempt thugs and hooligans. Drunken tirades, in-house brawls, and "upper deckers" (look it up...or not, preferably) are unbecoming behavior from men claiming to be professional sportsmen, and the show's producers have spent every bit as much time and effort profiting from the dramatic shenanigans as they have attempting to quell them.
Furthermore, and perhaps more grievously in my judgment, TUF has served to muddy the tempo and the legitimacy of the title picture for the fighters in the organization who didn't have to fight their way onto the UFC roster via a reality show. The examples grow with each passing season. Titles were left dormant for ten month stretches in seasons 7 and 8, due to the fact that the champion and challenger were coaching on the show. Season 4 saw the show winners given title shots against UFC champions, with disastrous results. Recently, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's decision to coach the upcoming season of TUF (the Heavyweight showcase featuring Kimbo) against newly dethroned champion Rahsad Evans, rendered that he would forfeit his number one contendership against undefeated belt-holder Lyoto Machida (the man who took the title from Evans). So again, the competitive landscape of the UFC finds itself altered at the hands of TUF.
But to its credit, TUF has also produced some excellent fighters (including champions), and rest assured, Ferguson is aware of this potential. Capitalizing on the enormous causal interest he generates by proving to be a respectable, viable (exceptional?) competitor on the show would garner massive exposure for himself and the sport, and massive ratings for the ever-wealthier UFC brass to further market their brand of MMA. Standouts like Stephen Bonnar and Rashad Evans aside, even less-decorated TUF alumni such as Keith Jardine, Chirs Lytle, and Josh Koscheck have proven worthy assets to help fill UFC pay-per-view cards with exciting and competitive fights. Short of winning the show, Kimbo would do well to establish himself in one of these roles, and would be a major draw to round out future cards.
(Dana White's TUF Proposal to Kimbo)
Kimbo's legitimacy as a fighter will likely never reach the stratospheric proportions of his popular mindshare as the baddest dude to ever set foot in a back yard, but any measure of success as a participant on TUF (and certainly if by some miraculous feat he managed to win the whole thing) will only serve to add credibility to his place as a worthy figure in the MMA community. Lesnar, for all the negativity he sometimes garners, admittedly has earned his stripes of UFC legitimacy, if not exactly the title shot he was awarded. Kimbo saw a setback in his mythos after his embarrassing tumble against Seth Petruzzeli in his last bout, but if he arrives at TUF as an MMA fighter first, and a celebrity second (or not at all), he could go a long way towards restoring his image as someone worth fearing.
But maybe only if he gets to fight Wes Sims in the first round. We'll see..
1 comments:
Good read.
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