The answer is yes.
As a street brawler Kimbo certainly looks like a force to be recond with. However that opinion has been largely determind by people who have seen Kimbo’s street fights, not necessarily by MMA fans. A street fight and a professional MMA fight are very different, and the people who watch those fights are different as well.
What’s the difference you ask? The difference is the knowledge level of the spectators. As MMA becomes a more popular sport around the globe, MMA fans are becoming more and more knowledgeable about the sport. Lets face it, you can hardly turn on the TV without finding an MMA fight on. MMA fans are getting some serious time in the saddle now, and the days where no one knows what an arm bar is are over.
What’s my point? My point is that under more a mature and technical evaluation by todays MMA fans V.S. people who watch a street fight now and then, Kimbo “Slice” Ferguson is not impressive. I think if we took a survey, of MMA fans who have watched Kimbo fight, the fans would point out one big flaw in Kimbos fighting; his lack of ground game.
What Kimbo seems to be missing is an important aspect of MMA. MMA is Mixed Martial Arts. That Mixed part is very important. Kimbo seems to be able to throw a decent punch, but when the fight goes to the ground, he’s a fish out of water, making MMA a dangerous sport for Kimbo. While it’s common for a street fight to go to the ground, often the street fighter’s ground techniques are not refined and it can look quite sloppy. And, if you have watched any of Kimbo’s fights, you will notice that it’s rare that one of his fights goes to the ground. That’s because Kimbo is really only capable of throwing punches and is not a well rounded MMA fighter.
The bad thing for Kimbo is that his ground game needs serious improvement, the good thing is that it can be improved. MMA is full of D1 Wrestlers who have learned how to throw kicks and punches. It is also full of kick boxers or Muay Thai fighters who have learned how to grapple. Many of MMA’s top fighters come from consolidated backgrounds and have learned other aspects of the fight game to make themselves more well rounded and more successful MMA fighters.
The day of the one trick pony superstars in MMA is over. MMA has grown to the point where the fighters who are now ruling the ring, can take the fight wherever it needs to go. That is dangerous for fighters like Kimbo, who only know how to stand up and bang. With some good training and hard work, Kimbo can improve his ground game and become a more competitive MMA fighter. However, if he fails to do so, it is unlikely that you will ever see Kimbo with a highly regarded and coveted MMA title belt.
