215 lbs: Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander
Odds: (+225 Slice / -285 Alexander )
Fresh off a season-long infomercial advertising his brand, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson will finally make his official UFC debut against, shock of shocks, an opponent that seems custom-made for his skill set. Slice will square off with Houston Alexander, who at one point had a pretty big buzz of his own, but has rapidly descended to journeyman status after a string of losses. Yet another loss for Alexander, especially a knockout, would probably spell the end of his UFC tenure, while a loss to yet another unheralded opponent might finally take the wind out of Slice’s sails, so both guys are going to have to leave it all in the cage if they want a future at the highest level of the sport.
Houston Alexander, a tough brawler with a rugged everyman charm, captured the imaginations of UFC fans with his unlikely string of powerful knockouts early in his UFC stint. His last three fights in the UFC though, all crushing losses, stripped most of that momentum away and instead shone a spotlight on the many glaring holes in his game, notably his total lack of a ground game and his rather questionable chin. Alexander has become the proverbial glass cannon, capable of flooring anyone with his huge power, but capable of being floored by anyone or taken down at will by even the most marginal wrestler. His strategy against Slice is not hard to figure out. As always, he will move forward and try to overwhelm Slice with strikes before Slice can do the same.
Kimbo Slice, an undeniable ratings phenomenon, has probably the most out of whack ratio of popularity to ability in the sport’s history. Clearly one of the most popular fighters in the world today, the simple possibility of Slice’s involvement on a show is enough to raise the ratings spectacularly. Slice’s popularity seems wholly related to his persona, though, since he has never shown any legitimate fighting skills whatsoever. Over his last three fights, Slice has seen his fighting abilities called into question one by one. First, his much-touted punching power was called into doubt when he seemed unable to finish the notoriously glass-jawed James Thompson. Then, his chin was exposed when he was floored by what amounted to a jab from Light Heavyweight journeyman Seth Petruzelli. Against Roy Nelson, any thoughts that Slice’s ground game was coming along were put to rest by Roy Nelson, who took Slice down and basically laid on him to prove a point.
Alexander is, on paper at least, the perfect opponent for Kimbo. Neither man has anything remotely resembling a ground game, a necessary ingredient for a potential Slice win. Furthermore, Alexander is the type of the opponent who will not only keep coming forward and willingly engaging Slice, he has shown a weakness in his chin which is another must-have for a Kimbo opponent. All that said, though, I still don’t think Kimbo can win this fight. Neither man can grapple and neither man has an iron chin, but Alexander has at least proved that his punches pack a sizable amount of power, something Kimbo has yet to do against an even remotely credible opponent. I don’t think this one will last long. The two will rush each other, throw haymakers, and one of them will get caught. Considering Kimbo’s track record, I see Alexander getting the best of him fairly early.
Fight Prediction: Alexander by T/KO, round 1.
