Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

Story time, kids…

Once upon a time, a random guy trying to make a little bit of money challenged random guys from his neighborhood to fistfights for cash. Someone videotaped the backyard brawls, put the results on Youtube, and watched the videos and the fighter – Kimbo Slice – become an underground sensation.

Of course, in this day and age, anyone who gets even a shred of attention tries to find a way to mainstream themselves into cash, and the father of six who came into this world as Kevin Ferguson is no different.

Seizing upon his outsize personality and intimidating appearance, as well as a strong work ethic that hides behind the surface, EliteXC immediately thrust him into the national spotlight as a “real” fighter as Slice learned under the tutelage of MMA pioneer Bas Rutten. The MMA media was taken aback by EliteXC’s portrayal of Kimbo as a modern-day MMA Mike Tyson when he clearly had a rookie skill set.

But three fights later, Kimbo is still unbeaten, still carrying the EliteXC flag and still aiming to prove the doubters wrong. And there’s more good news for him: the responsibility of popping a huge rating is no longer squarely on his shoulders. After weeks of CBS and EliteXC stumbling in the promotion of the event, they announced last week that in a co-promotion with Affliction, they would feature a bout boasting former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Suddenly, the Oct. 4 card has some genuine momentum behind it. The promotion has people interested. The trick is building on it.

First and foremost, they need another win from Slice, who is facing off against MMA legend Ken Shamrock.

"I got nothing to prove to nobody no more," Slice says. "But every opportunity brings something different in you as a fighter. I didn't come out fighting James [Thompson] like I fought Tank [Abbott]. And I won't come out fighting Ken like I fought James."

Despite his fearsome reputation and intimidating appearance, Kimbo actually comes across as a respectful, thoughtful person who understands the opportunities that have come his way and works diligently to capitalize on them.

SPECIAL FEATURE Kimbo-crazy Check out photos from the life and times of the MMA phenomenon.

Of course, that doesn't jibe with his colorful past as a porn-company bodyguard and streetfighting legend, but it does explain the interest level in this 21st century celebrity who found fame in a decidely non-traditional manner before turning to the mainstream.

Now, his path crosses with Shamrock, a true pioneer of the sport whose fighting career pre-dates the beginning of the UFC as a company.

At 44, Shamrock is clearly nearing the end of his active days, but as we've seen in other combat sports, the end does not always come gracefully.

Shamrock has won just twice this decade, and has suffered five consecutive first-round knockout losses. While four of the five were to very good fighters (two to Tito Ortiz, one to Rich Franklin, and the last to Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba), his last loss was to British journeyman Robert "Buzz" Berry, who had never defeated another fighter of note, and whose 11 prior wins came against opponents with a combined record of 27-51-1 (.346 winning percentage).

Moreover, Shamrock has lost seven of his last eight fights dating back to 2002. Still, the legend says he has no intentions of retiring anytime soon.

"I'm not one of those kinds of guys to play it safe," he said. "I love doing what I do and I'm going to continue to keep fighting as long as I'm able to. This is what I do."

While EliteXC would never outwardly voice a rooting interest in the match, you have to believe they are whole-heartedly behind Slice. If Shamrock wins, Kimbo's myth will be shattered at the hands of a 44-year-old who you can't build the future around. In some ways, James Thompson — who was lampooned by many prior to his fight with Slice because of his own string of first-round knockout losses — was a more credible opponent.

Many people have pointed to Shamrock's ground game as the great equalizer in this match, as 22 of his 26 wins come by submission, but the last time he forced an oppponent to tap out was in 2001. While he is certainly the more schooled ground fighter, Kimbo is learning the game from Bas Rutten, a guy that faced Shamrock twice and is intimately familiar with his game.

In addition to that, Shamrock faces the problem of bringing the fight to the mat, a place where Kimbo likely won't willingly go. He'll be outweighed in the match by at least 15 pounds, and he'll have to come within target range of Kimbo's right hand to score that takedown, so it's no easy feat.

"I am going to win this fight in any fashion I can," Kimbo said. "I want to annihilate him and win by knockout, but if I win it on the ground, that is all good, too."

EliteXC has lost over $50 million since its inception as a company, and after July’s poor rating, this show is thought by many to be a make-or-break in staying on the CBS schedule. That likely led to the deal to bring in Arlvoski, a former UFC fighter with name value to many casual MMA watchers.

“Fighting on CBS is a very big opportunity for me and very exciting. I promise I will show a great fight,” he said.

Other than Slice, EliteXC has few readily recognizable athletes aside from the woman many have taken to calling “the female face of MMA,” Gina Carano, who fights Kelly Kobald-Gavin on Saturday.

Affliction and EliteXC have not announced any immediate plans to co-promote in the future, but have indicated they are open to the idea. Given EliteXC’s CBS platform and Affliction’s name fighters, it seems like a no-brainer.

Full card
Main event
Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock

EliteXC welterweight title match
Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley

Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson
Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobald-Gavin
Benji Radach vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua

Preliminary Card
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi
Connor Heun vs. Edson Berto
Seth Petruzelli vs. Aaron Rosa
Jorge Bouchat vs. Nicolae Cury
Lorenzo Borgomeo vs. Mikey Gomez
Brett Jackowski vs. David Gomez

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