Who said Bellator can’t make relevant fi… I can’t actually finish that sentence.
The oldest rivalry in mixed martial arts will finally be settled under the Bellator MMA banner. When I say oldest, I am of course referring to the ages of the competitors.
More than six years after it was first scheduled to happen, Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock will finally go toe-to-toe inside a cage.
Bellator MMA officials confirmed that a non-title (no shit, Sherlock) heavyweight fight between Slice and Shamrock will headline an event on June 20.
The two were originally booked to headline an event in the now defunct EliteXC promotion back in 2008 but athen 44-year-old Shamrock pulled out on the day of the fight with an injury.
Shamrock, 51, made his professional debut in 1993 and is widely considered to be one of the pioneers of the sport. Although he never officially retired, he has not had a professional bout since November 2010.
Today Shamrock announced that he has signed a multifight deal with Bellator and that he plans to settle his score with Slice in his return to the cage.
I am back. It’s good to be performing again for my fans. I feel great and my health is great. Age should never be a factor if an athlete is healthy, in great shape and has the drive to continue their sport. I will quit fighting when I want to.
Kimbo Slice and I have some unfinished business. I am a fighter. That’s who I am.
His opponent Slice, 41, made his name as a street fighter and achieved internet fame after videos of his street brawls went viral on YouTube. Slice joined the cast of The Ultimate Fighter season 10 and subsequently signed for the UFC.
On the show, Slice suffered a first-round TKO loss to eventual winner and famous fathlete Roy “Big Country” Nelson. He defeated Houston Alexander in his promotional debut but lost his sophomore bout to fat Chris Pratt Matt Mitrione, which marked the end of his short stint in the promotion.
Slice hasn’t competed in MMA since the Mitrione defeat but has been competing as a professional boxer since 2011. He racked up seven straight wins inside the ring before Bellator snapped him up earlier this year.
Hat-tip to ESPN
