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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
While Bellator announced a fight between Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock for June 20 in St. Louis, the fighters have a couple of hurdles they'll need to pass in order to make that fight happen.
According to Missouri Office of Athletics Executive Director Tim Lueckenhoff, both fighters will be subject to additional medical testing given their respective ages and the time that has passed since each last fought. Additionally, that won't come until Bellator actually makes an official request for that date with the commission, as they had not yet done so prior to announcing the bout.
"I looked up both their records, including Ferguson’s boxing record," Lueckenhoff said in an interview with MMAjunkie.com. "Ferguson fought here a few years back in a boxing match and was losing right up to the last seconds when he scored a KO win. At this point, prior to approval we would request some additional medical testing to make sure they are physically fit and there are no preexisting conditions."
"If those are passed, I don't see any reason the fight would be denied, but the fight has not been turned in to this office, and no permit has been filed for the date... I will do some more investigation on their backgrounds once the date is secured and the fight is suggested, and the office will make a decision."
Penick's Analysis: It's not a scenario where either is fighting someone with no experience, which can often lead to fights being denied by commissions. Still, the commission would be right to make sure both are of good enough health to compete, because there are rightful concerns in licensing a 51-year-old to be in a professional fight.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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