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ENNIS: My Two Cents on the Kimbo-TUF Story
Jun 2, 2009 - 10:38:51 PM ENNIS: My Two Cents on the Kimbo-TUF Story

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In my return to blogging on the Torch, I've got to of course chime in on the whole "Kimbo-TUF" saga. I see this as an absolutely no-lose situation for the UFC.

Here's the thing: the UFC doesn't need Kevin Ferguson. "The Ultimate Fighter" can use a boost, sure, and if all that comes from Ferguson being on the 10th season of the show is that the ratings get a boost, then that's a success. And that's the worst case scenario. As Wade Keller pointed out earlier, he could lose his first fight but still bring new eyeballs to the show, and it's still a good thing for TUF.

In addition, he'll surely be featured on the Finale, even if it's not in the finals of the actual tournament. And that's a ratings boost in itself. So not only have you gotten a ratings boost for the show—in the meantime you've got new eyeballs checking out prospects in your thinnest division (heavyweight), and they're exposed to numerous ads and highlights for other UFC events. They're also given a healthy dose of what's sure to be one of the most hotly-anticipated grudge matches of the last few years, in Evans vs. Rampage. There is no way this will turn out badly for the UFC.

Now to address the other part of this story, namely that Kimbo is being paid exactly the same as everyone else on the show…I tend to believe it.

Let's get one thing straight: I don't believe 90% of what Dana White says when it comes to how he runs the business (for example, I don't believe that the as-yet unknown announcement that he referred to on his video blog will change the UFC and MMA forever.) That's not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, it's just how it is. But we also know that Dana is a proud man. And I have no problem believing that he sat down with Kimbo or "Icy Mike" (Kimbo's manager) or both of them and laid out the situation: I'll have an all heavyweight season, just like I said I would. You come on the show, you don't have to fight to get into the house, but you get paid like everyone else, and there's no special treatment. I honestly don't find that too hard to believe. Would I be shocked if there was a little something on the side? No. But I think Dana wanted Kimbo on his own terms, and nothing else.

Unlike my colleague Jason Bent, I don't see this as exploitative at all. Are they trying to get a better rating, and guaranteeing Slice a spot in the house by doing away with the "Fight and you're in" stipulation? Of course. But once you're in the house, you've got to fight to move on. And I daresay that I highly doubt there will be any mercy for Ferguson once the cage door shuts. I'd also speculate that there's a good chance he fights better opposition than he's ever faced before in his first fight on the show. (Not that it would take much, mind you, but the fact remains.)

As for the speculation about Slice not fighting until late in the season, I don't buy that either. Or if he does fight late in the first round of the tournament, I don't buy that his opponent will be a cupcake. Can you picture either Rampage or Rashad Evans being okay with sacrificing one of his own team members to the other guy? I can't. Sure, when it comes down to it they're both company men. But there are just too many things that can go wrong when you try to tamper and be strategic with these things, and Dana White knows this.

So all in all, I think it's a fantastic move for the company with no downside whatsoever. There is no risk in bringing Kevin Ferguson in for a season of TUF. He won't be in any main events, he won't be in any fixed fights, and he won't have a high enough profile to cause any major controversy. The UFC has stars, so they don't have to shoot him to the top. They can bring him along slowly if he makes it out of the season, which in itself is a question mark. And if he doesn't make it out of the season, then Dana White was right in the first place. And is that such a bad thing?