On Monday, Bellator MMA confirmed that Kimbo Slice would be returning to their promotion for a fight with James “The Colossus” Thompson on July 16th from London. This comes despite Kimbo’s fight with Dada 5000 in February was a complete farce, resulting in Dada nearly dying in the cage and Kimbo failing a post-fight drug test and earning a suspension of 90 days.
Rivalries will be renewed. It's official, #Bellator158 is going down July 16th from the @TheO2 in London! pic.twitter.com/xdku1givj1
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 18, 2016
But let’s be honest here – it’s not a surprise that Bellator is bringing Kimbo back. The man draws absurd viewership numbers for Bellator on Spike. The farce (er, I mean fight) with Dada in February drew 2.5 million viewers, and the full card averaged 1.58 million viewers. Last June’s Kimbo-Ken Shamrock fight drew 2.1 million viewers.
Two million viewers per fight? On Friday night, nonetheless? Of course Bellator is going to the well again, even if he’ll be matched up with someone that doesn’t have name value with casual fans like James Thompson.
Speaking of James Thompson, he’s 37 now. He fought this past November and December, losing to Bobby Lashley in Bellator and 46-year old Tsuyoshi Kosaka in Japan. He actually fought Kimbo EIGHT YEARS AGO on an EliteXC card that aired on CBS, averaging 4.85 million viewers and peaking at 6.51 million viewers for the Slice-Thompson fight.
Of course, controversy ruled the day during that fight too – it was stopped in the third round with Thompson seemingly ahead on the scorecards after a barrage from Kimbo opened up Thompson’s swollen ear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eFqzV2EtX8
Now, imagine that fight with an extra eight years of age on the fighters. It’s probably going to be a complete mess and an embarrassment to MMA. But hey, it’s a freak show, and people will tune in – even if it’s on a Saturday night instead of a Friday night. Hopefully, neither of the fights nearly dies in the cage, and hopefully neither fails a drug test, either.
