Ken Shamrock vs Kimbo Slice Set for June 20, 2015! Get the Details Here
The wait is finally over for those who've been left abandoned by the MMA gods in 2008, as Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock finally get the chance to find out who between them is the better fighting machine, mid-2015.
It was six years in the making, but the two are finally on a collision course in the mixed martial arts world, said ESPN, citing Bellator MMA officials.
The much-awaited fight will be the main event in a Spike TV event on June 20 at Scottrade Center, in St. Louis, Missouri, the report noted. It will be a nontitle heavyweight fight.
It's familiar territory, noted Inquisitr. The two were originally scheduled for a main event on Oct. 4, 2008, in Sunrise, Florida, but Shamrock opted out on the day itself, owing to an accidental cut while warming up.
Shamrock was replaced by Seth Petruzelli in a fight aired on CBS, ESPN noted. Slice, who was then a ratings magnet, fell in a 14-second knockout to record his first MMA loss.
In a tweet, Bellator announced a confirmation on Feb. 26: "The fight that almost happened, well, it's happening! #BellatorMMA"
"Ken [Shamrock], I owe you this a-- whooping. No more running! No more hiding!" Slice (real name Kevin Ferguson) said in a statement, quoted by ESPN.
"Kimbo Slice and I have some unfinished business. I am a fighter. That's who I am," Shamrock said, per ESPN.
"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," said the fighter, now 51. "I will quit fighting when I want to."
His last fight was in late 2010, a first-round knockout via leg injury against Mike Bourke, but he signed for multiple fights with Bellator, said the report. With a 28-15-2 record, his professional debut was in 1993, making him a pioneer in the sport.
He was an archenemy to former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, and their final meeting in 2006 is still the most watched MMA fight on Spike TV, ESPN added.
For Inquisitr, he was, more than a pioneer, also a big star in his heyday, taking part in the first UFC championships in 1993, losing to Royce Gracie. Post-match, the UFC and the fighter became very recognizable, it noted.
On the other side of the ring, Slice, 41, stormed mixed martial arts as an Internet sensation, noted Inquisitr. He was signed by EliteXC in 2007 and became a 2009 contestant in "The Ultimate Fighter 10," the highest rated in the franchise, per MMA Fighting. His MMA record is 4-2.
He was absent from MMA since May 2010, after losing to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113 in Montreal, and then gained a 7-0 record - with 6 wins via KO - in professional boxing, noted ESPN.