Get ready folks. The "Kimbo Show" is making its way to pay-per-view.
A heavyweight matchup between "The Ultimate Fighter 10" cast members Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Matt Mitrione (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is currently in the works for the main card of the as-yet-unannounced UFC 113 event in Montreal.
The matchup was first reported by FiveOuncesOfPain.com, and
MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) has since learned from sources close to the event that both parties have verbally agreed to the contest, though bout agreements have yet to be finalized.
UFC 113 is expected to take place at the Bell Centre on May 1 and feature a main event between light heavyweight rivals Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
The enigmatic Slice makes his pay-per-view debut after gracing the airwaves of CBS, Spike TV and Showtime. The former EliteXC star competed on the 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," though he was eliminated by eventual tournament winner Roy Nelson.
Slice returned for the live finale, where he earned a close – if unspectacular – decision over Houston Alexander in a catchweight contest. Despite the disappointing result of the fight, Slice will look to finally make his splash in the world's biggest promotion against another heavyweight slugger.
Mitrione, one of a handful of former NFL players to appear on "The Ultimate Fighter 10," takes the fight with Slice in just his second professional contest. Known to most of the world by his Rashad Evans-given nickname of "Meathead," Mitrione dispatched of a favored Marcus Jones in the season's live finale.
Despite a tumultuous tenure on the show in which Mitrione was labeled as a "Snitch," the 31-year-old Indiana resident appears to be just the type of foe for Slice that UFC officials would clamor for – a hard-hitting, legitimate heavyweight willing to trade leather with the former streetfighting sensation.
After a string of injuries left many late 2009 events the subject of heavy criticism, the early schedule for 2010 appears to be rounding out nicely.
With the reported addition, UFC 113 now includes:
- Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for light heavyweight title)*
- Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck*
- Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet*
- Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione*
- Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote*
- Jeremy Stephens vs. Sam Stout*
- T.J. Grant vs. Johny Hendricks*
* - Not officially announced
