I was REALLY impressed with Kimbo's game

[scurlaruntings]

He had good knees
He had a decent sprawl
He knew how to bridge well, but his hip escape needs work(shrimping)
He had a good cross-face
He actually tried a 10 finger guillotine and he swept Thompson with it
His conditioning has improved leaps and bound over his street-fighting days.

Kimbo was exposed for having no ground game and not being a top fighter?
Really? Tell us something we DIDNT know. Also, all of those people who called JT a CAN. He has showed much improvement and was training at Xtreme Couture. HE IS NO CAN. Not an elite fighter, but not a can. He showed a LOT of heart in the main event. BTW, JT was out on his feet and was a good fight. If a fighter gets flash Koed 2 or 3 times in a fight, plus the ear popped, they have to stop it. Once again, they have to be on the safe side. You guys want for JT to get seriously hurt and have the media call for ban to MMA in the US?

Why didnt James get this nonsense sorted before the fight? as this supposed to be his MMA badge of honour?
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Cant really blame Thompson for this:lol:

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Anyone like Kimbo`s Benoit impression? :yep

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[Rattler]

So.... you're impressed by the fact that it took him three rounds to finish off Thompson?

[Ted Stickles]

I understand the authors position.I was slightly impressed with the limited skill he showed with the knees,and reversals,i didnt think he would even be able to do that.......He kneeds to work on his stamina and takedown defense big time ala Liddell...he has the stand up down and needs to focus on the other things more

[Big T]

He had a semi good ground game vs a fighte that is never known for a ground game. Ya I am impressed. He knees where good.

And YES JT is a above a can. But he isn't a very good fighter. He loops punches, has no chin, and his ground and pound stunk the join out. Fighters that know how to ground and pound wouldv'e ended that fight.

[Ted Stickles]

He had a semi good ground game vs a fighte that is never known for a ground game. Ya I am impressed. He knees where good.

And YES JT is a above a can. But he isn't a very good fighter. He loops punches, has no chin, and his ground and pound stunk the join out. Fighters that know how to ground and pound wouldv'e ended that fight.

Definately his elbows were quite weak for a large guy......

[Max Molyneux]

Kimbo should be locked In a cage and kept as a pet, the dude looks like an animal!

[scurlaruntings]

So.... you're impressed by the fact that it took him three rounds to finish off Thompson?What standard are you judging him by? The guys a brawler with NO PROFESSIONAL experience whatsoever who was able to hurt an experienced vet like Thompson. My opinion of Kimbo is more hollistic that most here. The guy is what he is.

[RUSKULL]

I was embarrassed for Kimbo & Elite XC last night. They set him up to be their new star and his fight with Thompson looked like 2 amateurs swinging away at each other. Kimbo gassed halfway through the 2nd round, not exactly elite. Thompson was brought in to be an easy win & everyone watching knew it too, things just didn't go according to plan.

They could've just as easily stopped the fight in the 2nd round when Thompson was pounding away on Kimbo, and the announcers were like "I don't know how to score that round" as if Kimbo might have won that one! Blatant bias for their new star attraction...............

I dare them to put him in with any HW with a decent chin.

[Rattler]

What standard are you judging him by? The guys a brawler with NO PROFESSIONAL experience whatsoever who was able to hurt an experienced vet like Thompson. My opinion of Kimbo is more hollistic that most here. The guy is what he is. Thompson was put in there to be dominated. Thompson and his weak chin were put in there to be knocked out. Kimbo was set up to explode and kick ass... and he did none of that. I'm judging him by the competition and the expectation of what he should do against that competition. The fact that he HAD to show all that, answers your question. Thompson shouldn't have been allowed to hang around long enough to make Kimbo sweat. As it was, Kimbo's fortunate to get a victory here.

[RUSKULL]

Thompson was put in there to be dominated. Thompson and his weak chin were put in there to be knocked out. Kimbo was set up to explode and kick ass... and he did none of that. I'm judging him by the competition and the expectation of what he should do against that competition. The fact that he HAD to show all that, answers your question. Thompson shouldn't have been allowed to hang around long enough to make Kimbo sweat. As it was, Kimbo's fortunate to get a victory here.

Agreed 100%. How many unanswered punches did Thompson have to land before he'd get the stoppage from that bias ref? I counted about 35, Kimbo wasn't even defending himself and a stoppage would've been justified.

[Tuffnutz]

Both fighters sucked balls! :yep

[Rattler]

Both fighters sucked balls! :yep Actually.... Thompson was a lot better than he's supposed to be. He stepped up to the occasion. I respect that.

[Tuffnutz]

He still sucked balls. :yep

[Rattler]

He still sucked balls. :yep Yes... but less balls than usual. Which is something... I think. :think

[Tuffnutz]

Yes... but less balls than usual. Which is something... I think. :think :lol:

[Sundance]

I thought Slice was out at the end of the second. I won't be paying anymore attention to this guy after Thompson.

[Sundance]

I thought Slice was out at the end of the second. I won't be paying anymore attention to this guy after Thompson.

[AJAX]

I thought Slice was out at the end of the second. I won't be paying anymore attention to this guy after Thompson.

The best part was one of th judges had given the round to Slice:nono

[bachatu]

Guys you are judging Kimbo like he is supposed to be elite? No one made such claims... You have to consider his back round and where he came from; the streets. This is a guy coming off fighting whatever and whomever, which includes many average joes off the streets to fighting professional fighters who train for living and have done so for years. You cannot compare the experience and conditioning of an MMA athlete vs a guy who just started training for MMA in the past yr or so. Conditioning and how you take care of your body through the years makes a big difference when competing at a high level. You may think "Thompson is a bum"... He may appear to not be up there with the top guys, but he would smother or kill most people off the street in a cage, so keep that in mind.

Im seeing many complaints on how bad he looked (i.e. poor ground skills) and how fast he gassed: 1) he hasnt been training to the extreme for that long 2) his expertise, if he has one, is with his fists not on the ground.
Also, I see the argument that it took Kimbo way too long to ko Thompson, and it wasnt even a clean ko; it was a early stoppage in favor of Kimbo. While I agree the stoppage was garbage, I believe the only reason why the fight went that long was because Kimbo was put on his back within the first minute of the fight, spent a lot of time on his back and expanded way too much energy in trying to wrestle with Thompson; and as stated, he doesn't have the experience in MMA nor has he developed the conditioning .
Because of this, he gassed early, and he didn't have the KO pop he usually would have. Thompson's plan from the beginning was to not stand in there and trade, but to take him down as early as possible and take Kimbo into deep waters; he succeeded. A similar thing happened to Mirco Cro Cop when he fought Gonzaga. Gonzaga took him down, pounded him a bit and then Cro Cop was gassed right afterwards and was caught sleeping with a nasty kick.

Kimbo still needs time to develop his conditioning and train in areas where he is most vulnerable (i.e such as the ground). THe question is, however, at 33 does he have this time? Only time will tell. Nevertheless, I thought this was an entertaining fight. I don't think this fight exposed anything. It simply confirmed and showed Kimbo's inexperience, but it also showed that he has heart and he didn't crumble.

Let me ask you this: If Thompson was to stand in there and trade with Kimbo from the opening bell, do you think the fight would have went the same? Of course not. But thats what makes it MMA. Each fighter uses their skillset to try to beat the other fighter. Kimbo simply hasnt developed his skillset in MMA yet.

[Andreikov]

Guys you are judging Kimbo like he is supposed to be elite? No one made such claims... You have to consider his back round and where he came from; the streets. This is a guy coming off fighting whatever and whomever, which includes many average joes off the streets to fighting professional fighters who train for living and have done so for years. You cannot compare the experience and conditioning of an MMA athlete vs a guy who just started training for MMA in the past yr or so. Conditioning and how you take care of your body through the years makes a big difference when competing at a high level. You may think "Thompson is a bum"... He may appear to not be up there with the top guys, but he would smother or kill most people off the street in a cage, so keep that in mind.

Im seeing many complaints on how bad he looked (i.e. poor ground skills) and how fast he gassed: 1) he hasnt been training to the extreme for that long 2) his expertise, if he has one, is with his fists not on the ground.
Also, I see the argument that it took Kimbo way too long to ko Thompson, and it wasnt even a clean ko; it was a early stoppage in favor of Kimbo. While I agree the stoppage was garbage, I believe the only reason why the fight went that long was because Kimbo was put on his back within the first minute of the fight, spent a lot of time on his back and expanded way too much energy in trying to wrestle with Thompson; and as stated, he doesn't have the experience in MMA nor has he developed the conditioning .
Because of this, he gassed early, and he didn't have the KO pop he usually would have. Thompson's plan from the beginning was to not stand in there and trade, but to take him down as early as possible and take Kimbo into deep waters; he succeeded. A similar thing happened to Mirco Cro Cop when he fought Gonzaga. Gonzaga took him down, pounded him a bit and then Cro Cop was gassed right afterwards and was caught sleeping with a nasty kick.

Kimbo still needs time to develop his conditioning and train in areas where he is most vulnerable (i.e such as the ground). THe question is, however, at 33 does he have this time? Only time will tell. Nevertheless, I thought this was an entertaining fight. I don't think this fight exposed anything. It simply confirmed and showed Kimbo's inexperience, but it also showed that he has heart and he didn't crumble.

Let me ask you this: If Thompson was to stand in there and trade with Kimbo from the opening bell, do you think the fight would have went the same? Of course not. But thats what makes it MMA. Each fighter uses their skillset to try to beat the other fighter. Kimbo simply hasnt developed his skillset in MMA yet.

Wow, finally a good comment !

[Big T]

Again, what gets the REAL MMA Fans ticked, is ESPN, CBS and other are trying to make Kimbo look like the face of the sport. Many great MMA fighters made the sport like it is. But a guy that made his living beating people like me and now he is the big name in MMA. As a MMA that is a insult. Shaw put JT in to fight Kimbo for one reason...to get KTFO! and that is a fact. This was to be Shaws big splash with Kimbo and his MMA Promotion. I have been a MMA fan since UFC 2. I have seen this sport grow and been with it from almost the start. To me, in UFC 2-20 would be Kimbo's time. Just look at Tank for that. And to put Kimbo in the same light as Cro Cop is a joke. Cro Cop is a MMA fighter who has worked for years in this sport. Cro Cop also time might have passed. But Kimbo needs a lot of work, with not so much press.

[scurlaruntings]

Actually.... Thompson was a lot better than he's supposed to be. He stepped up to the occasion. I respect that.Stepped up? Dude he was fighting Kimbo! A guy who`s 2-0 with no fighting experience other than a few internet scraps!

[LONE WOLF]

Thompson got knocked out by pretty much everyone with a single punch. I'm starting to question Kimbo's punching power.

[scurlaruntings]

Thompson got knocked out by pretty much everyone with a single punch. I'm starting to question Kimbo's punching power.The guy was gassed after the 1st round.

FACT 1) your power is seriously dimished when gassed
FACT 2) Kimbo CAN punch. Any man in combat sports over 200lbs due naturally to the laws of physics can when connectiing cause serious damage.
FACT 3) Thompson is an MMA veteran with a far better resume than Kimbo

Ironically if anything Kimbo`s striking is better than Thompsons which speaks volumes about Thompsons ineptness from the stand up. His GNP was just trash. Now im not saying this to denegrate Thompson who`s a gutsy guy who works hard. But Kimbo has never asked to be the face of EliteXC or MMA. This guy is just trying to make bread that is all. He wasnt exposed because he was never a professional athlete with any amateur pedigree to speak of. The person to question is that idiot Gary Shaw. Once the wheels fall off lets see where he finds his next cash cow.

[fatcity]

It was a fight between two very limited pro's in terms of skills.It was what it was.What it wasn't was a MAIN EVENT bout.That where Shaw is making his BIG mistake.:verysad

[bachatu]

The guy was gassed after the 1st round.

FACT 1) your power is seriously dimished when gassed
FACT 2) Kimbo CAN punch. Any man in combat sports over 200lbs due naturally to the laws of physics can when connectiing cause serious damage.
FACT 3) Thompson is an MMA veteran with a far better resume than Kimbo

But Kimbo has never asked to be the face of EliteXC or MMA. This guy is just trying to make bread that is all. .

I agree. Kimbo did not ask for it... Even when asked about it (the exposure), he never makes any claims.. He's realistic and just says he is in there to fight and thats all. You cant blame him. Anyone else out there presented with the same opportunity would do the same. Is he supposed to decline the offer?

[AJAX]

I agree. Kimbo did not ask for it... Even when asked about it (the exposure), he never makes any claims.. He's realistic and just says he is in there to fight and thats all. You cant blame him. Anyone else out there presented with the same opportunity would do the same. Is he supposed to decline the offer?

totally agree, he's laughing all the way to the bank. He hasn't disrespected anybody or claimed he's something he's not, he's rolling with it and doing the best he can.

[scurlaruntings]

totally agree, he's laughing all the way to the bank. He hasn't disrespected anybody or claimed he's something he's not, he's rolling with it and doing the best he can.Personally i dont think Kimbo gives a crap about Shaw or EliteXC. It wasnt that long ago he was a pornstar bodyguard. His got 6 kids to feed and an opportunity like this for him is a blessing. Id do the same dam thing and ride it till the wheels fall off. I cant understand why anyone here judges him by a professional standard when we know what he was from the beginning.

[québecwarrior]

do you think Kimbo can beat Rodgers?

[AnthonyJ74]

The guy was gassed after the 1st round.

FACT 1) your power is seriously dimished when gassed
FACT 2) Kimbo CAN punch. Any man in combat sports over 200lbs due naturally to the laws of physics can when connectiing cause serious damage.
FACT 3) Thompson is an MMA veteran with a far better resume than Kimbo

Ironically if anything Kimbo`s striking is better than Thompsons which speaks volumes about Thompsons ineptness from the stand up. His GNP was just trash. Now im not saying this to denegrate Thompson who`s a gutsy guy who works hard. But Kimbo has never asked to be the face of EliteXC or MMA. This guy is just trying to make bread that is all. He wasnt exposed because he was never a professional athlete with any amateur pedigree to speak of. The person to question is that idiot Gary Shaw. Once the wheels fall off lets see where he finds his next cash cow.

Kimbo's power went downhill very fast! I mean, the guy is definitely big and strong, and his striking skill is very good. But it was almost painful to watch his slow motion punches after the first round. I was thinking that any club fighter - professional boxer - would probably starch Kimbo. If you stand there and let Kimbo tee off on you, then yeah, he'll mow you down. But as a professional boxing fan - and just a very casual MMA fan - I couldn't help but notice the huge bulls eye that Kimbo had on his head out there. The guy is so wide open! And Thompson, for being an experienced MMA veteran, had virtually no striking skills! It was unbelievable!

[shavers]

didnt butterbean take out thompson with a big right in the first..
A punch that hardly graced him?

Well done Kimbo......

[JonathanSomer]

IMO kimbo needs to learn from this fight and start a serious conditioning routine.. he was completely out in that last round. If the fight wouldn't have been stopped the end could have been different. thompson looked furious when the ref stopped the fight.

[sugarngold]

do you think Kimbo can beat Rodgers?
Yes. Rogers is almost as raw as Kimbo inside the cage. No doubt, Shaw is gearing up to match Kimbo and Rogers in the cage somewhere in the near future.

[jimmie]

He couldnt even drop Thompson whos been dropped by everyone. Id love if he faced Fedor or Couture who would both laugh in his face after his best punch then take him down rape him.

[LONE WOLF]

The guy was gassed after the 1st round.

FACT 1) your power is seriously dimished when gassed
FACT 2) Kimbo CAN punch. Any man in combat sports over 200lbs due naturally to the laws of physics can when connectiing cause serious damage.
FACT 3) Thompson is an MMA veteran with a far better resume than Kimbo

Ironically if anything Kimbo`s striking is better than Thompsons which speaks volumes about Thompsons ineptness from the stand up. His GNP was just trash. Now im not saying this to denegrate Thompson who`s a gutsy guy who works hard. But Kimbo has never asked to be the face of EliteXC or MMA. This guy is just trying to make bread that is all. He wasnt exposed because he was never a professional athlete with any amateur pedigree to speak of. The person to question is that idiot Gary Shaw. Once the wheels fall off lets see where he finds his next cash cow.

I dont agree with some of the things here. First of all, just because you're built does not mean you have a huge punch. There are lots of small guys with a talent and lots of big guys with no pop. I'm sure he has heavy hands for a regular person, but in terms of being a world class MMA athlete i am starting to doubt it. Alexander Emelianenko is by no means a one hit wonder, and he had Thompson out with one sloppy cross. Kimbo landed tons of shots on Thompson even in the first round, and he couldn't knock him out.

[scurlaruntings]

I dont agree with some of the things here. First of all, just because you're built does not mean you have a huge punch. There are lots of small guys with a talent and lots of big guys with no pop. I'm sure he has heavy hands for a regular person, but in terms of being a world class MMA athlete i am starting to doubt it. Alexander Emelianenko is by no means a one hit wonder, and he had Thompson out with one sloppy cross. Kimbo landed tons of shots on Thompson even in the first round, and he couldn't knock him out.But thats just the point. Kimbo is NOT world class and will more than likely never be anything close to a world class athlete. His 33 or so and time is not on his side. I doubt that even interests him as his only in this to get paid and has said so clearly. He doesnt call out names he just comes to fight and pick up his cheque. If Shaw is able to promote the ass out of him so that most of the fans actually think Kimbo will be something then they`ve been duped.

[codeman99998]

I dont agree with some of the things here. First of all, just because you're built does not mean you have a huge punch. There are lots of small guys with a talent and lots of big guys with no pop. I'm sure he has heavy hands for a regular person, but in terms of being a world class MMA athlete i am starting to doubt it. Alexander Emelianenko is by no means a one hit wonder, and he had Thompson out with one sloppy cross. Kimbo landed tons of shots on Thompson even in the first round, and he couldn't knock him out.

Aleksander is a VERY good striker.

I want to see Kimbo versus Butterbean.

[Beebs]

He's a power puncher with no power, an no nothing else, hes nothing really.

[Coast]

Stepped up? Dude he was fighting Kimbo! A guy who`s 2-0 with no fighting experience other than a few internet scraps!

Neil Grove was 2-0 when he put JT to sleep in 10 seconds.

Anytime Megapunk is still upright after the 1st round it's a big step up for him.

[lawton]

He had good knees
He had a decent sprawl
He knew how to bridge well, but his hip escape needs work(shrimping)
He had a good cross-face
He actually tried a 10 finger guillotine and he swept Thompson with it
His conditioning has improved leaps and bound over his street-fighting days.

Kimbo was exposed for having no ground game and not being a top fighter?
Really? Tell us something we DIDNT know. Also, all of those people who called JT a CAN. He has showed much improvement and was training at Xtreme Couture. HE IS NO CAN. Not an elite fighter, but not a can. He showed a LOT of heart in the main event. BTW, JT was out on his feet and was a good fight. If a fighter gets flash Koed 2 or 3 times in a fight, plus the ear popped, they have to stop it. Once again, they have to be on the safe side. You guys want for JT to get seriously hurt and have the media call for ban to MMA in the US?

Why didnt James get this nonsense sorted before the fight? as this supposed to be his MMA badge of honour?
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Cant really blame Thompson for this:lol:

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Anyone like Kimbo`s Benoit impression? :yep

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Good points....

[geppy]

I thought Slice was out at the end of the second. I won't be paying anymore attention to this guy after Thompson.

Yeah, he could barely get up after that barrage of elbows. Kimbo was pretty much out at that point. The bell saved him no doubt.