New League Sees Potential in Backyard Brawler
Kevin Ferguson, who goes by the name Kimbo Slice, has fought in only two professional mixed martial arts matches, and he has a long way to go before he is considered a polished, well-rounded fighter.
Over a three-year period, Kevin Ferguson posted a record of 22-1 in underground, bare-knuckle fights, according to Elite XC. More Photos »
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But when the Elite XC league and CBS broadcast the sport’s live network television debut from Newark on Saturday, the two companies are largely hinging their success on Ferguson, a 34-year-old native of the Bahamas and former street fighter who may become the mixed martial arts equivalent of Mike Tyson in his prime — or a major bust if he is ultimately outclassed by the sport’s elite fighters.
Ferguson is no ordinary mixed martial arts upstart: he is a YouTube sensation, a knockout artist who has garnered Internet fame for bare-knuckle brawling and a video of a man paying him $100 for a punch in the stomach.
A former college student turned strip-club bouncer turned porn-company bodyguard, Ferguson found his calling five years ago when he earned several thousand dollars in a backyard boxing match in Miami. A friend put a video of the fight on a porn site, and millions of people watched it.
Over a three-year period, Ferguson posted a record of 22-1 in underground, bare-knuckle fights, according to Elite XC. His only loss was a disputed one, to Sean Gannon, a police officer who later fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. (Ferguson declined to comment for this article, but his management team said the rules of that fight were unclear).
Ferguson has said he has given up street fighting to pursue a professional career and provide a better life for his family.
For CBS, betting on Ferguson’s success offers little risk: a one-year deal to broadcast four cards and what analysts say is likely a small investment in ProElite, the parent company of Elite XC. CBS would not disclose the exact amount.
The upside is potentially lucrative, as mixed martial arts attracts a demographic that CBS has struggled to court: men ages 18-34.
“What CBS is trying to get out of this is some low-cost programming that will attract a younger demographic,” said Alan Gould, a media analyst for Natixis Bleichroeder, a research firm based in New York.
ProElite, meanwhile, may be desperate for a big payoff. The company lost $27 million in 2007, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and it is seeking $5 million in immediate funding.
Gary Shaw, president of Live Events for Elite XC, said the bulk of ProElite’s debt stems from its acquisitions of several mixed martial arts promotions around the world, as well as the cost of starting a social networking site. Both, he said, are long-term investments that he expects will pay off.
Shaw has years of experience in the business. He has been a successful boxing promoter since 1999 and has worked with champions like Lennox Lewis, Shane Mosley and Tyson. He sees similar star potential in Ferguson, despite his relative inexperience.
And with good reason. A video of a man paying Ferguson $100 to tackle him has been viewed more than 4.9 million times on YouTube. His backyard brawls, two professional fights and an exhibition bout against the former boxing heavyweight champion Ray Mercer have been viewed several million more times, combined.
“Kimbo is tailor-made for the age we’re living in,” said Adam Swift, the editor of mmapayout.com, a Web site devoted to the business of mixed martial arts.
“We’re an internet driven culture, a reality driven culture. He has a natural charisma and a marketable look.”
Marketable in the sense that Ferguson has gold teeth and a substantial beard below his bald dome. The hair on the sides of his head is styled into cornrows. He has a penchant for shaving patterns into his chest hair. And all six of his children have names that begin with the letter K. One son is named Kevlar.
His Internet presence has also created a number of critics; prominent fighters and hardcore mixed martial arts fans have derided him as a mere spectacle. Elite XC is thrilled with the spectacle, unless Ferguson flops; a loss Saturday to James Thompson would be a major setback. Thompson, a 260-pound brawler from Britain who has a reputation for being an easy knockout, is a step up in competition for Ferguson, who has yet to face a fighter with a winning record.
If Ferguson improves to 3-0, Elite XC and CBS may also feel victorious.
“Saturday night is a graveyard slot,” said Tuna Amobi, a media analyst for Standard & Poor’s Equity Research. “Most of the networks will really take anything. If they can get anything working, it will only do them well from a financial perspective.”
