Kimbo Slice's Boxing Debut Scheduled For August

Since there are no details to talk about, I thought I would post a short interview I did with Kimbo for The Rumble back when that was a thing. Anyway, here it is in its original form in a place where it won’t be scrubbed from the internet in six months.

Kimbo Slice Interview
(Originally published here on September 15, 2009.)

Friday afternoon I attended a little media gathering at Fight House Gym in New York City featuring the assumed star of The Ultimate Fighter 10, Kimbo Slice. It was a trip. Kimbo’s always been sort of a mythical beast in my mind. From seeing him on YouTube fighting in backyards to becoming an actual celebrity and fighting on CBS, he was certainly not a person I dreamed of meeting.

I’m not going to lie, seeing Kimbo in person for the first time was a bit jarring. He’s a big, scary dude – that’s not the cameras playing tricks. The gold teeth, the beard, the big golden fist on a big golden chain. They all made an appearance.

I’d always heard he was a nice guy, but it was another thing to speak to him and shake his hand. He was quiet and engaging and didn’t completely terrify me. (Not completely.) He did seem a little down, but I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. It could just be from answering the same questions again and again for days on end as Spike and the UFC promote the show. I wasn’t about to ask, “And why are you being such a gloomy Gus this afternoon?”

Kimbo took time out to take pictures and say hello to all the people at the gym, whether they were working out or just came in to get a picture of him punching them in the face. (He didn’t actually harm anyone – even though I begged him to give Ariel Helwani a noogie.)

I can’t say what the reaction would have been like if cast members Marcus Jones or Roy Nelson were there, but people were definitely drawn to Kimbo. He’s a polarizing figure in MMA and with good reason. I have no idea how he’ll fare on TUF 10, but it certainly won’t change the fact that he’s larger than life.

Now for the few questions I was brave enough to ask to Kimbo Slice’s face.

On how he got into the TUF 10 house:
“I really don’t know how it happened, you know? I was the last guy to know. My manager came to me with it. I’m not sure who contacted who.”

On finally being in the UFC:
“The UFC is like the NFL. This is where everyone wants to be. It’s a big deal.”

On the reaction his housemates gave him when he was introduced:
“It’s different to see how people feel about you when they say it to your face. Usually its behind your back.”

On Rampage’s immediate support:
“It’s good. Rampage and me, we’re from the same place. The same walk of life. It was good to have somebody on your side, you know? I’m a big fan of Rampage and I got a lot of respect for him.”

On being one of the smaller guys:
“Nah. I don’t care. I love fighting big dudes. I’ll fight anybody.”

On making friends:
“Yeah, once they got to know me. Sometimes people judge the book by the cover. Once they got to know me, it was different.”

On the toughest part about living in the TUF house:
“You gotta watch the season. You’ll see the answer. Yeah, you just gotta watch.”

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Wasn’t that something? Kimbo was the first person I ever interviewed. I didn’t even have a tape recorder. That’s why the interview is all soundbites. I was just scribbling shorthand like a jerk. Meanwhile, Ariel Helwani’s on the other side of the room with his videographer editing his clip to make sure his shirt looked extra plaid. That afternoon was truly a learning experience. Now I’m having long sit-down conversations with super models and comedians. Of course, none of them are as terrifying in person as Kimbo Slice.

[Image via Getty]