Internet brawler Slice takes aim at MMA pros

For years, Kimbo Slice has been an Internet sensation for his backyard brawls, battering and bruising complete strangers. Now, fight fans will get to find out if he has the skills to be a true professional.

Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, signed a long-term deal with EliteXC on Oct. 11th. He will make his debut for the promotion Saturday night at "EliteXC: Renegade" at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The event will air on Showtime at 10 p.m.

Slice was initially set to fight Mike Bourke, but Bourke withdrew from the bout after breaking his clavicle during training. Bo Cantrell, a journeyman fighter who lost his last fight to Brad Imes on Oct. 27, will take Bourke's place.

For years, Slice has been smashing up opponents in underground street fights, taking on all comers just about anywhere -- whether it be in a backyard, basement or parking lot. He has gained cult-like status for these fights, many of them recorded and posted on the Internet on popular sites like You Tube.

Now, Slice has given up his life on the streets and is hoping to make a career out of being a professional mixed martial arts fighter.

"In a backyard fight, I used to enter those things high," Slice said. "I was smoking before I went out to fight. Now it's different. I know these guys that are fighting me are professionals. So I have to bring my 'A' game."

Slice made his professional MMA debut in June against former WBO heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist Ray Mercer. The fight was scheduled to be an exhibition bout, but Slice took it very seriously, quickly defeating Mercer with a guillotine choke at 1:12 in the first round.

In fact, he is so serious about the sport that he is now training with three-time King of Pancrase and former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten to improve his overall skills and develop some new ones.

"I'm ready for anything coming my way," said Slice. "My groundwork is superb. I'm an all-around fighter. I'm no longer one-dimensional. I'm not going to stand there and bang. Working with Bas, that's like, man, he's like the Jimmy Johnson, the John Madden of NFL."

Fight fans have been strangely attracted to the 33-year old Slice, who has a unique way to entertain people with his straightforward fighting style and his brute honesty.

"I'm a professional now in my life and I'm taking this thing serious, man," Slice said. "A guy put me in an arm bar, you've got to break that [expletive] off. I'm not just tapping out. I don't know what tapping out is."

One thing that does make Slice seem like other professional MMA fighters is that he has set the same goal.

"Getting a title is the ultimate reason for all of us doing this," he said. "To get a nice payday and have that belt around our waist to consider ourselves a true champion. And that's what it's about with me, man."

The main event at EliteXC: Renegade will feature Nick Diaz and KJ Noons in a fight for the 160-pound title. This will easily be the biggest bout of Noons' career against the skilled and crafty veteran Diaz.

"I've been training my butt off hours every day so I don't know how much more I'll have to train to get ready for it" Noons said. "But come Nov. 10, 'm going to be ready for everything because Nick Diaz brings a well-rounded, all-around game -- striking, clinch, wrestling, submissions. He's a great all-around fighter."

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