UFC's Frank Mir: 'Every Time Kimbo Slice Fights It Sets the Sport Back'

By Michael David Smith - Lead Blogger

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Frank Mir, the Brazilian jiu jitsu specialist who will be a coach on The Ultimate Fighter this season and will fight for the UFC heavyweight championship in December, is a smart, articulate man who represents the sport of mixed martial arts well.

But Mir thinks MMA has an image problem, and he thinks some of the sport's best-known competitors -- including Kimbo Slice -- are the reason for that. He tells Five Ounces of Pain:

Let's face it, the public's perception of MMA is not exactly fantastic. Every time guys like Tank Abbot or Krazy Horse (Charles Bennett) fought or even now with Kimbo Slice; every time Kimbo fights it sets the sport back. Guys like that just reinforce the idea in the public's eye that we are all blood thirsty barbarians who just want to pummel each other and that there is no skill required. Guys like them do the sport a disservice.

Kimbo will fight Ken Shamrock on October 4; Mir will fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on December 27. I'll be watching both, and while I agree that Mir-Nogueira is a better fight, that doesn't mean I think Kimbo-Shamrock is bad for the sport.

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