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Video Claims EliteXC Fixed Kimbo Slice Fight

By Michael David Smith
Although I think referee Dan Miragliotta was a little quick to stop it, I do not believe that Saturday night's Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson fight was fixed. But a lot of people do believe that, and I think it's fair to give their side of the story. This video is the best case I've seen so far: (Note: video has been pulled by user)

So why do I believe the EliteXC fight was legit?

Let's take the claims presented in the video point by point:

1. Kimbo tapped out at 2:47 of the first round. It's inconclusive from the video whether Kimbo was tapping while Thompson had him in the guillotine, or whether he was just putting his hand on Thompson's arm. But if Thompson felt a tap, wouldn't he have started jumping up and down, celebrating that he had just won the fight? And if Kimbo really felt that he were being choked out, wouldn't he have continued tapping and not just touched Thompson's arm quickly?

2. Miragliotta shouldn't have stood them up at 2:56 of the second round. I agree, he shouldn't have. Thompson was in an advantageous position and should have been given more of an opportunity to exploit that advantage. But referees stand guys up all the time in positions where one fighter has an advantage. That doesn't mean the ref is in the tank for the fighter at the disadvantage.

3. The fight should have been stopped in the last minute of the second round. I disagree. Although Thompson was raining elbows down on Kimbo's head, and Kimbo was showing pathetic ground defense, the fact is that Thompson's elbows really weren't doing that much damage. If you look at Kimbo after the second round, he appeared to be drained from a cardio standpoint, but he didn't look dazed from shots to the head.

4. The stoppage was early. I agree, but I also think Miragliotta's case is valid: Thompson had the glassy-eyed look of a guy who had been concussed.

Overall, I don't think any of the three men in the cage for Saturday night's main event put on a particularly impressive showing. But that doesn't mean the fight was fixed.

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