Michael David Smith of AOL FanHouse gets the first crack at him and most notably (and he's probably on to something), Shaw thinks Slice is likely being handsomely compensated:
Michael David Smith: What's your reaction to Kimbo going on The Ultimate Fighter?
Gary Shaw: It shocked me when I heard, especially after Dana dissing him for two years and saying the nastiest things about him. So it surprised me, knowing who Kimbo is, that he would succumb to working with Dana. It shows that whatever comes out of Dana's mouth is not always the truth.
Are you disappointed on a personal level? You put a lot into promoting and marketing Kimbo.
Sure. I just don't think it's a big enough platform for him. I think it's a step back. I think he's bigger than that.
...
Are you angry with him?
No. No. Not at all. Not at all. Whatever Kimbo wants to do, I'm happy for him. I don't know what they paid Kimbo -- maybe they paid him a boatload of money -- and in that case he's doing the right thing. Kimbo is one of those people that comes along every once in ages who has what I call the "it factor" as a promoter. I have a lot of fighters who come to me and are great talents but don't have the it factor. And then you have someone who comes along and has the it factor. Manny Pacquiao has the it factor. He's a star. He reeks of stardom. People gravitate to him. Kimbo is that way. When he walks into a room, he lights up the room. People yell "Kimbo! Kimbo!" It doesn't have anything to do with how he did in his last fight. It has to do with the it factor. When Tyson walks into an arena, everyone stands up. He's Mike Tyson, of course, but he's got that it factor. When you're at a basketball game and they show Jack Nicholson on the big screen, the place erupts. He has that it factor. And then they might show someone else who's also a great actor, but he'll just get a little hand. It's that special it factor that people have, even if they're not the greatest athletes in their sport.
So if Kimbo has that it factor, wasn't it smart of Dana White to sign him for The Ultimate Fighter?
For sure. I give Dana credit. I'm not anti-Dana or anti-UFC or anti-MMA. I give him credit. He did the right thing. I would have done it a little differently: I would have said, early on, "Kimbo is an asset and I'd love to have Kimbo." I don't see that as a sign of weakness. I would say that in boxing, if you ask me what I think of Manny Pacquaio, I'd say, "I hope some day he'll fight for me."
Are you disappointed that Kimbo won't be boxing?
Yes. Because I really believe that I could make him the heavyweight champ.
White and Shaw likely share similar views regarding the level and fervor of Slice's popularity, but differ in their willingness to make him justify it with legitimate athletic accomplishment. And that's a critical, critical difference.
Diaz has the edge in many areas of this matchup, specifically on the ground. Smith has been susceptible to the ground game in the past with losses to Ed Herman and David Terrell in the UFC, but Smith has been very good defensively in stuffing takedowns as of late. With the Diaz mentality in full effect, a slugfest could ensue that could bring the house down in St. Louis.
With Smith's heavy hands and Diaz's less than stellar defense and susceptibility to the power blow (i.e. KJ Noons), it could be an interesting matchup. Diaz's dynamic abilities were on showcase in the Frank Shamrock bout, and if he can push that same performance, Diaz could be on the verge of breaking out once again as a promotional headliner. Smith's knockout style of fighting is also something that Strikeforce would likely want to push due to its appeal to the casual fanbase. In any case, an exciting matchup with an impressive finish could truly be a win-win situation for Strikeforce.
At the end of the day, the logical choice would be Diaz due to his much more dynamic skillset. There are, however, other reasons that fight fans flock to watch Nick Diaz fight and support Nick Diaz's career.
Diaz is far from your model employee. He doesn't give the same worn cliche answers to interview questions that boring interviewees like Chuck Liddell or Dan Henderson give to media. He causes more controversy in one statement than one fighter can cause over a lifetime of interviews. He speaks what is on his mind, and he has no fear as to the repercussions. And for that mentality, fans love Nick Diaz.
While Nick Diaz may not be a role model for young children, he is the epitome of what this sport is. It's a fight. In a recent interview, Diaz talked about how many fighters want to dress up in suits, be professional and play to corporate sponsors. Diaz stated that he'll never be that guy because ultimately, this sport still comes down to two guys entering a cage and trying to kill each other. I truly believe the sport needs to make its way toward a more professional look and feel, but Diaz's whole outlook on the sport is a refreshing reminder that there are still guys out there engulfed in the lifestyle of being a warrior. Diaz doesn't care about the glitz or glamour, he just wants to fight.
It's interesting that for all the flack that Diaz is given for his rambling interviews and strange lifestyle, he still manages to produce huge hype for his fights with plain old insults and "badassness". Its this crude, simple way in which Diaz talks the talk, and then walks the walk that always brings me to a biased decision in picking Diaz. While I may not agree with everything the man says, I do respect the fact that Diaz fights because he just wants to fight.
Tune in on Saturday, June 6th on Showtime at 10 PM EST
