They say anything is possible in mixed martial arts and, apparently, that includes time travel.
A matchup between Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice – a fight originally set to take place in 2008 – will headline a June 20 Bellator MMA event.
“I remember how excited I was when this fight was originally announced, and how disappointed I was when it didn’t come to fruition at that time,” Bellator president Scott Coker said in a press release. “I’m very happy we were able to put this one together because I know these guys still have a lot of unfinished business to take care of, and when they do, it will be something special.”
Shamrock (28–15–2) and Slice and were originally supposed to fight at an Elite XC event in 2008, but Shamrock suffered a cut over his eye during pre-fight warmups and wasn’t medically cleared to compete. Seth Petruzelli stepped in on short notice and knocked Slice out in 14 seconds in a fight seen by 6.451 million viewers in the United States.
Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, hasn’t competed in the sport since 2010 following a loss to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113 in Montreal. He announced his return to the sport and signed a contract with Bellator in January.
The 41-year-old went 7-0 as a pro boxer following his stint with the UFC, which began with an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 10 in 2009. Overall, the street fighter turned YouTube sensation is 4-2 in MMA with notable wins over veterans Houston Alexander, James Thompson and Tank Abbott.
Shamrock, 51, also hasn’t fought since 2010.
