Kimbo Slice and EliteXC on CBS - Bodog Odds

EliteXC: Primetime will be taking place on Saturday, May 31st, at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. A truly historic night for mixed martial arts, this show will be the first MMA event ever shown during prime time on a major American network. Be sure to tune in at 9 pm Eastern on CBS.

ELITEXC: PRIMETIME - FULL CARD

Preliminary Bouts

Jim Bova vs. Chris “The Story” Liguori

Carlton Haselrig vs. Carlos Morena

Mike Groves vs. Joe Sampieri

Wilson Reis vs. Justin Robbins

Zach Makovsky vs. Andre “Gigueto” Soares

Nick “The Mad Monkey” Serra vs. Matt Makowski

Televised Bouts

(Heavyweight) Brett “The Grim” Rogers vs. Jon Murphy

(Bantamweight) Gina “Conviction” Carano vs. Kaitlin Young

(Middleweight) “New York Badass” Phil Baroni vs. Joey “Smokin’ Joe” Villasenor

(Middleweight) “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs. “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith

(Heavyweight) Kimbo Slice vs. James “The Colossus” Thompson

ELITE XC - BODOG ODDS
Currently, Bodog is offering odds on six of the matches. Check back often, as more fights may be offered closer to the show. The maximum bet on each fight is $500.

Gina Carano -350 vs. Kaitlin Young +275

Phil Baroni -105 vs. Joey Villas nor -125

Brett Rogers -280 vs. Jon Murphy +220

Carlton Haselrig -200 vs. Carlos Moreno +160

Kimbo Slice -600 vs. James Thompson +400

Robbie Lawler -250 vs. Scott Smith +200

KIMBO SLICE VS. JAMES THOMPSON

The most intriguing bout of this EliteXC card, from a betting perspective, is the main event between Kimbo Slice (real name Kevin Ferguson) and England’s James Thompson. While Kimbo is a -600 favorite, his three fights so far have been very quick affairs. He submitted boxer Ray Mercer in 1 minute 12 seconds with a guillotine choke, knocked out Bo Cantrell in only 19 seconds and put down Tank Abbott in 43 seconds. All together, he’s had 2 minutes and 14 seconds of MMA experience in three fights. Certainly, Kimbo made a name for himself as a street fighter prior to his latest career, but street fighting isn’t exactly MMA.

James Thompson is a +400 underdog, and he’s coming off of two straight losses, with a record of 2-6 in his last eight fights. The massive Thompson is a big puncher, and he traditionally charges straight at his opponents when the bell rings, something his Japanese fans have dubbed “Gong and Dash.” But despite his recent setbacks, Thompson is a dangerous fighter. He’s defeated such men as Don Frye, Hidehiko Yoshida and Dan Severn. Not surprisingly, the majority of his wins have come by KO or TKO (which is essentially the same in MMA, as there’s no count when a fighter goes down).

Everybody knows that Thompson was brought in to be a perfect match for Kimbo’s style. He’s big, comes straight forward and has a questionable chin. But Thompson has also been training with Randy Couture, so he might just have a trick or two up his sleeve. Granted, Kimbo is hardly lacking when it comes to talented trainers, as he’s been working with Bas “El Guapo” Rutten since entering the MMA world.

Thompson has claimed that he’s going to take Kimbo to the ground and see what he’s made of, but only time will tell if The Colossus can resist a stand-up battle against Slice. This should be an interesting (and probably quick) fight, but bettors looking for a good opportunity should take a long, hard look at the +400 Thompson. He’s bigger than Kimbo, stronger than Kimbo and has knockout power equal to Kimbo. Like a boxing match between two sluggers, this one may come down to who gets in the first punch.

For more MMA, check out the following:

Bodog Fight - Alvarez vs. Lee

Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni

Kimbo Slice and EliteXC on CBS - Bodog Odds