Kimbo Slice not enjoying cutting weight for first time

By Brett Okamoto

Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 | midnight

Thanksgiving is coming late this year for Kimbo Slice.

Forced to cut weight for the first time in his life, Slice has spent the last 90 agonizing days dropping his sturdy frame to the 215-pound catch-weight of his upcoming fight with Houston Alexander at The Pearl at The Palms on Saturday.

On Thursday, it was clear the process had affected Slice in a negative way, although at that point he was only one day away from the finish line at today’s weigh-in.

“Physically, I feel good for the most part right now. I’m just hungry as hell,” Slice said. “I just want to eat something. I’m going to gobble gobble after the weigh-in man, believe that.”

Competing as a heavyweight on this season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Slice wasn’t required to cut any weight during the show.

Although he says he was expecting the process to be difficult when he agreed to the catch-weight, it’s been a lot tougher than he had thought.

“Honestly, the last time I was at this weight was in middle school,” Slice said. “I’m at the weight, but it’s just maintaining it. If I drink a glass of water I’m back at 230. It’s really a mental ting. I didn’t know how serious it was going to be.

“Hopefully, it won’t take a negative turn for me.”

The toll on Slice mentally and physically of cutting weight for the first time could play out to Alexander’s advantage come Saturday night.

Alexander expects to weigh in about 208 pounds, the same weight he walks around at.

“From what I hear from wrestlers who have to cut weight, it’s tough even when you’re used to it,” Alexander said. “So it’s got to be tough this being his first time. There’s definitely an advantage there for me because I can get in there and eat a pizza before I get on the scale if I wanted to.”

It’s a bad time for Slice to be feeling off before a fight, as the 35-year-old finds himself teetering on the edge of becoming irrelevant if he’s unable to win a fight soon.

Although the popularity he earned during his years as an Internet sensation has yet to fade, Slice has lost his last two nationally televised fights against Seth Petruzelli and Roy Nelson.

While his humble nature and willingness to learn has earned him respect in the fighting world, his lack of a ground game has made him suspect as a mixed martial artist — a fact that Alexander is planning on exploiting Saturday night.

“We’re going to pressure him and force him to be an MMA fighter,” said Alexander, who had similar problems as a one-dimensional fighter early in his career. “I’ve gotten past the point of a street brawler. Thiago Silva forced me to become an MMA fighter; James Irvin forced me. We’re going to force him.”

Slice has taken the right steps into becoming the more well-rounded fighter, joining the American Top Team following his participation on the show to improve his ground game.

Although he says he’s drawn to certain aspects of Jiu-Jitsu and will continue to learn, he made it no secret that his interest remains in letting his hands loose from his feet.

“I kind of like the ground game because it’s real tricky,” Slice said. “You can bait people, set things up and feel for movements.”

“But this is my bread and butter,” he says, raising his fists. “Hopefully if it goes to the ground, being at ATT now has given me the ABCs so that I’ll know enough to get off the ground. I want to learn one or two things, but I do want to get on my feet and knock somebody out.”

Stylistically the two fighters match up well, as Alexander has shown the tendency to stand and bang throughout his entire career.

Because of this, Alexander said he knew that he would take on Slice as an opponent as early as a year ago because the matchup was such a no-brainer.

“I had a dream last year that I actually fought him,” Alexander said. “I knew we were on this path to fight. We have similar styles. It’s a good matchup for me, and I’m pretty sure it will be a good matchup for him.”

How did the fight end in his dream?

“I ended up shaving his beard off at the end,” Alexander said with a laugh. “Let’s just put it that way.”

Regardless of where the fight goes or how it ends, a self-described moody, hungry Slice made it clear to the UFC powers-that-be that there would be no cutting to 205 in his future.

“Man, I’d disappear at 205. You wouldn’t be able to see me at all at 205,” Slice said. “I would literally disappear. This cut was hell; 205 would be impossible. I guess if I hired a nutritionist and hired a chef it could be done, but let’s not even talk about that. The wrong people may be listening and trying to make it happen.”

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or [email protected].