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RSS FeedMixed Martial Arts: Was Tank Abbott cheated in his fight with Kimbo Slice?
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| Yes | 38% | 15 votes | Total: 40 votes | |
| No | 62% | 25 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesWidely recognised as one of the most highly anticipated Mixed Martial Arts fights in a long time; this resembled more of a barbaric bare-knuckle street fight between two legends of the street, the Internet phenomenon known as Kimbo Slice versus the original Pit Fighter of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This was the fight that critics slated would never happen due to the controversy surrounding Kimbo Slice's entrance into the world of professional fighting straight from the underground by popular demand as well as the issues surrounding actually being able to find a venue daring enough to host what was built up to be the deciding main event of the year 2008 thus far.
The tension had been building for almost a year after Kimbo's first victory against Ray Mercer in a Cage Fury match, and his second win over Bo Cantrell in 19 seconds in his EliteXC debut. Of course, his victory over Bo Cantrell will likely be forgotten as his win over David Tank Abbott at the February 16 EliteXC: Street Certified event ended in both controversial and phenomenal circumstances at the 43 second mark into the first round.
Tank has been on a losing streak since mid 2005, losing his last 4 fights. In his EliteXC debut his losing streak continued as he fell to the ground at the controversial hands of Kimbo Slice, but what is this controversy that caused the premature end of this highly anticipated fight?
The EliteXC rules which aired before the main event stated that you must not strike the man in the head when he is face down. As Tank went for a grapple hold to takedown Kimbo to the ground to mount and capitalize the offense he was gaining from the opening bell, Kimbo hit a shot to Tank's head putting him to the ground, before grabbing his head, while he was face down on the mat attempting to stand, and hit three repeated shots to Tank's head, staggering him. Referee Troy Waugh intervened and pulled Kimbo away, but the fight continued with an obviously staggered Tank Abbott lasting another 30 seconds before being dropped with a Knockout shot to the head.
So tell me now, if it had been the other way around, if it had have been Kimbo on the receiving end of repeated grappled head shots while he was face down, from Tank Abbott, would Tank have been disqualified or would the fight have continued? If you ask me, Kimbo threw out the rules and got away with it simply because he was the fan favourite in the arena on the evening of February 16, if the tables were turned, Tank would most likely have gotten disqualified and the fight would have ended under disappointing terms with a Judges Decision to decide it, which obviously would have meant Kimbo would still have fun due to Tank throwing out the rules.
So the question I pose is, did Tank Abbott really have a chance? Tank looked to be in great shape, for Tank standards, and capitalized early on in the fight until the incident in which staggered him and which possibly caused him to lose the fight, but if the rules were thrown out altogether for another fight, Kimbo vs. Tank II, who would have their hand raised in victory? Was Tank CHEATED?
Without a doubt it was a controversial main event, and if you ask me, YES; David Tank Abbott got cheated. Look at the facts and look at the rules, and you will see that Troy Waugh did NOT enforce the very rules that he is in the cage to enforce, and to me, that leaves David Abbott out of a potential victory and a notch on his belt as the first man to defeat Kimbo Slice.
Learn more about this author, Wayne K. Wilkins.
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No
Mix Martial Arts have come a long way from how it started in America. Tank Abbott is a legend in the sport but that does not mean that he was a good fighter. He was never a good fighter. All that he is is a bar fighter, mostly accustom to take great punishment and punch blindly and without a strategy. Tank has absolutely no ground game and i think that he is the same as he was in the first UFC championships. All that has change is his age. Even tho Kimbo is a street fighter with only good boxing skills and blunt power he was still able to defeat Tank. That alone should tell you something. There is no way that Tank was cheated. HE WAS KNOCKED OUT. Tank's prime has long gone and Kimbo is learning. I'm sure that in a few years with the right training Kimbo will be a contender in whatever fighting league he is at. He is a big strong man. As for Tank he should retire. He was never really good. All that has helped him throughout all these years is his size and the fact that he can take a punch. When I see him fight it reminds me of a heavyweight wrestling in a high school match. His sprawls are horrible and his takedowns are non existent. I guess you can't ask much from a man that has that much of a belly when it comes to wrestling/ ground game. If you trully study Tank's technique or should i say lack of, you will notice that he doesnt even shrug his shoulder in a basic movement of protection of the jaw. he keeps his hands lower than they should be making his punches slower than he needs them to be. His takedown attempts consist of double underhooks and an inside trip which are not very successful while your opponents hips are back and he is taller than you. That is pretty basic but i guess he forgot that. I honestly think that Tank retire and find something else to do. Im sure he will have no problem getting a job as a local bar bouncer or security. This is a very tought sport and he might get hurt if he tries to continue fighting. The opponents only get better, faster, and stronger. There is a new breed of fighters being made. Urijah Faber aka California kid is the perfect example of the new breed. Explosive, strong, fast and mean.There is special schools that are training this kinds of fighters. Cross training is becoming more and more popular. Some gyms are training their fighter as early as the age of 9. It is not enough anymore to have a strong punch and to be big. Technique comes before all now. Someday Tank will realize this but till that day he is going to have a hard time and he is going to be in a world of pain.
Learn more about this author, Maximiliano Torres.
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