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The Rumble in the Jungle. The Thrilla in Manilla. Street Certified.
Mixed martial arts finally steps into the realm of classic names for classic contests on Saturday night when baby-face Kevin Ferguson, affectionately referred to as Kimbo Slice, takes on heel-of-the-decade David Abbott.
The fight is building up the much-deserved reputation of classic style matchup: the strategist versus the tactician. Boxing diehards that have lashed out against MMA for lacking stunning displays of the sweet science in the confines of a cage should be ready to eat their jagged words when the spotlights hit Slice and Abbott.
Abbott, who earned the nickname “Tank” for his elegant footwork in the infancy of the UFC, hopes to reclaim his elite pit fighter pedigree after a series of hard fought losses. He is training more than ever before—sparring, running, and only drinking on weekends. The UFC legend’s right hand is itching for Slice’s chin, which has not been tested against the likes of striking prodigies such as Abbott. Unfortunately for the Pride and Cage Rage veteran, his graceful sprawl that stems from his collegiate wrestling background will not be on display as this one will remain a pugilistic dream for fans—and nightmare for those in the fight.
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