Ultimate Fighter Thoughts: Season 10, Episode 3

Wow.

I'm kinda speechless right now. I have to wonder if the Kimbo Curse has officially followed the UFC and made its way into TUF. The Kimbo Curse, for those of you who don't know, mandates that if Kimbo's name is attached to a fight, two things will inevitably happen:

1. A ton of hype will go into that fight.

2. That fight will never live up to said hype.

I think informed MMA fans would have expected Kimbo to underperform at some level. However, I don't think any of us expected to succumb to LTKO. "Love Tap Knock Out."

I can't credit either guy with a great performance, but let me get to that below... PTN, thought bullets.

• I'm having a tough time following Kimbo's line of thinking displayed at the beginning. His "Enemy/Inner Me" monologue was hardly Shakespearean. Also, it would be nice to know exactly what his inner me has done to wrong his heavily bearded outer me. 'Cause I have no friggin' clue.

• The longer this opening goes on, the more I want to ask Kimbo to leave the Zen speak for Diego Sanchez.

• Kimbo says he'll put Kimbo to rest when he shaves the beard. I'm wondering if anyone in the house is anxious to get an electric shaver and drug him upon hearing this.

• Kimbo's agent reportedly had a clause in his contract that nobody fuck with the man's beard. Wow. I guess he's MMA's equivalent to ZZ Top.

• Team Rashad's coaches still don't know what to make of Roy Nelson. Teaching him has proven tricky at best, and Rashad thinks he may be too independent for his own good. I guess when you don't fit the "traditional" mold of a professional fighter, you could over-compensate by trying to be a bit too individualistic.

• The housemates are probably spot-on in acknowledging that were the fight a PPV main event, Kimbo would get the lion's share of the payday. My thoughts drift to Brock Lesnar's debut as a then-unproven commodity, and more significantly, Gina Carano's oversized purse for her loss to Cris Cyborg.

• In all fairness to Kimbo, it's not as if he demands such ludicrous amounts. We have YouTube and EliteXC for building the pseudonym that used to be Kevin Ferguson into MMA's biggest hype machine.

• It was funny to see how Keith Jardine's presence in the gym set off a chain reaction that almost led to our first fist fight outside the Octagon this season. Jardine wasn't even involved directly, but was rather used by Rashad as a talking point to irk his rival coach. It was interesting to see Rashad seemingly prod then retreat when Rampage began the verbal assault.

• Marcus Jones is not gonna last. That was my first thought when I saw him limping along. I began having flashbacks of this enormous dude huffing and puffing for his life after a basic conditioning drill. More on this later.

• He also seems like the biggest kitten in the house as his sensitivity was quickly pointed out by his coach and his housemates. He must also be the first aspiring MMA fighter/gardener I have ever heard of.

• Kimbo is definitely being painted as very humble this episode. Which is good for him, because in spite of his stigma with MMA purists, at least people can turn around and appreciate his personality.

• Before he goes all thuggish talking about guns and the streets.

• Rampage remains this season's highlight with his one-liners. His trash talk on James McSweeney and Roy Nelson's feet not getting wet in the shower were cliche at best, but his delivery is so spectacular, I can't help but laugh.

• Then he broke out the shaved dome. I legit looked at the screen and said, "Oh, no he didn't..."

• The fight begins tentatively. Both guys feel each other out on the feet and Kimbo begins throwing some stiff jabs. Pressuring Roy against the fence, he's managing to do a much better job of avoiding the takedown than he did with James Thompson.

• And then comes the inside leg sweep. A prophecy is foretold of things to come when Roy Nelson unloads the baby version of Brock Lesnar's hammerfist on Kimbo's dome. I think stubbing one's toe would evoke more pain than this.

• Second round begins and Kimbo comes out with more fire, igniting a one-two combination that stuns Big Country. But one knee attempt later and I'm getting a sense of deja vu.

• It's very hard to get someone in the crucifix once, let alone twice. I attribute this more to the loser's defense than to the winner's offense.

• Thank you Herb. You just saved Kimbo from a fate worse than noogies.

• Roy could use some humility, lest he be lampooned by MMA fans everywhere. He is talented, but he didn't look stunning in this outing by any means.

• He's also doing himself no favors by saying he's ready to go home and have something to eat. I understand character development, but c'mon...

• Yep... sure enough, Marcus looks to be on the outs for next week and Kimbo is positioned to step in and redeem himself. I hope this happens for the UFC's sake. For one, Kimbo is needed on the show worse than ever now that the Rampage/Rashad fight is off. Second, if he goes the distance in a potential second fight, he can be touted as the internet sensation-gone legit, and a huge comeback kid. It's good marketing for the UFC.

Perhaps the most shimmering silver lining in this episode besides the door being cracked for Kimbo is the shift in perception he's likely to receive from the masses. You have to remember this is a guy who hasn't "paid his dues," and is oftentimes questioned if not outright lambasted for his performances. He has largely remained an enigma since the collapse of EliteXC. While in that promotion, he was painted as someone who solely fought for the money.

UFC took the opportunity to show the "softer" side of Kimbo and humanize him. The end result? Some people will view him fondly as a nice, misunderstood guy who really is trying in earnest to become a pro.

Then others will view him as an OK guy who just doesn't belong in a cage. The polarization simply won't stop just because he was painted warmly. There will always be critics who acknowledge a nice disposition in lieu of absent talent.

UFC had better hope they accomplished the former big time if they want this season to be a success.