KIMBO SLICE AND GINA CARANO OPEN MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

Posted on | September 20, 2008 | No Comments

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008

Legends Mixed Martial Arts Training Center, Los Angeles

There was a tremendous turnout at the Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano open media workout Wednesday at Legends Mixed Martial Arts Training Center in Los Angeles. The fighters will appear on the upcoming third installment of CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, broadcast live from the BankAtlantic Center, in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 4 (9-11 p.m., ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

A major attraction, the undefeated, incredibly popular Kimbo, of Perrine, Fla., near Miami, will face legendary Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock in a featured fight on a stellar, star-studded mixed martial arts card that includes women’s superstar Gina “Conviction” Carano and MMA standouts Jake Shields, Paul Daley and Murilo “Ninja” Rua.

Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.

The BankAtlantic Center box offices are located on both the North and South sides of the main entrance. Their normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event beginning at 10 a.m.

The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET. The event is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC.

Besides Kimbo-Shamrock, Shields defends his EliteXC welterweight belt against Daley, Carano collides with Kelly Kobold in a 140-pound bout and Rua, a former EliteXC middleweight belt-holder, faces Benji Radach at 185 pounds.

Cristiane “Cyborg’’ Santos meets Yoko Takahashi and Florida-based Edson Berto faces Hawaii’s Mike Aina at 170 in top undercard fights. The undercard also will feature Florida favorites Crafton Wallace and Seth Petruzelli, who will face foes to be announced. Wallace has won four straight and six of seven. Petruzelli, a former cast member of the Ultimate Fighter, has won eight of his last 10 fights.

What the fighters had to say Wednesday:

KIMBO SLICE:

“Once again, I’m fighting back in the crib. It feels like the backyard except, in EliteXC, we have a cage.

“I’m looking forward to beating Ken (Shamrock) and kicking his butt.

“I’ll kick his butt and let you guys take names. I’m hoping to see the best of Ken because he’ll see the best of Kimbo.

“My camp has pushed me harder than ever before. I have the endurance and I am prepared to go the distance. I doubt this fight will go the distance, but if it does, I’m ready.

“I’m like a sponge. I pick up something from everyone I work with. If something doesn’t work in the cage I will switch it up to something that does. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.

“I’ve worked on punches, takedowns, takedown defense, chokes, armbars, you name it. Anything that Shamrock tries on me, I am prepared for.

“Nothing is going to stop me once that fight starts. I’ll fight with a broken arm if the referee doesn’t stop the fight. I will be unstoppable on Oct. 4.

“I’ve envisioned anything that can happen in the cage. I’m ready for anything that can possibly go down.

“I question Ken’s ground game. He’s going to try and find a way to make me uneasy, but that’s not going to happen. I’m never uptight.

“Bas (Rutten) has done everything he can to help me. Bas and Randy (Khatami) have made me a complete and well rounded fighter.

“Everyday I train it’s a serious problem for all the heavyweight fighters out there. Everyday I get better and they should all be scared.

“LaDainian Tomlinson was a good guy to work out with. That was a lot of fun.

“EliteXC and CBS are a good thing for the sport. This is making the sport bigger and better. If it wasn’t this big, think about what you and I would be doing.

“Against (James) Thompson I learned that no matter what happens, nothing will hurt me. It’s mind over matter. Mentally, I knew I was alright. It may have looked like I was in trouble, but I was fine. It’s mind over matter.

“Nothing really scares me, except for myself. At times, I find myself unpredictable. It’s a mental struggle. A mental fight.

“I love training with Bas and Randy. I know how to control my entire game right now.”

GINA CARANO:

“I’ve got one of the toughest fights of my life coming up. I’m coming ready to fight. I’m going to give it my all.

“I’ve handled the press and won’t let it get to my head. I’m just living my life and doing my best.

“It’s been unbelievable to be at the forefront of women’s MMA. Raising the recognition of the sport has been a blessing. The fan support has been amazing. I’m standing up here because of the fans.

“There is something so pure and honest about two women fighting. The fans just love it.

“Randy and Kim, the whole Extreme Couture family, is tough. They expect the best from me and push me to my limits.

“My dad told me to stay in school because he wanted the best from me. But I think I’ve learned some of the best lessons in life from fighting. I don’t have the college degree I was going for, but I have the experiences.

“America is a strange place to be when you are a star. I wish our culture would respect people as human beings and not as objects. When you’re in the spotlight they love you, but that is very short lived.

“This training camp has been going very well. I have a lot of knowledge of what I’ve been doing right and what I’ve been doing wrong.

“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight.

“EliteXC is doing great things for the sport. I’m not trying to be a promoter. I just put on a good show and hope that people watch it.

“I am a recognized female in the sport, but I don’t think that I am the face of women’s MMA. It’s just a label. I’m Gina Carano. You can label me that.

“I am a different person everyday. I may not look my best at a weigh in, but I’ll be good the next day.

“Kelly (Kobold) is well rounded and she is coming to fight. I’m glad I’m going to be tested.

“My game plan is to fight a good fight. I’ve been studying her style, how she reacts under pressure and when she gets hit, but nothing compares to when you get in there and the fight starts.

“I’m a fighter first and foremost. American Gladiators was a good experience. I’m motivated by learning experiences, not by money or fame, so it opened my mind to a lot of things.

“Everyone has their own niche in life. I just seem to gravitate towards physical violence.”