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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 12:47 a.m., Sunday, February 17, 2008

Mixed Martial Arts: Kimbo beats Tank Abbott

Advertiser News Services

Before a sellout crowd of 6,187 that produced the single largest gate in the history of the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, Kimbo Slice scored a 43-second, first-round knockout over David "Tank" Abbott Saturday in a mixed martial arts card in Miami.

The event was presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.'s EliteXC, aired on Showtime.

Kimbo (2-0) wowed the crowd en route to demolishing Abbott, an MMA icon. But Tank spent more time on the ground than on his feet, going down three times from legitimate punches and a couple other times from slips.

"I wanted him to get up, I wanted to bang,'' Kimbo said. "I had to push him off because we were too close. Then I just knocked him down. It was great fighting in front of the hometown fans. I'd be lying if I told you they didn't jack me up. Miami, you are my home.

"I have a lot of respect for Tank. This was one of my dream fights, along with Mike Tyson. But I am ready to fight anybody and ready to fight again really soon."

Abbott (9-14), of Huntington Beach, Calif., said: "I tried to take it to him at the start and take him to the ground, but then I just said, the heck with that and started to fight. But I ran into one and that was it. "

In other bouts televised on Showtime:

-- Antonio "Big Foot" Silva (10-1), a highly touted Brazilian who lives in Coconut Creek, Fla., recorded a three-round split decision over former champion Ricco Rodriguez (27-8), of Staten Island, N.Y.;

-- Unbeaten Brett Rogers (8-0), of St. Paul, Minn., blasted out England's James "The Colossus" Thompson (16-8) in the first round;

-- Scott "Hands Of Steel'' Smith (15-4), of Sacramento, Calif., knocked out Australian Kyle "The Ozzie" Noke (14-4-1), the bodyguard of the late Steve "Crocodile Hunter'' Irwin, in the second round;

-- Yves Edwards (33-13-1), of Conroe, Texas stopped Edson "Little Tiger" Berto (14-5-1), of Tampa, Fla., in the opening session.

In non-televised undercard fights:

-- Moyses Gabin (2-0), of Miami, registered a 2:32, first-round knockout over Jirka Hlavaty (1-2), of Miami;

-- Lorenzo Borgameo (3-0), of Miami, won by submission (triangle) at 4:11 of the second round over Mike Bernhard (3-1), of Miami;

-- Eric Bradley (3-1), of Las Vegas, Nev., took a unanimous decision over Mikey Gomez (6-4), of Orlando, Fla.;

-- Dave Herman (10-0), of Indiana, scored a third-round TKO over Mario Rinaldi (6-3), of Miami;

-- Yosmany Cabezas (5-0), of Tampa, Fla., won by second-round submission (rear naked choke) over Jon Kirk (10-3), of Houston;

-- Rafael Feijao (4-1), of Brazil, knocked out John Doyle (6-2), of Allentown, Pa., at 2:17 of the first round.