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 As fast as fighter Kimbo Slice rose to fame in the MMA world, he fell into oblivion even faster.
Last October, when he was KO'd in 14 seconds by unknown Seth Petruzelli, the former backyard bawler's star fizzled and he disappeared from the MMA circuit indefinitely.
But, it looks as though Kimbo is getting another shot at MMA glory. UFC president Dana White offered him a spot on the organization's Spike TV reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter," in which he will compete against other hopefuls for a spot on the UFC professional roster.
35-year-old Slice will be among 16 other heavyweight participants in the 10th season of the reality series, also known as TUF 10.
Despite being a star in the MMA at one time, Dana White made it clear -- during a recent sit-down with ESPN -- that Kimbo Slice would not get any special treatment. If need be, he'd even boot him from the show.
"Am I afraid to kick Kimbo off the show before he fights? No. Do I want to? No," White said. "At the end of the day, I think everyone would feel cheated if he gets kicked off the show for fighting at the house. That's going to suck for everybody, but I can't say that that won't happen."
Taping for the show began on Wednesday (June 3) in Las Vegas.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, it was rumored that Kimbo would try his hand in boxing after being released from his contract with the now-defunct EliteXC. But, the rumors never seemed to pan out.
He was later offered a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce for less money than EliteCX had paid him, but he turned it down.
Kimbo was paid $175,000 and $500,000 for two of his last three fights, said the report.
Contestants on "The Ultimate Fighter" sign undisclosed contracts and make around $5,000 per fight. However, according to the paper, it's believed Slice and his agent worked out a deal for more money, being that he's the highest profile athlete to appear on the show.
UFC stars Quinton Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans will serve as coaches in the upcoming 10th season, which is scheduled to being airing in September.
The show's winner will earn a contract with the UFC, which Slice said has always been his goal when he got into the sport.
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