A conference call was held regarding the upcoming Cage Fury Fighting Championships 5: Two Worlds, One Cage - One Cage MMA event featuring a main event of former boxing champion Ray Mercer vs famed street fighter Kevin Ferguson. The event, presented by Trump Entertainment Resorts, will be held on June 23rd and will take place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Tickets for the event are still available through ticketmaster. The card will also be promoted on pay per view.
Felix Martinez (CFFC promoter)
- He feels they have a strong undercard for this bout, including the pro debut of one of Renzo Gracie's relatives, Gregor Gracie.
- There will be no special rules on the card, they are using UFC rules.
- The main event came about with Ray Mercer attended Cage Fury 2 and approached Felix about trying MMA. Once he had Ray, Felix spoke with Guy Marino who promotes Kimbo and their team jumped on it.
Ray Mercer
- Ray has had street fights too, but training regiment has remained pretty much the same.
- Ray worked with Joe Diamond but didn't like his style, and got two other MMA training partners instead.
- Ray said in boxing, you have to be prepared for anything. Boxing is the main point of the fight, but other things will come out and he will be prepared.
- Boxing is going to be key because "we're throwing knuckles". Ray said everybody's done street fighting, but stand up will come naturally.
- "All I care about is winning the fight, most important thing. My life has changed too, this fight is for kids and family and the times we go through, I'm willing to die in that ring for my family."
- Ray wouldn't discuss specific problems with his family, but he's doing what he has to do to make it right. He has 9 kids, they need to win the fight. He hasn't been in training for 9 weeks ever before. It's been tough and he lost his last fight, and he needs to bounce back. He's not ready to quit at 46, he has a little more experience.
- What is the cause for Ray's longevity? "You could ask George Foreman the same thing. Age is just a number, and with age comes experience." He went with MMA simply because its there. Hasn't had time to learn MMA but he has been in K-1. Karate is not his thing but he is able to learn.
- He'll always be Ray Mercer, he's not going into MMA to box but he is learning.
- Had Ray won some boxing fights things might be different but he disagrees with several of the judge's decisions. "That's part of the reason why its time to try something new."
- He thinks boxers participating in MMA will help it to take off even more. He plans on taking it further, his body can hold up and the money is there.
- Ray didn't want to name his training partners, but he has trained the ground game and Jiu Jitsu.
- Ray responded to critics of the event. He said everybody has an opinion, he's not worried about the critics. There's plenty of assholes to go around, those who don't want to support the event don't have to. It's fine. They're not clowns, they're the product. It's a good event.
- Ray saw Kimbo's fights, he likes watching tapes of his opponents anyway.
- Ray feels crowds get excited when blows are thrown. He feels people get bored when fighters go to the ground and you have to prepare for more things in MMA while boxing is more disciplined. There's more to watch out for in MMA. He will go back to boxing when its available. He can't believe Tommy Morrison's comments on MMA, and if he sees him again he'll have to KO him again. He feels this fight will make him a better boxer, because there is so much more to prepare for and the training is more intense.
- Ray knows Kimbo will throw everything at him. Kimbo responded, "Who told you that lie?" Mercer feels they will fight, but they are both legends in their time and they will have a drink afterwards.
Kimbo Slice
- Kimbo expects to get to as high a level of fighting as possible. He needs the right training, but he'll fight anybody on any level. There is no need to train for a street fight.
- This fight is a complete life change for Kimbo. Training took a toll on his family but for the better. It cleansed his body, soul, and mind. He cut out a lot of things in his life hasn't had sex in 3 months.
- Kimbo started training in Florida, reached his peak, then went outside of Florida to Vegas and trained at Extreme Couture with Shawn Tompkins.
- Kimbo said his best asset is to fight straight up. MMA IS fighting. "Whatever opening is given, I'll take it." Mercer will have to KO Kimbo, "I want to get knocked out." (When asked what this meant, Kimbo replied "Come on man, I'm a fighter.")
- "Ray has a system, I have to beat it, but then it's a wrap."
- Kimbo isn't really dwelling on what will happen after the fight. A win here will probably help with the next fight, but he doesn't want to go around bragging. After the fight he and Mercer could be cool, and the benefit is he'll know he can compete on the pro level.
- He will continue training with Bas Rutten and Shawn Tompkins. He can't train with anybody better than two well known guys in the industry. They had his body getting sick, but he had to overcome it. Sparred Griffen, Baroni, and other big names but kept up on that level.
- Bas, Shawn and Alex Shonor(sp) will be in his corner. He liked the way he was trained in California.
- Kimbo is not finished street fighting. He can't upset any contract he's in at that time though. A couple street fighters he's faced could maybe make it in this sport, but he can't really answer for them since he doesn't know them mentally.
- Kimbo has had a mental meltdown these last few months. He turned his brain into a sponge to learn everything in training. He's rebuilt.
- Kimbo responded to critics: This is no circus, nobody is a clown and he hasn't heard anything about it being a circus. It took a brain and a pocketbook to put it together.
- Doesn't consider Mercer's fights old, but he doesn't depend on the videos completely. Found Mercer's fights entertaining, especially when he KO'd Tommy Morrison.
- Weighs about 252. Ray weighs about 240 and dropped weight from training.
- He won't fight Tommy Morrison because he tested positive for HIV. Ray Mercer said the same.
- Kimbo asked Ray if he's really been training for 9 weeks. Ray says he trained ever since he saw Kimbo's tapes. Kimbo acted shocked.
- Kimbo ended the conference by yelling "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!" at Felix Martinez.
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