By Jason Probst (June 3, 2003)
With a reputation as a powerful brawler since his debut in UFC III against Royce Gracie, Kimo Leopoldo returns against Tank Abbott Friday night in UFC 43 hoping to show his skills that have been overshadowed by circumstance and image.
"Last time you guys saw me, I was a blue belt," Kimo told Maxfighting. "I've improved so much since then under Joe Moriera. I want to show my skills and what I can do."
Against Gracie, Kimo gave the Brazilian icon a very tough bout before submitting to an arm lock; the damage done was sufficient enough to keep Royce from continuing in his next bout. Kimo then returned for a superfight against Ken Shamrock, battling gamely but finally succumbing to another submission, and after losing a decision to Tsuyoshi Kosaka in UFC 16, he hasn't been back to the UFC since. The trademark visage of the massive man with tattoos, swooning musculature, and the grim stare returns against Abbott in what should prove an entertaining showdown between two of the event's veterans.
A cynic would see the matchup as a Senior's Tour - Abbott is 37, and Kimo is 39 - but Kimo still feels he can make his mark on the heavyweight division. More confident in his ground skills than ever, he adds that "Against Royce, I had no idea what I was doing." He trains one hard day of sparring, be it standup or grappling, then takes a light day of conditioning and weights to help his body recover. He also cross-trains in mountain biking, rock climbing, and tennis.
"I do it to help my body use muscles it may not use in normal training," he explains. The strategy seems sound on the outset - he'll probably have his best chance in a longer fight against Abbott, particularly if he can endure the explosive opening exchanges likely to occur until he can take the fight to the ground.
"I'm currently a brown belt, but that's just a thing given out of respect for my training," Kimo said. "I train without a gi to prepare for no-holds-barred."
He got as high as 280 lbs. at times, but plans to enter the ring at 255 this Friday.
"At 280 I was just too big. I couldn't even run without hurting my back. It was too much weight on my frame, but I'm back at a good weight for me," Kimo said.
Between his improvement in grappling and bringing his best weight into the Octagon, he figures it isn't that far a jump between fighting Abbott and getting a title shot. Like many veterans of the Octagon, Kimo feels that his own improvement has been overlooked as the new wave of cross-trained faces garners attention.
He's also gambling that he'll win and put himself in a position to reap the rewards of the risk. Kimo has signed a one-fight contract with the UFC, hoping that renewed status as a heavyweight contender will translate into bigger paydays.
"People forget that I can grapple too," he said. "I have good ground skills and want to show them. Tank is a very tough competitor and I think this fight will show what I'm about." "
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