Denny Burkholder

This Saturday, MMA legend David "Tank" Abbott pops up yet again, this time facing Kimbo Slice for EliteXC.

How exactly does a 42-year-old guy with a 9-13 record waltz right into the main event of a televised card? I can answer that question in two ways:

1) The same way a former street fighter with a 2-0 record can, and
2) Because the promoters believe people will pay to see it.

Tank Abbott has name recognition. He also has a resumé full of memorable actions. Sometimes it's as simple as Abbott running his mouth in a postfight interview, insulting his opponent, the fans, or the interviewer. Other times, he leaves his mark in the cage.

Abbott is the guy who began the UFC Ultimate Ultimate 1996 by lifting Cal Worsham over his head and trying to literally throw him out of the Octagon. Later in the same show, he knocked out Steve Nelmark with a right hand, with Nelmark folding up like an accordion in one of the UFC's most famous KOs.

Then again, Tank also loses fights regularly. He's only fought four times in the past four years, and he lost the last three of those bouts. He hasn't won a fight since he knocked out Wesley "Cabbage" Correira in Rumble on the Rock in 2005.

Here's the thing, though: Win or lose, Tank usually makes for good TV. When Tank Abbott fights, there is a chance that you'll see or hear something you'll never forget. That's why he continues to main event shows. It's a big part of his legend. For an MMA group like EliteXC to survive, they must be able to sell tickets and attract a TV audience. Love him or hate him, people are drawn to the Tank Abbott spectacle.

If there are no ticket sales, there will be no profit, and -- sooner or later -- no more MMA promotion. When you look at it that way, it's easier to accept Abbott's lingering presence in the game. For sure, Abbott is interested in the paycheck. But let's not fool ourselves: Abbott's not the only guy making money off his extended career. To pretend it's a one-way street and that Tank is the only person cashing in would be short-sighted and naive to the way the fight business operates.

There could be dozens of heavyweight fighters out there that are in better condition and have better skills than Abbott. Most of those men, if not all of them, are younger and have greater upside. A lot of them have a better win-loss percentage. But they don't sell tickets. That's not entirely their fault, but it's reality.

Given that Tank Abbott is a 42-year-old fighter on a three-fight skid, some have criticized EliteXC for protecting Kimbo Slice and lining up easy wins for him.

When you consider that Kimbo has only fought professionally twice -- against an underwhelming pair of challengers -- what makes anyone think Kimbo Slice is qualified to fight a legit contender yet? If anything, Kimbo vs. Tank is a good test of Kimbo's progress. We all know how Tank Abbott will try to win: He's a headhunter. He's going to swing until he connects.

Which means if Tank succeeds, we'll find out about Kimbo's chin. It also presents Kimbo with the chance to try out his submission repertoire (or lack thereof) against a fighter who is probably not going to try to outclass him in that area.

For Kimbo, this fight is an opportunity to see where his MMA skills are, without looking too foolish if the verdict isn't good. If he loses, it'll probably be via strikes -- and despite Abbott's losing streak, there is no shame in a rookie fighter getting KOed by Tank. Especially a rookie fighter who has yet to absorb any measurable punishment in his post-YouTube fight career.

It probably won't be long. It definitely won't be pretty. But Kimbo vs. Tank is a pretty even fight, and a worthy main event. For better or worse, it will draw a crowd.

(Edit: Dave Meltzer at WrestlingObserver.com now reports that the Bank United Center is virtually sold out two days before the fight, which means nearly 7,000 paying customers agree that Kimbo vs. Tank is something worth seeing.)

Isn't that the point?