Mitrione Noncommittal on 'Slice' Bout

Heavyweight Matt Mitrione, when reached late Saturday, would not confirm that he had been offered a crack at Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson at UFC 113 on May 1 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, despite numerous reports to the contrary.

“I heard that too! Just not from the people I need to hear it from,” Mitrione wrote in a text message to Sherdog.com. “Besides Kimbo is a [light heavyweight] now.”

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was first to report the proposed matchup between “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 castmates, citing “sources extremely close to the situation.” Should the Slice-Mitrione match materialize, it would bolster a lineup headlined by the rematch between light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Neither Slice’s representatives nor those with American Top Team, where the reformed street-fighter now trains, were immediately available for comment.

Ferguson made a successful Octagon debut in December, when he notched a unanimous decision against Houston Alexander at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in Las Vegas. He lost to eventual winner Roy Nelson during the Spike TV reality series but remained a ratings draw throughout the season. Slice holds victories against Pride Fighting Championships veteran James Thompson and David “Tank” Abbott.

Mitrione, meanwhile, made his professional debut at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale, as he stopped Marcus Jones on second-round strikes on the undercard. He trains out of the Integrated Fighting Academy in Indianapolis.