Jayda Hall // Sports Director
Professional mixed martial artist Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice, died on June 6 at the age of 42. He was taken to a hospital near his home in Coral Springs, Florida, for unidentified reasons, according to Coral Springs Police.
Slice was scheduled to headline Bellator 158 on July 16 in London against James Thompson for a rematch.
“One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport,” Bellator president Scott Coker said in a statement. “His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Ferguson family and all of Kimbo’s friends, fans and teammates.”
Slice was born in Nassau, Bahamas on Feb. 8, 1974, and he later moved to South Florida with his mother and two brothers. Slice attended Miami Palmetto High School, where he proved his skill set on the field as the star middle linebacker on the school’s football team. He attended both Bethune-Cookman University and the University of Miami, where he was awarded an athletic scholarship but only stayed for a year and a half.
In 1997, he had a tryout with the Miami Dolphins and was part of the preseason squad but didn’t make it on the team. He was homeless for a brief time period and was forced to live in his car until he found employment.
After college, Slice worked as a bouncer for a strip club before working with RK Netmedia, a Miami-based pornography production and promotion organization, as a bodyguard.
His journey to becoming one of the most daring MMA fighters began in 2003. He started his career as a street fighter and would fight opponents in his backyard. It didn’t take long for Slice to gain fame since his fights were filmed and posted on YouTube.
In his first taped fight against a man named Big D, he left a huge cut on his opponent’s right eye, which led fans to call him Slice. He added that to his childhood nickname, Kimbo, and was soon known as Kimbo Slice.
Slice started out in the sport as a fighter under EliteXC and soon turned pro athlete. He won his first three fights for the promotion, including victories over Tank Abbott and Thompson.
In 2009, the UFC booked Slice as a competitor on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. He fought for the UFC twice, assembling a 1-1 record, before leaving MMA to compete in professional wrestling.
In 2015, Bellator signed Slice and endorsed him in a main event against MMA Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock. Slice won the fight after a technical knockout was declared in the first round.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound heavyweight held a 5-2 professional record with four TKOs.
Although Slice was known for his strength and agility in the ring, he accepted that he had much more to learn about the sport.
“Outside of the cage, he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man,” Coker said in a statement.
He leaves behind a fiancé and six children. His MMA career success is what allowed him to take care of his family and pay for his children’s education.
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