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'Kimbo Slice,' as MMA fighter and cult icon Kevin Ferguson was also known, died on June 6, 2016. He would draw media and entrepreneurs' attention after millions of people watched his homemade videos of backyard knockouts. Kimbo's legacy and rise to fame were built shortly after becoming famous on the internet.
Born in Nassau, the Bahamas' capital city, Ferguson immigrated with his mother and two siblings to the United States when he was only six years old. The Ferguson family struggled to live in poor and violent areas of Miami, Florida. During all of Ferguson's childhood and adolescence, he had to coexist with crime, drug trafficking, and gang violence.
In 1992, Ferguson was a promising linebacker in his high school. He dreamed of being accepted to top colleges in the country where he could display his skills playing American Football while also being educated at the same time. But that was not to be Ferguson's destiny.
In the same year, the most destructive hurricane ever to hit Florida, Hurricane Andrew, would forever change Ferguson's life. Besides his family's house being completely destroyed, the hurricane's aftermath meant that the college football draft of that year was canceled. It was the end of Ferguson's dream.
Two years later, Ferguson was sleeping in the back of an abandoned 1987 Nissan Pathfinder, without any prospects in life. This was the moment that would make Kevin Ferguson decide to bring life to his other persona, forgotten since his teenage years. It was the moment that Kimbo Slice was born.
Becoming Kimbo Slice
Living with his mother and two siblings made Ferguson a sweet and kind man. But reality did not correspond with his personality. Life was tough in the South of Florida, and he resolved to face it, holding his hands up. At home, he was Ferguson, a loved son, an attentive brother; in the streets, he was Kimbo, respected, and feared.
"I know I didn't go through life being bullied. I go through life not liking bullies. In sixth grade, I fought a bully, one of the bullies of the school. To fight this guy, beat him, and then get praises from my other buddies was revealling. To get that from that, you know, it was like 'hey, cause and effect.'"
When life got tough for Ferguson again, he already knew what he had to do: fight back. And that is what he did. Ferguson started working as a bouncer for some striptease clubs and a bodyguard for a pornography production company in Miami. It was there that Ferguson would reactivate his alter ego.
Ferguson started to participate in unsanctioned mutual combat street bare-knuckle fights. People were betting on these bouts, and he began to make some money. The first video posted online shows Ferguson knocking out a man called Big D. Because his opponent ended the fight with a protruding cut in his right eyebrow, people started calling Ferguson 'Slice'. He decided that 'Kevin Slice' didn't suit his style, but 'Kimbo Slice' was a perfect fit.
Kevin Ferguson vs. Kimbo Slice, the two versions of the same man
Kimbo Slice quickly became an internet cult icon. He was appreciated by fighters from different styles, who saw in Kimbo qualities more impressive than a mere clandestine street fighter.
He started to practice more seriously. Being trained by Bas Rutten, Kimbo Slice developed a particular interest in MMA, where he would later build a reinforced reputation as a professional fighter. Kimbo Slice made his MMA debut against Ray Marcer in 2007 at Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5.
A year later, Kimbo Slice would be fighting for Elite XC. It was there that he would start the biggest feud of his MMA career with sports legend Ken Shamrock. The beef started after Shamrock pushed Kimbo's back. They were set to face each other in October of that year, but the fight never happened. The promotion would go bankrupt by the end of the same month.
Enter Dana White. The UFC boss saw the potential audience Kimbo Slice could bring to his promotion and did not hesitate to contact him and offer Kimbo a contract for the next season of the reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter. Kimbo Slice accepted and joined to be part of TUF in 2009.
He would have two fights there: a loss to Roy Nelson and a win via decision against Houston Alexander. After that, Kimbo Slice was given one more chance to prove he could be a top professional level MMA fighter, but his loss to Matt Mitrione in UFC 113 meant the end of Kimbo Slice's UFC career.
In 2015, one year before his death, Kimbo Slice would dramatically return to MMA fighting to face his longtime rival Shamrock at Bellator 138. The fight was the resumé of Kimbo's existence: a struggle from beginning to end. Shamrock was pressing for a submission during most of the first round until Kimbo got back on his feet to do what he did best. He began fighting back. Much to the surprise of the crowd in attendance, he knocked Shamrock out with a potent punch to the face.
"This is what makes us who we are, to go up to come down. Get up and keep on fighting. This was designed for me. I was designed in some kind of way to win some to lose some more. We keep coming on. We keep on fighting. They don't come up to a fight for a lot of reasons, man. I fight for my family. I fight for myself. I was able to put my kids to college, you know, for my family and home, get my mother a car. My mom has a home. You know, I'm literally taking care of my family by fighting."
Kimbo Slice's untimely death
On June 5, 2016, Kimbo Slice was admitted to a hospital near his home in Coral Springs, Florida. He died of a heart failure not long after starting to feel the first symptoms. He was only 42 years old and was still under contract with Bellator. It was a tragic loss for the MMA community to say goodbye to a cult hero.
A real sensation, Kimbo Slice, was one of the most famous names in UFC history. He inspired many fighters to pursue and persevere in their careers, Jorge Masvidal being the most notable. In a way, Kimbo Slice was the impersonation of all of their dreams, that it was possible to become an MMA hero by sheer willpower.
"One of the lessons that I've learned in this walk, of being an MMA fighter, that respect is the main thing. It's all about respect, respecting. You know who you are as a person, respecting the little guy, the little kid. The little girl, the boy. The old man, the old woman, you know, having respect for people, and people will respect you back. Respect is key."
