“Kimbo Slice” Ferguson has died aged 42 from heart failure.
From the streets to the UFC, Kimbo Slice achieved underground internet fame over ten years ago when videos were shared of him challenging other fighters in grainy street battles that usually ended up with Kimbo reigning dominance.
Since then, Kimbo signed a deal with the UFC to appear on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, drawing huge viewing figures for his fights. Kimbo had been scheduled to fight James Thompson at Bellator 158 in London on July 16.
Bellator MMA president Scott Coker had this to say about Kimbo:
We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family.
Slice was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport.
Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man. 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.
I personally remember watching Kimbo Slice’s videos like he was some kind of untouchable God of a hard-man who would destroy anyone who dared cross his path. After watching one video in particular I remember thinking “he’s actually just broken that guy’s face in half.”
RIP bigman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWj4fuhoMM0