The Story of Kimbo Slice Flighting From The Streets To The Octagon
Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice led a fascinating life that followed an unconventional path from rags to riches. The bald, bearded, skull-capped mesomorph from the wilds of South Florida with bare fists to be feared, whose illicit exploits against opponents on patchy lawns and pavement became staples of the mid-2000s Internet, who leapt from fighting in front of pre-HD video cameras to fighting in front of some of the largest audiences ever to tune into a mixed martial arts fight.
Slice was equal parts Greek mythology, Horatio Alger story, and sheer charisma. He might have been a frustrating figure for idealists worried about the sanctity of sport, but even for purists, Slice was must-see TV!
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Humble Begginings
Kimbo’s journey to stardom had more twists and turns than a Kubrick film. Born in the Bahamas, Kimbo had the apparent track to being a top-flight football player. He played the linebacker position for Miami’s Palmetto High and held multiple scholarships from universities before the infamous Hurricane Andrew demolished the school, causing universities to pull potential offers. After a failed attempt to make the NFL, Kimbo scrambled to find a new career.
Landing a job as a bouncer in a strip club, Slice began to participate in street fights that were recorded and uploaded to various outlets, including YouTube. His videos were among the first that we call “viral,” giving Slice instant popularity among fans. The popularity turned into a career in the world of mixed martial arts, landing with the UFC. He had some brief success with the company, and went on to fight with Bellator; another promotion in the sport. Slice participated in boxing and wrestling as well.
The Rise To MMA Stardom
By the time Slice transformed into a bona fide professional MMA fighter in 2007, the sport around him had writhed and convulsed into a delicate place; one foot in the mainstream, one teetering off a cliff. State athletic commissions continued bringing MMA under its purview, betting odds for MMA were erratic and unpredictable.
The fighters strutted to the ring in t-shirts with screen-printed logos for tire and prophylactic companies looking to get in on a growing sport. The UFC was the darling of Spike TV, and rival promotions like Elite XC and the IFL had made their own inroads. But signs of progress doubled as reasons for self-consciousness and thin skin. The sustainability of MMA wasn’t assured, and bad impressions threatened to erase all that good will.
When EliteXC made Slice the face of the organization, there was no secret as to why. He was a big, scary “black man” with all the racial subtext and ugly historical baggage that description carries, who promised knockouts, no man-hugging, and a dose of the outlaw past MMA tried to shed. From the start, his career was manicured to keep him winning. He beat 10-10 journeyman Bo Cantrell in his pro debut in November 2007. Three months later, he beat an overfed Tank Abbott and assumed Abbott’s mantle as the premier brawler with no need for nuance (or guard passing). He wound up on the cover of ESPN The Magazine not long after.
No Kimbo Slice fight was conventionally good in a sporting sense, and yet they were always interesting. In May 2008, his headlining win on CBS over James Thompson and his swollen, purple ear led to the 6.5-million-viewer peak of Elite XC: Primetime. When Slice tumbled against late-replacement Seth Petruzelli that October, Elite XC fell apart to the tune of 4.5 million viewers. Every fight bred criticism and conspiracy theories. Every fight left an appetite for more.
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Hitting New Heights
Slice might have been an ambassador for a sport more complex than what he was fully capable of doing himself, but eyeballs followed him wherever he went. When he reemerged on The Ultimate Fighter 9 in autumn 2009, he was a pop star and everyone else in the house wanted to bump the turntable, send the needle skidding over the backing track, and catch him lip-synching in the aftermath. In defeat to Roy Nelson, Slice sent The Ultimate Fighter to a rating peak of 6.1 million viewers. He won an official UFC bout against Houston Alexander, but after a TKO loss to Matt Mitrione in May 2010, Slice was cut from the UFC.
Final Thoughts
In today’s world of personalities attempting to get rich with the “viral video” concept, Slice was an innovator. From a potential football star, to bouncer, to a popular name in mixed martial arts, Kimbo Slice earned every bit of popularity that came his way. He may not have the legacy of Randy Couture, but his name will continue to be mentioned when talking about the incredible rise of MMA.
With the coda written too soon, the lives of both Kevin Ferguson and Kimbo Slice are fully rendered. He transcended hard-luck circumstances to become one of the true characters in professional fighting. What a crazy, colorful life he lived, and he knew exactly where he stood even when we didn’t: a world away from where he started, with millions watching to see what happened next!
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