Bellator 196's Devon Brock already beat a Gracie; how about 'Baby Slice' next?

Bellator welterweight Devon Brock has been doing MMA for only one year. Before this, it was street fights in his native Compton, Calif.

When Brock (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) got the call to fight Khonry Gracie (0-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), the son of MMA legend Royce Gracie, he was pretty flattered. But when he won, he was ecstatic.

“It was actually an amazing experience,” Brock told MMAjunkie Radio. “Only doing this for a year, it was a real big accolade I could add. It was an unexplainable feeling.”

Bellator must see a potential marketing angle, because Brock’s next fight is against the progeny of another MMA icon. At Bellator 196, he’ll take on Kevin Ferguson Jr. 2-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), otherwise known as “Baby Slice,” the son of Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson.

Bellator 196 takes place April 6 at BOK Hall in Budapest, Hungary, and it airs via same-day delay on Paramount.

Brock is fine with the idea of being the guy who picks off members of a famous family tree. You can’t get much better for exposure as a young fighter, and your stock surges if you can win.

Brock didn’t see anything special about the young Graci, and pretty much approaches his fight with “Baby Slice” the same way.

“(I’m) pretty much going up there like he’s human, just like I’m human, at the end of the day,” Brock said. “He’s just another opponent.”

After a stumble in his professional debut, Ferguson Jr. has won his past two Bellator fights. This past November, he notched his first finish with the promotion.

While Ferguson Jr.’s wins didn’t exactly indicate the work of a future phenom, they showed his progression as a well rounded fighter, a stark contrast from his brawling father, who passed away in 2016 of heart failure.

Ferguson Jr. has also shown an artistic streak, recently photographing a Bellator event for MMAjunkie.

None of that matters to Brock, though. He’s here to do his job whether “Baby Slice” is the next big thing or an over-marketed gimmick.

“There’s nothing that can get under my skin,” Brock said. “I have my goals, just like he has. No words can jump under my skin. During the amateurs, it was just fighting. But now I’m a pro, and it’s a job.”

For more on Bellator 196, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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