MMA fighter Kimbo Slice—birth name Kevin Ferguson—died on Monday at the age of 42.
TMZ Sports confirmed he died but said “details surrounding [Slice’s] death are unclear.” Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report shared the response from Bellator President Scott Coker:
Bellator President Scott Coker confirms death of Kimbo Slice. #RIP pic.twitter.com/Mul0texyGu
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) June 7, 2016
This comes after TMZ Sports reported earlier Monday that Slice was taken to a hospital near Coral Springs, Florida. Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting and Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com both confirmed that report.
According to Ryan Frederick of f4wonline.com, Slice trained at American Top Team, which reacted to the news:
The ATT Family and South Florida community lost a legend today. RIP Kimbo. pic.twitter.com/sjs8ctyJMd
— American Top Team (@AmericanTopTeam) June 7, 2016
Slice’s last fight came on Feb. 19 in Houston during Bellator 149. While he defeated Dhafir Harris—otherwise known as Dada 5000—in three rounds, the victory was overturned after he “tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and also had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio," per Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting.
Slice’s UFC profile said he had a 4-2 record in six fights, but he was a famous fighter well before he reached that level. He earned much of his fame during street and backyard fights that aired on YouTube. Those fights highlighted his pure strength and overwhelming power as he used his punching ability to outmuscle opponents.
He turned that YouTube fame into a career in MMA. According to Frederick, Slice’s fight in May of 2008 against James Thompson was the first-ever MMA event that was broadcast on network television. Slice beat Thompson at EliteXC: Primetime, although he went on to lose to Seth Petruzelli later that year during EliteXC’s final event.
Frederick noted Slice also appeared on The Ultimate Fighter and faced off against “Roy Nelson in the highest-rated MMA fight aired on cable during that TUF season.” Slice even went 7-0 as a professional boxer before he signed with Bellator.
Slice was scheduled to face Thompson as a headlining match at Bellator 158 on July 16 in London before Monday’s news, per Okamoto.
