Professional fighter Kimbo Slice passed away late last night [Monday, June 6] aged 42 in Coral Springs, Florida.
Slice was a professional mixed martial artists born Kevin Ferguson on February 8, 1974 in the Bahamas. Slice started as a backyard fighter and his increasing internet popularity ultimately drove him to fame.
He fought his way through life and weathered many storms, including a literal one: 1992’s Hurricane Andrew (at the time the most destructive hurricane in U.S. history) that washed away his house and made him homeless and poverty-stricken. According to ESPN.com, he lived out of a “green 1987 Pathfinder that had four mismatched tires and busted windows.”
Kimbo fought for years in backyards and alleys and worked many small jobs as a limo driver, bodyguard and bouncer until he became an internet sensation back in 2003. He later signed a contract with Bellator MMA that would change his life forever.
ESPN records Kimbo’s last fight at Bellator 149 in Houston on February 19, 2016 against Dada5000. His defeat was later considered a no- contest after steroids were found during his drug test. He leaves behind a wife, Antoinette Rey, and six children.
Rest in peace, Kimbo Slice.
