By Tony Reid

Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice, is an internet sensation best known for his hardcore street fighting exploits.

His action figure physique, big beard, do-rag, gold chains and his one-shot put away power he carries in his heavy hands make him hard to miss and even harder to forget once you see him at work. Slice's vicious knockouts on the street, in the ring and in the cage are unmatched from the criteria of pure, unadulterated violence.

The street fighter went from producing viral videos to becoming one of the biggest draws in mixed martial arts. He created a movement and Team Kimbo continues to draw huge ratings even to this day, well beyond the shelf life most expected. Bellator President Scott Coker loves fighters who move the needle, and there is nothing bigger than Kimbo Slice under the Bellator banner.

The proof is in the proverbial pudding as his most recent scrap at Bellator 149 on SPIKE TV, which, a lackluster fight with DADA 5000, drew a new promotional record of 2.5 million viewers. It also killed in the all-important male 18-34 demographic with a 2.3 rating.

That’s all well and good, but what the public often misses is what goes own in Ferguson's life beyond the spotlight. The Florida native is a dedicated father to his six children, three boys and three girls, and everything done inside the cage is to pay dividends for them in the future. Furthermore, fighting runs in the Ferguson family as Ferguson's cousin Rhadi is a world renowned judoka and his son, Kevin “Baby Slice” Ferguson, Jr. recently made his MMA debut with, you guessed it, a vicious first round TKO.

With his prolific reach in fight sports, Ferguson has inspired tens of thousands of people over the course of his face-punching career, but his personal inspiration comes from the heart.

“Straight up. I swear to God. I fight for my kids," Ferguson said. "That’s so much f******* inspiration right there.”

His mood changed and his attention shifted to one of his children in particular, his young son, as he continued, “My ten year old son has autism. He has a passion, a love for what I do. My God. It’s hard. That’s my weakness, man. I see his struggles. I see his disability and I see he’s a little different from the other kids.”

Not only is Ferguson's son his biggest inspiration, but the admiration goes both ways. The young Ferguson is a student of the game and of the old man.

 “When it comes to fighting he knows everybody I’ve fought," Ferguson said. "We replay fights and he’s for James Thompson. He wants him to win the fight! What the f***, man? It’s awesome though. He knows about all my fights.”

The time Kimbo spends with his son in the gym has helped young Ferguson’s development more than either of them may have realized beforehand.

“With the training we do together, I see how it helps him in school,'" Ferguson said. "He likes working. He’s organized. He believes in doing his work and dominating. Some of his work, he compares it to fighting. Man, it's genius. It works for him. He has figured some shit out through the fighting. He is at the head of his class and I can’t ask for more than that. You got me sounding all soft and sh*t.”

Soft is not a word generally associated with Kimbo Slice and it's not a trend that will start anytime soon.