Kimbo Slice: Once in a Lifetime
Kimbo Slice: Once in a Lifetime
There will never be another Kimbo Slice.In a sport filled with hyperbole, Kevin Ferguson was a transcendent figure. He never wore championship gold during h
There will never be another Kimbo Slice.
In a sport filled with hyperbole, Kevin Ferguson was a transcendent figure. He never wore championship gold during his time competing on the biggest stages around the sport. But he was an embodiment of a sport where the ability to pull in ratings was given equal weight with actual fighting ability.
His rise to fame was as improbable as it was sensational. Kimbo Slice was a main event attraction from the moment he emerged on the scene, immediately bypassing other stars who took years to build their fame.
Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, two of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, took years to build a popular following.
Kimbo Slice had those eyes from the jump.
The mean mugging and gold teeth helped elevate his character. But they were not a gimmick. Ferguson was South Florida through and through, proudly representing the region that in many ways created him. He was proud of Dade County.
But it was in discussing matters close to his heart where the real Kevin Ferguson shined through. He was a proud father to his children, and one who hoped to craft a better life than the one he’d known.
“Straight up. I swear to God. I fight for my kids," Ferguson said. "That’s so much f******* inspiration right there.”
That’s what truly mattered to Ferguson. He knew it could all vanish in the blink of an eye. And so he appreciated all of his success, never taking it for granted. His authenticity drew the fans.
“The passion is there,” Slice told FloCombat’s Tony Reid. “A lot of people can relate to me because I don’t consider myself above them. I am a hard-working member of society just like a normal person. You will see me shopping in the same stores you are in. You see me fighting on TV, and then there I am the very next day shopping at Wal-Mart.
“Fans were coming up to me, telling me what a great f*****g fight it was, and I thanked them. That’s real sh*t. I am a real person. I don’t think I’m f***** untouchable. I’m really down to earth, and I like people to respect me like I respect them. That’s what makes me a little more unique than other people you see on TV.”
Everything Kimbo Slice did was a must see event. Fans that found him starching fellow brawlers on YouTube were able to watch him jump from their computer screens to the big screen. They rooted for him every step of the way.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TWooodley/status/740197543586500609" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
That type of adoration is a rare thing in this world, and extremely hard to find in MMA. But then, Slice wasn’t your everyday run of the mill fighter. He was special.
In victory and defeat, fight fans were able to see both Kimbo Slice and Kevin Ferguson. No fronting. He was the real deal, doing his best to make something out of nothing.
Ferguson became an MMA icon and changed everything. That’s how he’ll always be remembered.
In a sport filled with hyperbole, Kevin Ferguson was a transcendent figure. He never wore championship gold during his time competing on the biggest stages around the sport. But he was an embodiment of a sport where the ability to pull in ratings was given equal weight with actual fighting ability.
His rise to fame was as improbable as it was sensational. Kimbo Slice was a main event attraction from the moment he emerged on the scene, immediately bypassing other stars who took years to build their fame.
Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, two of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, took years to build a popular following.
Kimbo Slice had those eyes from the jump.
The mean mugging and gold teeth helped elevate his character. But they were not a gimmick. Ferguson was South Florida through and through, proudly representing the region that in many ways created him. He was proud of Dade County.
But it was in discussing matters close to his heart where the real Kevin Ferguson shined through. He was a proud father to his children, and one who hoped to craft a better life than the one he’d known.
“Straight up. I swear to God. I fight for my kids," Ferguson said. "That’s so much f******* inspiration right there.”
That’s what truly mattered to Ferguson. He knew it could all vanish in the blink of an eye. And so he appreciated all of his success, never taking it for granted. His authenticity drew the fans.
“The passion is there,” Slice told FloCombat’s Tony Reid. “A lot of people can relate to me because I don’t consider myself above them. I am a hard-working member of society just like a normal person. You will see me shopping in the same stores you are in. You see me fighting on TV, and then there I am the very next day shopping at Wal-Mart.
“Fans were coming up to me, telling me what a great f*****g fight it was, and I thanked them. That’s real sh*t. I am a real person. I don’t think I’m f***** untouchable. I’m really down to earth, and I like people to respect me like I respect them. That’s what makes me a little more unique than other people you see on TV.”
Everything Kimbo Slice did was a must see event. Fans that found him starching fellow brawlers on YouTube were able to watch him jump from their computer screens to the big screen. They rooted for him every step of the way.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TWooodley/status/740197543586500609" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
That type of adoration is a rare thing in this world, and extremely hard to find in MMA. But then, Slice wasn’t your everyday run of the mill fighter. He was special.
In victory and defeat, fight fans were able to see both Kimbo Slice and Kevin Ferguson. No fronting. He was the real deal, doing his best to make something out of nothing.
Ferguson became an MMA icon and changed everything. That’s how he’ll always be remembered.