It has been a tragic week for martial arts, first with the passing of the legend Muhammad Ali, and now reports are circling that Kimbo Slice has passed away after being admitted to the hospital earlier today.
Kimbo’s real name is Kevin Ferguson, and one of his training partners has confirmed his passing in a Facebook post.
It’s with a huge sadness that we share this information with you, and we send our heartfelt condolences to everybody who ever had the pleasure of meeting this man.
Kimbo took a much different route to prizefighting fame than a lot of fighters. He started off as one of the first viral Youtube sensations for his street fights back in the day, and managed to parlay that fame into a career in some of the top mixed martial arts organizations on the planet, including Bellator and the UFC. He appeared on a season of the Ultimate Fighter where his big personality and his big heart won him mainstream recolonization, and most recently he was one of the biggest draws for the Bellator organization.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available and becomes confirmed, but for now let’s just take a moment to remember the man who made a lot of people feel like they could accomplish anything they set their minds to.
Kimbo Slice made a career out of beating the odds and doing things that people said were impossible. He may never have made it to the top of the rankings, but he always went out there to fight. He was a fighter, through and through. Let’s remember him for his courage to step up to any challenge, regardless of the odds.
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Kimbo, as we mourn this great loss.
Here are some photos that do a great job of representing Kimbo and his warrior spirit:
We knew Kimbo has a true warrior of the sport, who would step up no matter what the odds.
