What Is Kimbo Slice?

"Kimbo Slice" is actually not an object or a food item. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson is a former backyard brawler turned mixed martial artist who first made his name in bare-knuckle challenge matches that were posted on YouTube. The popularity got him signed to the MMA organization Elite XC and he then had a brief run in the UFC. Known for his bushy beard and physical strength, Kimbo became a celebrity in spite of limited fighting ability.

  1. Background

    • Kimbo Slice was born in the Bahamas under the name Kevin Ferguson on February 8, 1974. His first real foray into athletics was when he played high school football in Florida at Miami Palmetto High School. Granted an academic scholarship to the University of Miami, Kimbo dropped out before his second year was completed. He began working as a bodyguard/personality for a porn production company and started calling himself Kimbo Slice. In need of money and with some personal scores to settle, Kimbo started fighting for money. He would videotape the brawls that would take place in backyards and barbecues and then place them online while collecting the agreed-upon purse from his opponent once he knocked the other man out. After losing a bout against police officer Sean Gannon, Kimbo decided to try fighting professionally, employing legendary MMA figure Bas Rutten as his trainer.

    EliteXC

    • Kimbo's first "sanctioned" bout was against former boxer Ray Mercer at an independent show in June of 2007. The bout was labeled an exhibition and Slice quickly submitted Mercer with a choke. MMA promotion EliteXC signed him to a contract and he knocked out his first opponent, Bo Cantrell, in 19 seconds. He followed that up with a 43-second knockout of UFC veteran David "Tank" Abbott. He was then placed in the main event of the first MMA card on network television when he faced James Thompson on CBS. He defeated Thompson by controversial referee stoppage in round 3. He was scheduled to face Ken Shamrock later that year, but Shamrock was replaced by Seth Petruzelli on the day of the fight when Shamrock suffered a last-minute injury. Kimbo was embarrassed by getting knocked out in 14 seconds, ending his EliteXC career as the company folded shortly thereafter.

    Ultimate Fighting Championship

    • The UFC signed Slice to appear on their reality show "The Ultimate Fighter" as a heavyweight contestant in the show's 10th season. He was eliminated in the first round when he was stopped by veteran Roy "Big Country" Nelson. Slice would turn down a chance to come back on the show later in the season, citing a knee injury. In December of 2009, he defeated Houston Alexander at the "Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale" event by a disappointing decision. Alexander stayed away from Slice for much of the bout, but Kimbo landed several powerful slams during the contest. He was then outclassed by Matt Mitrione at "UFC 113" with a combination of punches and leg kicks that picked Slice apart. He was then cut by the UFC because of his poor performance in the bout.

    Other Endeavors

    • Kimbo still makes various personal appearances and still has ties to the porn industry as an on-camera personality, though he has never appeared in a film as a performer. Rumors of him fighting in Japan never came to fruition and his manager announced that Slice would turn to professional boxing in 2011, though a first opponent has yet to be named. He has also made appearances on several TV shows in small cameo roles and may do some "celebrity boxing" bouts against other athletes in the future.