Introduction
Kimbo Slice — born Kevin Ferguson on February 8, 1974 in Nassau, Bahamas — was a Bahamian-American mixed martial artist, professional boxer, and one of the most foundational viral internet street-fighting stars of the YouTube era. He died on June 6, 2016 at the age of 42 from heart failure in Margate, Florida. The Miami-raised former strip club bouncer parlayed mid-2000s YouTube backyard street-fighting fame into a 9-year mainstream MMA career across EliteXC, the UFC, and Bellator, headlining the May 2008 EliteXC: Primetime show on CBS — the first MMA event ever broadcast on US primetime network television. He finished his MMA career 5-2 (1 NC) and his pro boxing career 7-0, leaving behind his fiancé and six children.
Contents
Quick Stats
Background
Fighting Style
Career Highlights
Notable Fights & Rivalries
Championships & Accolades
Current Status
Fun Facts
Legacy / Verdict
Frequently Asked Questions
References
Quick Stats
Nickname: Kimbo Slice
Age at death: 42 (born February 8, 1974; died June 6, 2016)
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Reach: 78" (198 cm)
Weight Class: Heavyweight (220-265 lb)
Stance: Orthodox
Team: American Top Team (Coconut Creek, FL)
Pro MMA Record: 5 wins, 2 losses, 1 no contest (career 2007-2016); 7-0 pro boxing
Background
Born Kevin Ferguson on February 8, 1974 in Nassau, Bahamas. He moved to Miami, Florida with his family at a young age and grew up in the Miami neighborhoods of Cutler Bay and Perrine. He was raised in working-class circumstances and at one point experienced periods of homelessness. He played college football briefly at the University of Miami before working as a strip club bouncer and bodyguard.
He began competing in unsanctioned street fights in Miami in 2003 — his videos of backyard street fights against semi-professional boxers and street competitors became wildly popular on YouTube and Yahoo Video in the mid-2000s, making him one of the original viral internet street-fighting stars. He turned professional in MMA in 2007 at age 33 and competed across EliteXC, the UFC, and Bellator across his 9-year career. He trained at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida throughout his MMA career and was a foundational mentor figure to a generation of South Florida MMA athletes including Jorge Masvidal.
Fighting Style
Heavy-handed brawler-style boxing with raw power and a distinctive durability. Kimbo's pattern is textbook American Top Team — Miami street-fighter foundation combined with championship-pace pressure and a uniquely durable chin. The R3 KO of James Thompson at EliteXC: Primetime in May 2008 (the first MMA show on US primetime network television), the R3 TKO of Bellator 138 vs Ken Shamrock in June 2015, and the R3 TKO of Bellator 149 vs Dada5000 in February 2016 are the canonical examples of his championship-level finishing arsenal across his MMA career.
His weakness across his career was the elite-level technical wrestling and grappling standard of the modern UFC heavyweight division. The October 2008 R1 KO loss to Seth Petruzelli at EliteXC: Heat (a 14-second upset that contributed to EliteXC's collapse), the December 2009 TKO loss to Roy Nelson at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, and the May 2010 R2 TKO loss to Matt Mitrione at UFC Fight Night 21 reflected variations of the same pattern. Within his championship-era prime years from 2007 to 2009 in EliteXC, however, his arsenal was the technical floor of his mainstream-MMA promotion-era — the foundational moment of MMA's US primetime-television breakthrough.
Career Highlights
2003 — Began competing in Miami unsanctioned street fights; YouTube/Yahoo Video viral career begins.
June 2007 — Pro MMA debut vs Bo Cantrell. Won by R1 guillotine choke submission.
September 2007 — Cage Fury Fighting Championships vs Tank Abbott. Won by R1 KO.
May 31, 2008 — EliteXC: Primetime on CBS vs James Thompson. Won by R3 KO; first MMA show ever on US primetime network television.
October 4, 2008 — EliteXC: Heat vs Seth Petruzelli. Lost by R1 KO at 14 seconds; result contributed to EliteXC's collapse.
September 2009 — Cast member of The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 (heavyweight season).
December 5, 2009 — TUF 10 Finale vs Roy Nelson. Lost by R2 TKO.
May 8, 2010 — UFC 113 vs Houston Alexander. Won by unanimous decision in Montreal.
May 22, 2010 — UFC Fight Night 21 vs Matt Mitrione. Lost by R2 TKO; released from UFC.
August 2011-November 2013 — Pro boxing career. Went 7-0.
June 19, 2015 — Bellator 138 vs Ken Shamrock. Won by R1 TKO at 2:22.
February 19, 2016 — Bellator 149 vs Dada5000. Won by R3 TKO; result later overturned to NC after PED test.
June 6, 2016 — Died of heart failure at age 42 in Margate, Florida.
Notable Fights & Rivalries
vs James Thompson (EliteXC: Primetime, 2008)
Kimbo's career-defining MMA fight. He defeated Thompson by R3 KO at EliteXC: Primetime on CBS on May 31, 2008 — the first MMA event ever broadcast on US primetime network television. The fight headlined the night and was watched by 6.5 million viewers in the United States. The result was widely considered the foundational moment of MMA's mainstream US television breakthrough and one of the most-watched single MMA bouts in promotion history. Thompson was scheduled to face Kimbo in a rematch at Bellator 158 in London in July 2016 — the rematch never happened due to Kimbo's death.
vs Seth Petruzelli (EliteXC: Heat, 2008)
The most-watched MMA upset of the late 2000s. Petruzelli — a journeyman fighter brought in as a short-notice replacement for Ken Shamrock — knocked out Kimbo by R1 KO at 14 seconds at EliteXC: Heat in October 2008. The result was widely considered one of the most foundational MMA upsets in promotion history and contributed to EliteXC's collapse and bankruptcy in 2009. Petruzelli was alleged to have been paid additional bonuses to keep the fight standing rather than take it to the ground; the allegations were never substantiated but contributed to the EliteXC fallout.
vs Ken Shamrock (Bellator 138, 2015)
Kimbo's MMA return after a 5-year absence. He stopped Ken Shamrock — UFC Hall of Fame Pioneer Wing inductee and the original UFC Superfight Champion — by R1 TKO at 2:22 of round one at Bellator 138 in June 2015 in St. Louis. The result drew Bellator's then-highest television rating ever (more than 2 million viewers) and was widely cited as one of the most-watched MMA returns of the mid-2010s. The fight was originally scheduled for EliteXC: Heat in October 2008 — but Shamrock pulled out due to a pre-fight cut, leading to the Petruzelli replacement that ended in Kimbo's R1 KO loss.
vs Dada5000 (Bellator 149, 2016)
Kimbo's final MMA fight and one of the most-watched MMA bouts of 2016. He stopped Dhafir "Dada5000" Harris (another street-fighting legend from Miami who Kimbo had previously feuded with on the South Florida backyard scene) by R3 TKO at Bellator 149 in Houston in February 2016 — the result was later overturned to a No Contest after Kimbo tested positive for elevated testosterone in his post-fight drug test. The bout was Kimbo's final professional MMA fight; he died of heart failure four months later in June 2016 at age 42.
Influence on Jorge Masvidal
Kimbo was a foundational mentor figure to a generation of South Florida MMA athletes — most notably Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal, who first competed in pre-MMA Miami backyard street fights against Kimbo's protégé "Ray" (videos of which became viral YouTube content in the mid-2000s pre-UFC era). Masvidal has publicly cited Kimbo as one of the most foundational influences on his own MMA career — a representation of the dream that hard work, willpower, and the Miami street-fighting culture could produce a global MMA superstar.
Championships & Accolades
First headliner of the first MMA show ever broadcast on US primetime network television (EliteXC: Primetime on CBS, May 31, 2008).
Final career professional MMA record: 5 wins, 2 losses, 1 No Contest (2007-2016).
Final career professional boxing record: 7-0 (2011-2013).
Foundational viral internet street-fighting star of the YouTube era — widely cited as the original viral street-fighting internet superstar.
Cast member of The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 (2009).
Career bouts in EliteXC, the UFC, and Bellator.
Career win over UFC Hall of Fame Pioneer Wing inductee Ken Shamrock at Bellator 138 (June 2015) — Bellator's then-highest television rating ever (2+ million viewers).
Foundational mentor figure to a generation of South Florida MMA athletes including Jorge Masvidal.
Mainstream television cameo appearances (including Drake & Josh and other early-2010s pop-culture broadcasts).
Current Status
Deceased. Kimbo Slice died on June 6, 2016 at age 42 in Margate, Florida. He had been hospitalized at a medical facility near his Coral Springs, Florida home earlier that day and died of heart failure shortly after starting to feel symptoms. There was no foul play suspected and no police investigation. He was still under contract with Bellator at the time of his death and was scheduled to headline Bellator 158 in London on July 16, 2016 against James Thompson in a planned rematch — the rematch never happened.
He was survived by his fiancé Antoinette Ray (who he had been with since the late 1990s) and six children. The MMA community paid extensive tribute to him in the days after his passing — Bellator CEO Scott Coker described him as "a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport" and "a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man." American Top Team — his longtime training base — issued a public tribute calling him "a legend" of the South Florida MMA community. The UFC also released a tribute video honoring his career legacy. He remains one of the most-watched and most-loved MMA figures in pop-culture history.
Fun Facts
Was one of the original viral internet street-fighting stars of the YouTube era — videos of his Miami backyard street fights against semi-professional boxers and street competitors became wildly popular on YouTube and Yahoo Video in the mid-2000s.
Headlined the first MMA show ever broadcast on US primetime network television — the May 31, 2008 EliteXC: Primetime on CBS, watched by 6.5 million viewers.
Was a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 (2009) — the heavyweight season — alongside fellow Bellator-era stars Roy Nelson, Matt Mitrione, and Brendan Schaub.
His May 2010 UFC 113 vs Houston Alexander unanimous-decision win in Montreal was his only UFC career win.
Inspired a generation of South Florida MMA athletes — most notably Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal, who first competed in pre-MMA Miami backyard street fights against Kimbo's protégé "Ray" (videos of which became viral YouTube content in the mid-2000s pre-UFC era).
Made television and film cameos throughout his career — including appearing on the Nickelodeon teen sitcom Drake & Josh and various other pop-culture broadcasts of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Was a strip club bouncer and bodyguard before transitioning to MMA at age 33 — making him one of the older MMA pros to debut in modern UFC history.
Returned to MMA via Bellator in 2015 after a 5-year absence — his June 2015 Bellator 138 R1 TKO of Ken Shamrock drew Bellator's then-highest television rating ever (more than 2 million viewers).
Earned the rank of foundational MMA pop-culture figure — his name remains one of the most-recognized MMA fighter names outside dedicated MMA fan circles a decade after his June 2016 passing.
Legacy / Verdict
Kimbo Slice is one of the most foundational viral internet street-fighting stars of the YouTube era and one of the most-watched MMA figures in pop-culture history. The first-ever US primetime network television MMA headline at EliteXC: Primetime on CBS in May 2008 (watched by 6.5 million viewers, foundational moment of MMA's mainstream US television breakthrough), the 5-2-1NC career professional MMA record across EliteXC-UFC-Bellator, the 7-0 career professional boxing record, the cast appearance on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 in 2009, the June 2015 Bellator 138 R1 TKO of Ken Shamrock (Bellator's then-highest television rating ever), and the foundational mentor influence on a generation of South Florida MMA athletes including Jorge Masvidal together place him in the conversation for most influential MMA pop-culture figure of the late-2000s era. The Miami street-fighter-to-mainstream-MMA-superstar career arc is one of the most-replicated MMA branding patterns of the modern era.
What complicates the legacy is the post-2008 EliteXC stretch — the October 2008 14-second R1 KO loss to Seth Petruzelli (the upset that contributed to EliteXC's collapse), the May 2010 UFC release after the Mitrione loss, the February 2016 Bellator 149 PED-test-positive No Contest reversal, and the tragic June 6, 2016 heart failure death at age 42. He left the sport too soon — and the MMA community continues to honor his memory a decade later. The competitive resume is permanent, and the foundational pop-culture contribution to MMA's mainstream US television breakthrough era is settled. Rest in peace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Kimbo Slice die?
Yes. Kevin Ferguson — known professionally as Kimbo Slice — died on June 6, 2016 at the age of 42. He was hospitalized in Margate, Florida near his Coral Springs home and died of heart failure shortly after starting to feel symptoms. He was still under contract with Bellator at the time of his death and was scheduled to headline Bellator 158 in London on July 16, 2016 against James Thompson in a planned rematch. He left behind his fiancé and six children.
What was Kimbo Slice's professional MMA record?
Five wins, two losses, and one no contest across his 9-year MMA career from 2007 to 2016. He competed in EliteXC, the UFC, and Bellator across his career. His final professional MMA fight was the February 19, 2016 R3 TKO win over Dada5000 at Bellator 149 in Houston — the result was later overturned to a No Contest after Kimbo tested positive for elevated testosterone. He went 7-0 across his pro boxing career (2011-2013).
Who was Kimbo Slice and how did he get famous?
Kevin Ferguson — known as Kimbo Slice — was a Bahamian-American mixed martial artist who became one of the first viral internet street-fighting stars of the YouTube era. Born in Nassau, Bahamas in 1974 and raised in Miami, he worked as a strip club bouncer and bodyguard before competing in unsanctioned street fights starting in 2003. Videos of his violent knockout victories in those bouts became wildly popular online, both for his raw punching power and his distinctive bearded, intimidating appearance — he is widely cited as the original viral street-fighting internet star and one of the most foundational figures in MMA's mainstream-media-vs-street-fighting crossover era.
What was Kimbo Slice's most famous MMA fight?
His May 31, 2008 EliteXC: Primetime headline on CBS — the first MMA show ever broadcast on US primetime network television. Kimbo defeated James Thompson by R3 KO at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ in front of 6.5 million viewers. The result was widely considered the foundational moment of MMA's mainstream US television breakthrough. He suffered a famous 14-second R1 KO loss to Seth Petruzelli at EliteXC: Heat in October 2008 in Sunrise, FL — an upset that contributed to EliteXC's collapse and was one of the most-watched MMA upsets of the late 2000s.
Did Kimbo Slice fight in the UFC?
Yes. He was a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 (2009) — the heavyweight season — and went on to fight in the UFC. He lost to Roy Nelson by TKO at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in December 2009, defeated Houston Alexander by unanimous decision at UFC 113 in May 2010 in Montreal, and lost to Matt Mitrione by R2 TKO at UFC Fight Night 21 in May 2010 — leading to his UFC release shortly after.
What was Kimbo Slice's nickname and where was he from?
His nickname "Kimbo Slice" was a street-fighting moniker referencing his powerful slicing punches. He was born Kevin Ferguson on February 8, 1974 in Nassau, Bahamas — moving to Miami, Florida with his family at a young age. He was raised in the Miami neighborhoods of Cutler Bay and Perrine and trained at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida throughout his MMA career. He was a foundational mentor figure to a generation of South Florida MMA athletes including Jorge Masvidal, who first competed in pre-MMA Miami backyard street fights against Kimbo's protégé "Ray" before turning pro.
References
ESPN — The final days of MMA fighter Kimbo Slice (2017 anniversary feature)
CBS Sports — Street fighting legend turned MMA pro Kimbo Slice dead at 42 (June 2016)