Kimbo Slice

MMAstatsbox
name=Kimbo Slice
birthname=Kevin Ferguson
nick=Kimbo Slice


height=height|ft=6|in=2
weight=convert|234.5|lb|kg|abbr=on|lk=on
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|2|8
died=
fightingfrom=Miami, Florida
hometown=Nassau, Bahamas
fightteam=Team Kimbo
fightstyle=Brawling
wins=3
ko=2
submissions=1
losses=1

Kevin Ferguson (born on February 8, 1974 in Nassau, Bahamas), better known as Kimbo Slice, is a Bahamian American mixed martial arts fighter. He is best known for several street fights which have spread primarily on the Internet. Slice left the underground fighting scene in 2006 and signed a professional contract with EliteXC in 2007. "Rolling Stone" called Slice "The King of the Web Brawlers"." [cite web
url=http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/10963294/online_a_neverending_supply_of_gruesome_streetfighting/
title=A Never-Ending Supply of Gruesome Street-Fighting
last=Woods
first=Sean
publisher=Rolling Stone
date=July 28, 2006
accessdate=2007-07-09]

Biography

Early years

Ferguson was born on February 8, 1974 in Nassau, Bahamas and was the oldest son of 11 children. He was a star defensive football player for Miami Palmetto High School in the Pinecrest area of Miami, Florida. In college, he went on to the University of Miami on academic scholarship, studying Criminal justice. He was there for only a year and a half.cite web
url=http://www.cagefuryfighting.com/kimbo_interview.php
title=Two Worlds, One Cage
publisher=Cage Fury Fighting Championships
date=June 23, 2007
accessdate=2007-07-09]

Internet

As Kimbo Slice, Ferguson worked as a bodyguard for RK Netmedia, better known as RealityKings, a Miami-based pornography production/promotion company responsible for a number of popular adult subscription websites, such as MILF Hunter and Money Talks. The latter site made YouTube-friendly videos of Kimbo giving people punches, charlie horses and tackling them at full speed in exchange for money. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt8AQCnMBjU YouTube - Money Talks: Kimbo Slice Football Tackle ] ] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HzsXbDd-sA YouTube - Kimbo Charlie Horse ] ] .

Kimbo Slice began his career in unsanctioned street fights. They were distributed through the Internet, mainly through the adult website [http://www.sublimedirectory.com/fights SublimeDirectory.net] . His only on-tape street fight loss was against Sean Gannon, a former Boston Police officer who also trains in MMA. [cite web
url=http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=682&zoneid=13
title='Ultimate' cop bashes rules, back in ring
last=Wedge
first=Dave
publisher=Boston Herald
format=Reprint
date=September 16, 2005
accessdate=2007-06-17] The popularity of the fight, which was distributed throughout the Internet, propelled both men into the MMA spotlight. Kimbo still maintains close ties with RealityKings who now accompanies him, as his fight entourage, under the name "Team Kimbo". His current manager, known only as IceyMike, works for free for Kimbo. [June 2 ESPN the Magazine "Not Quite What You Were Thinking" pg. 37 ] IceyMike can be heard (off camera) in almost every Kimbo-related YouTube video and many RealityKings videos.

Mixed martial arts career

To prepare for sanctioned MMA fights, Slice was trained by retired MMA fighter Bas Rutten and boxing instructer Randy Khatami. Slice made his MMA debut against former WBO Heavyweight champion and Olympic gold-medalist boxer Ray Mercer at "Cage Fury Fighting Championships 5", in Atlantic City on June 23, 2007. The match was scheduled as a three-round exhibition utilizing all professional rules of MMA combat. Slice defeated Mercer with a guillotine choke at 1:12 into the first round. [cite web
url=http://www.fcfighter.com/news/Mar%202007
first=Jim
last=Genia
title=Former Heavyweight Boxing Champ to Take on Kimbo Slice
date=March 20, 2007
accessdate=2007-03-21
publisher=Full Contact Fighter] In a post-fight interview, Slice stated that he would like to fight David "Tank" Abbott. Abbott, who was a spectator, stood up from his seat and accepted the call out. One of the matchmakers for CFFC asked Slice for his assurance so that an October 12 bout at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 6 between Slice and "Tank" Abbott could be organized. This event was later canceled due to a promotion dispute. On October 11, 2007, ProElite announced that they had signed Slice to a deal and that he would make his debut on the November 10, 2007 EliteXC. [ [http://samcaplan.proelite.com/62278 SamCaplan.proelite.com » Exclusive: Gary Shaw comments on Kimbo Slice and Nick Diaz signings: EliteXC, Gary Shaw, Kimbo Slice, Nick Diaz: SamCaplan article ] ] He was originally set to make his professional MMA debut against Mike Bourke, a reformed street fighter, but a shoulder injury from Bourke led him to face Bo Cantrell. [ [http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=9743 ‘Showtime’ for Kimbo, Noons ] ] Kimbo defeated Cantrell 19 seconds into the first round by submission due to strikes.

Slice was featured on "The Iron Ring", a television series airing on BET which features MMA prospects. Slice was part of the selection process for the participants. [cite web
url=http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=3435
first=Loretta
last=Hunt
title=AM Update March 16
date=March 16, 2007
accessdate=2007-03-21
publisher=The Fight Network]

On February 16, 2008, Kimbo fought Tank Abbott in the main event at "". He won by KO 43 seconds into the first round due to strikes. At the fight his weight was announced at an all-time low of 234lbs, a far cry from his street fighting days of 280lbs.

On May 31, 2008, Kimbo fought in the main event of the first ever mixed martial arts event shown on prime time network television, "". Though one of the judges had each fighter winning one of the first two rounds, Kimbo's opponent James Thompson won both on total points [ [http://www.fightticker.com/story_0601081700_elitexc_primetime_aftermath EliteXC "Primetime" aftermath: Kimbo Slice needs work, Brett Rogers wants a piece | Fight Ticker ] ] [ [http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2008/6/1/543415/bloody-elbow-exclusive-jud Bloody Elbow Exclusive: Judges Scorecards for Slice/Thompson - Bloody Elbow ] ] [ [http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/blogs/2008/06/01/brydon_elitexc_wrap/ EliteXC wrap - Sportsnet.ca ] ] by repeatedly taking down Slice and grounding and pounding. In the opening seconds of the third round, however, Kimbo threw a haymaker to Thompson's left ear, which ruptured Thompson's cauliflower. This was soon followed by three unanswered punches to a standing Thompson, which led to a referee stoppage and the controversial win for Slice. Fellow EliteXC competitor Brett Rogers was particularly critical of Slice's victory, calling Slice's performance "garbage" in a post fight interview. [ [http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24913940/ Primetime pressure nearly sinks Kimbo - Mixed Martial Arts - NBCSports.com ] ]

On October 4, 2008, a Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock fight was supposed to take place at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida as part of CBS' "Saturday Night Fights". [http://mma-live.com/kimbo-slice-to-fight-ken-shamrock/] [http://sherdog.com/news/news/shamrock-gets-next-shot-at-slice-14185] However, Seth Petruzelli replaced Shamrock due to a training injury cut to the left eye sustained by Shamrock during a warm up only hours before the fight was to take place [http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/elitexc-heat-play-by-play-14645] . Slice agreed to take the fight after receiving a raise in pay, and took in $500,000 [http://mmajunkie.com/news/12951/elitexc-heat-salaries-arlvoski-and-kimbo-top-earners-with-500k.mma] . Petruzelli defeated Slice by TKO 14 seconds into the first round of the bout. [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-exclive100308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns yahoo.com, Kimbo TKOd by no-name in 14 seconds] ]

Interviewed on popular radio show The Monsters In The Morning two days after the fight, Seth Petruzelli said that when they offered him a spot in the main event, EliteXC promoters added monetary incentives to dissuade him from using certain fighting techniques against Slice, in an attempt to protect their relatively unproven Internet star.cquote|The promoters kinda hinted to me and they gave me the money to stand and throw with him, they didn't want me to take him down. Let's just put it that way. It was worth my while to try and stand up punch him. [cite web
url=http://monsters.fm/pages/monsters_media.html?feed=246187&article=4355604
title=Monsters in the Morning interview with Seth Petruzelli
publisher=WTKS-FM
date=October 6, 2008]

This added to the controversy surrounding the representation of Slice as a top flight martial artist by CBS and EliteXC. [cite web
url=http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AnOrWdaHQdqzatWq9qQNZpM9Eo14?slug=dw-kimbo100508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
title=Final curtain for the Kimbo show
last=Wetzel
first=Dan
publisher=Yahoo! Sports
date=October 5, 2008]

However Petruzelli clarified his position hours later, claiming in a follow-up interview with MMA website FiveOuncesofPain.com that his previous comments on The Monsters had been misinterpreted.cquote|What was meant to be said was that I wanted to keep the fight standing for myself because I knew that was what the crowd, the promoters, and everyone wanted to see because that’s more exciting than just taking someone to the ground. That was my thing only. I wanted to keep it exciting so I decided to keep it standing. It had nothing to do with anybody else. That was all me. [cite web
url=http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/10/06/petruzelli-disputes-reports-he-insinuated-he-received-a-bonus-for-keeping-slice-fight-a-standup-affair/
title=Petruzelli disputes reports he received a bribe to keep Slice fight a standup affair
last=Caplan
first=Seth
publisher=FiveOunceOfPain.com
date=October 6, 2008]

Personal life

Ferguson currently lives with his family in Miami, and is the father of six children: three girls and three boys. His first two sons are named Kevin, and the third is named Kevlar. His three daughters are named Kassandra, Kiara, & Kevina. [Kimbo Slice - On Jimmy Kimmel Show - 2.7.08] Ferguson is engaged. [ [http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/may/10/no-headline---sc2fcslice10oth-fc/ Outside the fight world, Ferguson is a soft-spoken father of six children — three girls and three boys —who is engaged to his long-time love, Antionette.] ]

Mixed martial arts record

{| style="font-size: 85%; text-align: left;" class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
-!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Result!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Method!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Event!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Round!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Time!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
-
no2Loss
flagicon|USA PetruzelliSeth Petruzelli
TKO (strikes)

dts|link=off|2008|October|4
align="center"|1
align="center"|0:14
flagicon|USA Sunrise, Florida
|Fight was to be against Ken Shamrock, but he was pulled out due to a cut above his eye;
Petruzelli took the fight one hour before the event began, officially weighing in at 205.5 lbs.
-
yes2Win
flagicon|UK ThompsonJames Thompson
TKO (strikes)

dts|link=off|2008|May|31
align="center"|3
align="center"|0:38
flagicon|USA Newark, New Jersey
-
yes2Win
flagicon|USA Tank Abbott
KO (strikes)

dts|link=off|2008|February|16
align="center"|1
align="center"|0:43
flagicon|USA Miami, Florida
-
yes2Win
flagicon|USA CantrellBo Cantrell
Submission (strikes)

dts|link=off|2007|November|10
align="center"|1
align="center"|0:19
flagicon|USA Corpus Christi, Texas
|Professional MMA debut.
-
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Mixed martial arts pro-exhibition match record

{| style="font-size: 85%; text-align: left;" class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
-!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Result!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Method!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Event!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Round!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Time!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location!style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
-
yes2Win
flagicon|USA Ray Mercer
Submission (Guillotine Choke)
Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5
dts|link=off|2007|June|23
align="center"|1
align="center"|1:12
flagicon|USA Atlantic City, New Jersey
-
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

External links

* [http://www.kimbo305.com/ Kimbo305.com (Official Website of Kimbo Slice)]
* [http://www.myspace.com/kkimbo305 MySpace.com/KKimbo305 (Official MySpace Page of Kimbo Slice)]
* [http://kimboslice.proelite.com/ Proelite Profile]
*