Kimbo Slice - ONE OF A KIND

one of the lessons that I've learned and this walk of being an MMA fighter that respect is the main thing it's all about respect respecting you know who you are as a person respecting the little guy the little kid the little girl the boy the old man the older woman you know having the respect for people and people will respect you back respect is key the Miami Herald reports the death of a street brawler who became a mixed martial arts fighter MMA fighter an Internet legend Kimbo Slice who died yesterday at the age of 42 a pioneer an icon a trailblazer one of the true greats in MMA one who broke down a lot of doors slice who was born Kevin Ferguson was taken to the hospital Monday in Florida for undisclosed reasons Kimbo Slice his street brawls in south florida made him famous on youtube reports that slice was awaiting a heart transplant surface following his death leaving the world with questions Kimbo Slice did it all said it all and and really help bring MMA to the forefront I had read some of these things that the media had put out that oh he was rushed to the hospital on Monday and that's where he passed away no he was in the hospital on Friday I had seen him earlier that bakes a godly man move a little rusty duh you know I'm thinking my dog you know he's strong as an ox he gonna be fine and it wasn't until friday evening that he had called me and he was looking and the doctors telling me that i need a heart transplant a heart transplant we know where did that come from I was in the hospital wouldn't see them cried together I see how much pain he was going through and I was like damn I just you're doing away you be like man you just want me to this rest so he won't be a pain no more but then you need a bit because it's so much more to get done you know so much more people need we knew it wasn't good when we got the news Friday but there is nothing that led me to believe that Monday could have been you know his last day with us the weekend went by Mundy came around I was about to come up and go to the hospital to go seal and his wife called me like five o'clock and she was hysterical and she's like you know he stopped breathing we did you know and like mike says his mom his wife and black was in the room and they already had already and I just couldn't I couldn't believe it you know like my little nephew is a trooper he came up to be careful I say you know welcome your brothers in a better place and I looked at him like that's your father he said yeah I know you're in a better place let's walk over say some words I couldn't do number grab him and just put on our glasses he cried like and we went over there he touched him like I love you dad and I'm a mission and I'm gonna do everything you taught me when someone close to you passes they're shocked and the sudden rush of emotions it's only days later after they've been laid to rest that's in the lingering silence settles and you realize that that person has gone forever Kevin Ferguson the man known to the rest of the world is Kimbo Slice died on June 6 2016 he was born on the Bahamas grew up in the projects at Dade County he's a football star in high school he survived Hurricane Andrew and I'd the fight to make ends meet for his family and through fighting he found himself he found a purpose he was a man who touched so many lives who made so many friends a man who was a father son and a husband left his mark on the world I ain't gonna miss this a tribute to uh uh a gladiator a warrior also don't ask my brother my best friend of course I'm here man yeah he had a heart of gold his heart was too big he is for his his body that's how big his heart was you know and that's what you know laid him to rest I would say he inspired a lot of people by showing them never give up you know soon when he came from I mean he didn't turn pro untii he was 32 you know so he was grind and he lived in his car and he still never gave up this is the beauty of this amazing country that we live here if you work hard here and you make no excuses you're gonna succeed his entire story this guy was the American dream came from nothing and went on this path that took him to the top of the sport we never set out or intended for him to become the star that happened you know people just gravitated towards him you know when all those fights got released on the internet we were just sharing the video and then you know what happened happened my boy was like mo mo I just seen the craziest thing on in it man for me that was the first time I ever sits that in front of a computer and typed somebody's name into YouTube never seen anything like that before this guy would roll into people's backyards and and they would just start fighting when those videos came out it was a complete storm Kimbo Slice Kimbo Slice why i would sit there for hours and watch me everyone did big with the beard and go teeth and the ugly-ass haircut knock somebody I bought the socket in England everybody knew who Kimber was you know we'd hear about this the crazy man who would fight in the backyard for Kevin to have that skill set and go from YouTube sensation to fighting professional mixed martial artists who have been doing it for years and be successful I don't think people can understand that magnitude he came to throw down he was the warrior spirit of what we are in an MMA what he had was his heart his balls and a hell of a punch there is no mixed martial arts at where it's out right now without Kimbo Slice he brought in those fans who could care less about voice gracie or chuck liddell or teen or teens there hasn't been a fighter that has crossed over at the mainstream like Kimbo Slice ratings don't lie he was the biggest star and everybody knew it all I'm saying is if Kim bows not in your Mount Rushmore well I'm gonna cos you don't know [ __ ] about anyway come on man y'all already know man don't need no introduction the one and only the truth this your boy Kimbo Slice 305 at his best baby Bill Goldberg here throwing a shout-out to Kevin Ferguson aka Kimbo Slice you know I appreciated what you did in the ring but I admired which did out of the ring brother you were the antithesis of what people thought kind good hard to do that at the end of the day you took care of the kids hats off to your brother when we return Kimbo Slice in his own words now I didn't go through life being bully I go through life not liking bullies in the sixth grade I fought a bully one of the bullies at the school this guy literally would take my chocolate milk like you know like like seriously had to go through this so to fight this guy and to beat him and then to get praises from my other friends and buddies so to get that from that you know it was like hey causing a fact [Music] [Music] there's the chill [Music] the man who would become Kimbo Slice Kevin Ferguson grew up in the projects of Miami Florida while he was a star athlete in high school and a kid with big dreams he also had to live with the day-to-day reality of growing up on the mean streets of Dade County and it was on those streets where the character Kimbo Slice was born I grew up in a neighborhood called Pine Crest era we grew up in in the in the 80s know the neighborhood it was rough you know people was dying you know you go out to take it and take out the garbage you will go around the corner and you would see a foot and then you just throw the garbage in the dumpster and fighting back upstairs and a man just you know take a bath for go to bed and call it tonight that is some scary [ __ ] a lot of my friends took to a life of crime so a lot of my a lot of friends of mine were killed because of that I had to develop a killer instinct I had to develop get attitude but still be respectfully because I had a mother and had a sister and had a little brother that would look up to me one day so when I'm out in the streets what mine I gotta be like man I'll kill you if I have to the one I'm with my mother my sister my brother yes ma'am yeah Renee I got your back what's up little bro what you need I had to become another person at times yeah you could have I could have lost myself and at times I sometimes did but I had to always come back home to my mother to my sister to my brother to where I know this is my true identity at the time of those bare-knuckle fights it was a door open unto the point to where here's an extra couple hundred dollars and that was the world to me that helps that helped that help make a difference that helped me eat baby day Akane don't forget it shortly after a few a few street fights I started taking some training and you know we were getting ready to fight the ex heavyweight champ of the world Ray Mercer and they didn't want to sanction that fight because they didn't know who I was they've never heard of Kenmore they never heard of me you got one thing to say man I'm gonna break you boss so I betrayed Mercer in a minute in 27 seconds and I was a 10 to 1 underdog with me dedicating myself to it and commit myself to something I prove that to myself that I can do this my future was born from there i'ma show you real fire boy one of the joyous things and moments you can do now when you reach a certain age go back and reflect where you came from cuz the neighborhood is without made you will you work so to go back and see them see your boys them still alive it's a beautiful thing to see them there and still fighting the struggle you know having they own entrepreneurs now aren't you prone nah you know what I'm saying to see that man is a beautiful thing I could come through and go back to my neighborhood and be a blessing to them now knowing that what we going through we went through hell we went through hell I water when someone my boys been shot shot at hit by cars robbed been on drugs off of drugs been locked up now out now and and and now we're here and we can come together for whatever the reason may be whether it be a barbecue whether it be a jam or whether it be a reunion for the for the projects we can come back together at some point of time and say god damn man what's up right it's been what 20 years 20 years we can see 20 years to each other it's like man I miss you I got no more love for you man you been hard life no [ __ ] life is tough life is rough but I'm still living and that's all we could say that's all we could ask for and it's all because God had a call to us he kept a lot of us alive for some reason he's not thank God that I'm still here to the stake and he's blessed me like he's done [Music] one thing I learned people who remember about Kimbo is you know he accomplished a lot in a short period of time he made our sport mainstream and he was taken away from us way too early but his mark in the world is will always be remembered thanks Kim Bo coming up Kimbo Slice from street fighter the superstar it's always two guys in the same neighborhood that have beef with each other and they settle it in different ways but they settle him Biggie and Tupac they could be in the suburbs Brett doesn't like Brandon may not I mean and they go after the same blonde cheerleader every city this beef it's always the beef that brings that brings the fight to a whole nother level people forget really easily that MMA was born out of an effort to make a street fight a Kimbo in a way took a sport and made it street fighting he just captured you know America better than any other martial artist or MMA fighter has done to this day no other fighter made showmanship and ferocity like Kimbo Slice an internet sensation became a mainstream star and delivered blockbuster television ratings were everywhere he really crossed over into pop culture presenting at the Country Music Awards in movies on Nickelodeon ho ho ho Merry Christmas in all that stuff 2008 slice became the first fighter to headline a fight card on a major television network more than seven million people watched his fight with James Thompson on CBS at the time it was the highest-rated MMA fight in US history look at the numbers that came to watch him in person and on the tube when people attended those fights they weren't MMA fans there were Kimbo Slice fans there's guys that are talented athletes they're guys that are gifted speakers there's guys that are amazing just tough fighters he's the kind of guy that had it all he had fans that were across all demographics all races they all tuned in because they want to see him fight it's the fight fans want to see [Applause] and now ready to make his way to the cage out of the red corner Kimbo Slice his debut with Bellator MMA he battled ken Shamrock that fight revitalized his career the rivalry between Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice dates back to 2008 let's hear about the fight on CBS you know the night before the fight was the weigh-ins I got shoved Stu pushed me while my back was turned the big feud started when can push them it that way and then he didn't fight that fight you know that was for all those years that was the last memory Ferhat of him was getting pushed it that way just hours before broadcast a cut for shamrock to drop out you got a nick over your eye and you get stitches like what are you doing you know I'm saying you get that close to a fight and it doesn't happen it's like a ghost you know it haunts you seven years later Bellator MMA signed both men to headline a fight card in st. Louis Missouri for shamrock and slice the emotions are still wrong [ __ ] right ain't nothing you could do that's gonna faze me keep being you Louie de shredded-wheat no that's just gonna help you you know tense shoots I've ever been on or been near so there was a lot of like tension going on and kind of keeping him away from cannon keeping Ken's people away from his people and all stuff look ship the booty Taco Bell on June 19 2015 slice and shamrocks settled their differences inside the cage first fight that I did with you know Kimble was this fight against Ken Shamrock and people can say what they want about it but there was a point where Ken you know he gets him down and he gets his back and he starts choking him and there there's that moment time he thinks about tapping to get out you know there's no doubt I can see it in him the hand comes out and it clicked it him no not gonna do it Kimbo he has that ability to stay relaxed and in crazy pressure situations and and somehow found a way to get a hold of that arm and twist a little bit and then get back to his feet [Applause] you hit Ken you know people say what they want I am Telling You he hit him with the right hand there was a sledgehammer it split him open and that right there says everything you know it's like could he have quit yes he could have gotten himself out he would have made money anyways but a man had a fighter's heart he didn't quit after all the animal cell the talk back and forth what does that handshake and hug mean to you man I respect you know you coming to fight and get beat you got show respect gotta beat you once they did fight in it was over you know it was all love and they got along wherever we ended up being and you know Kenzi see you know there's a nice guy in that fight he showed that he wasn't just a street fighter he was still learning and and he was still dedicating himself to his craft that's what's up Kimber wanted to evolve as a martial artist and become the best martial artist he could be and that's really all you can ask for that cause been put in it you know I'm thinning here I am in the same situation [Laughter] this is what makes us who we are to go up to come down you get up and keep on fighting this was designed for me I was designed in some kind of way to win some to lose some who wanna keep coming I'm gonna keep on fighting they don't come up like Kimbo anymore they're never gonna come up like controlling that link from the street to the MMA I think that died will come up early man we lost another great person man a Kimbo Slice if you ever make him bow you would know that he is nothing like the image said maybe he portrayed in the press was very gentle very thankful you showed more heart and more willpower than anybody I've ever seen and he did so much for the sport of MMA ken will slice you gone but you never forgot me rest in peace Kimball up next his friends and family remember the man whose Kimbo Slice yeah just fell you know I could probably try to tape it back on you know you just want to touch my chest again it's good stuff Kimbo Slice was a larger-than-life character all right guys Kimbo is ready to roll and everyone who knew him had a story to tell we get to say ass this time [Laughter] Kimbo just got done with his fight where Ken Shamrock was trying to do everything in his power to choke him unconscious after the fight somehow he got a cut in between the webbing of his toes tiniest little cut he only needed maybe like one or two stitches he was he wasn't taking it well it was so funny to see this giant badass dude whining and crying about his baby toe yeah you want to see my legs I got nice legs you know I've heard the houston press conference and Kimbo was there that I was there that's a Kimbo he wants me first he said Noblet thought it first so I said I'd go ahead and I'm sitting with Royce Gracie right here baby nuts I betcha - bigger than yours I was about to exit the press conference guys have a seat it's time to settle this I want scarier than that last Halloween all the kids and him they all dressed up as minions it was pretty funny scene in that costume one night in the alternate father house Kimbo bursts in my room and Kimbo goes yo Shawn wake up man huh just wake up like why he goes they're talking about our people there's some guy in the house he just went nuts started seeing all this racist stuff and Kimbo goes yeah man we're gonna whoop his ass no I'm completely down that but I'm not black and boys what no I'm not black lay on it damn that's crazy yeah that's why I love you dawg I can't tell what you are never judge a book by it's cover we literally went to meet him and his manager in a hotel room that's like I'm probably gonna get my ass kicked when I walk into this room and we walked in and the thing that blew me away he was the nicest guy you could ever meet I know it's like a lot of people wouldn't walk up to him because he had to look you know he wasn't really like that man if they knew him I mean they walk up to him and hug him outside of the ring gentle giant like they say sweetest man you'll ever meet ever like oh my god he's nice like there is no question that when we were in high school you wouldn't describe him as caring that's Wanda's dog he was just this off the chain first to handle whatever and would never instigate it but if it happened or it came you know he dealt with it as we you know grew older he really became more and more of a family man you know as you grow up and you mature you know you I guess developing a who you're supposed to be I feel good when I'm with my family and I'll die for them what comes to mind when you're thinking about combat sports in Miami its Kimbo Slice and what was amazing was to meet this tough an intimidating guy who actually had a lot of really amazing things to say and had such a big heart and was so generous with his time Kimbo i love you you will be my brother forever more than a fighter you are my family I was always a big fan of Kimbo and he'll be sadly missed rest in peace Kimball we miss you baby [Music] when we return a day in the life of Kimbo Slice the best gift I ever received for Christmas it wasn't Christmas it's a little bit before Christmas it was when my youngest son was born his name's Kevlar and um he was a very unique little kid and he was my best gift that I received for Christmas my little kid Kimbo was larger than life he would walk in a room and immediately get everybody's attention there was never a moment he didn't stop to sign an autograph there were never a moment he didn't stop to say hello he was not the persona and I think there was a big difference between Kimbo Slice and Kevin Ferguson or Ferg one thing I really loved about chemo was how much of a family person he was he always wanted that family time he loved his family well I think embo you know with his kids like damn you know I wish I had a dad like that in my life during fights his kids were in the locker room with him his wife was always around him he was a family man in 2015 a camera crew filed Kimbo Slice around for a day when he wasn't fighting Kimbo Slice aka Kevin Ferguson was a devoted family man the father of six children a caring husband and a devoted son and that's what the cameras caught that day a day in the life of Kevin Ferguson I kind of knew how I wanted to live as a kid have a big crib in a gated community those were my dreams and my goals as a kid it started becoming I was you know well known for the street fighting everyone knew who I was but I wasn't successful that didn't come till many many many years later I still had to walk today my dreams and my goals were all the same and I'm living them I just thank God for having haven't been able to live for 40 years to see that [Music] when I was in my 30s you still think like a 20 year old kinda I wasn't as strong my mind wasn't his keen just had big balls and was just ready to hit everything head up you know being 40 you know your dues in your don'ts now and I feel great right you know I've never been as strong as I've been in my life I've never had ambition than I had in my life I know what I want now I know I know where I'm at I know what it's gonna take to get to get me to get to that to that goal to that accomplishments again good again beautiful again please give you all the secrets anyone to know that's what I really like when it comes down to to your kids you want to give them everything about you what you have so that they could be a little bit better a little bit stronger a little bit smarter a little bit wiser you just want your offsprings to be a little bit better than you were or you were growing up and coming up in his life Thank You Mikey now it's time to check up on the little man see how he's doing I'm not just battling this battle or fighting a fight but I'm also battling through battling autism we're fighting autism when I'm hearing with them and then we're part of each other's life I'm giving him a part of me he's giving me a part of him man every now and then he'll just want to make sure I'm looking he makes sure I catches his eye I catch his eye to see is that my dad looking is my dad watching I want my dad to see me do this that in itself is a there's a great accomplishment to see my son you know learning how to wrestle learning how to jujitsu that makes me feel good and sorry and he he loves it he loves and this is the reason why I continue to fight like a fight for one reason and that's for them [Music] this is my grandson this is the third-generation Ferguson birds in the nest akimbo everything is gonna family affair here no I have a kick-ass spirit no-nonsense nature in that case because when it's off time this is shitty serious to me no family is just me but this is my family this business on one of the reasons why I do what I do you know you know goals are accomplished via pro fighters to be successful you gotta know what the reward is you got to be focused or like that we're focused all about that hello this is Mick Foley of the WWE like many of you I first learned of the legend of Kimbo Slice as a youtube sensation but it was as a father that Kevin Ferguson really earned my admiration like Kevin I am the father of an autistic child and upon learning of his love and his gentle nature I realized that what a special man he was rest in peace Kimbo Slice you will be missed when we return saying goodbye [Music] I fight for a lot of reasons man I fight for my family I fight for myself I was able to put my kids through college you know put my family in a home get my mother a car my mom that's a home you know I'm literally taking care of my family by fighting Kimbo Slice was the fighter a character born on the streets of Miami who fought with his fists and won with his heart while Kevin Ferguson was the man a man who embraced his life and held his family above everything else and together they forged the legacy that will be honored for years to come will there be another Bruce Lee no well they've even though that I was Presley know well they'll be another Kimbo Slice no he was a special individual it just says a lot about him he literally used every ounce that was in him whether it was in the cage or whether it was to his family he did it till he couldn't do it anymore if somebody was gonna write a book about your life would anybody read it and I think if you were to ask that question about Kevin Ferguson the answer would be yes he represented the very best of the American Dream if you are hard worker you will succeed for sure and Kimba was the living example of that the amount of respect that he got from from the MMA community was overwhelming he's the kind of guy you want to have around he was a prankster he was a jokester he was you know a happy guy I'm gonna miss that the most every time Kimmo did anything made an appearance had a fight announce something what's cage shot it was an event and it was big and it felt like everybody was on the same rollercoaster at the scene I'm gonna miss that a lot what a thank you I want to thank him for everything that he's done for the sport he's a guy that when the chips are down he fought he fought he fought and he landed on his feet yeah if you can hear this Kimbo buddy just want to say I love you and hope to see you again someday Ferg you were a warrior in the cage an amazing family man outside of it it was a wild and crazy ride and I'm really lucky and glad that I was able to have a seat on it and I'm gonna miss you boss your age is judged not by the years you've been alive but by your number of friends and by that measure Kimbo Slice outlived us all my condolences go out to his family for their loss vote for the guy to to pass at such a young age I never thought this would be true but I actually ended up really liking Kimbo Slice a lot everybody Jim we got we gonna fight hard for you and keep the legacy going you're sad and use these when we go out there and put people to sleep for you man Ian a rest well rested paradise well i'ma miss Kimbo Slice because he was my father you made me laugh you always were honest and you always went out and gave everything you had no one can ask for you did everything you could you helped our sport you proved yourself as a man you're a great father I'm gonna miss Barbara I believe we stay alive in the memories of those who loved us and Kimball has given us an ocean of memories and now you know that's why we don't remember and and and that's that I think he'll always be there watching over us like he did when he was here I think he's gonna still be that they're least I hope so it might be late sometimes I shall always watch over us first of all I love know I love them I love you and it's not one that would be a date or time I'm not think about you and always be in my heart always gonna be my homie and say was fought for me because I know it's gonna be a deal to come so sit might shut next to yours but and I really miss you and I love you and we don't carry your legs here that's what I want to say I wanted tear but I'm Tara but now we miss oh we love bra see you one day at the pros road I don't know if this is a good buy I think it's more just words to describe Kevin Ferguson or as you guys know on Kimbo Slice pioneer Finers heart superstar relentless loving caring friendly and one of the time can tell you

Channel: BellatorMMA

Views: 1,010,202

Rating: 4.9001222 out of 5

Keywords: MMA, Mixed Martial Arts, Sports, Bellator, Bellator MMA, Fighting, Fight, Fighter, UFC, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Strikeforce, WWE, Punch, Kick, Grappling, MMA highlights, MMA KO, MMA Knockouts, MMA best moments, MMA fights, MMA moves, MMA best fights, Analysis, Sports Analysis, Breakdown, Boxing, Martial Arts, Karate, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Combat, Submission, Knock out, KO, Sports Highlights, Conor McGregor, Full Fight, Fight Highlights, Kimbo Slice

Id: av5FIrqTgAI

Length: 38min 58sec (2338 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 13 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/TheUFCVeteran3]

RIP Kimbo :( Gone far too soon.

[u/sajthesavage]

RIP Kimbo. Thanks for the memories

[u/fidel1989]

Rest in peace kimbo slice...