Kevin Ferguson (February 8, 1974 – June 6, 2016), better known as Kimbo Slice, was a Bahamian-born American mixed martial artist, professional boxer, and actor.

Originally a bare-knuckle boxer, he became noted for his role in mutual combat street fight videos which were spread online, leading Rolling Stone to call him "The King of the Web Brawlers".

After becoming a free agent via his dismissal from the UFC, Slice ventured into the professional boxing circuit, competing as a pro fighter from 2011 to 2013.

He went to Bel-Air Elementary School,[6] where he was reportedly involved in his first fight with fellow student Dominic Sauer at the age of 13 as he tried to defend a friend.

[14] Ferguson started working as a bouncer for a strip club until high school friend and career-long manager, Mike Imber, offered him a job as a limousine driver and bodyguard for RK Netmedia, better known as Reality Kings, a Miami-based pornography production/promotion company responsible for a number of popular adult subscription websites.

[8][10] Ferguson maintained close ties with Reality Kings throughout the rest of his life; company representatives accompanied him, as his fight entourage, under the name Team Kimbo.

[10][15] His only ever loss in a street fight was to Sean Gannon, a Boston police officer and fellow mixed martial artist, in 2004.

As an amateur, Slice lost his first and only bout to Jay Ellis by KO in the first round on October 8, 2005, at the 2nd event of the Xtreme Fighting Organization trials.

[17] In 2006, Slice signed to fight against former WBO Heavyweight champion and Olympic gold-medalist boxer Ray Mercer in a CFFC event in 2007.

The match was scheduled as a three-round exhibition utilizing all professional rules of MMA combat, but did not count towards a professional record.. A month prior to the fight, Slice switched camps and was trained by retired MMA fighter Bas Rutten and boxing instructor Randy Khatami at Rutten's school, EliteMMA, in Thousand Oaks, California.

During his ensuing three fights, Slice did not utilize full skills in MMA and relied heavily on striking, punches and elbows, and modified Muay Thai.

Slice's team stated they did not want him fighting Frank no matter how much money was offered to them, so Lappen decided that Petruzelli was the best option for the main event.

[34] The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation started a preliminary investigation on the events surrounding the fight and its outcome.

[35] However, Petruzelli retracted this statement a few hours later, claiming in a follow-up interview with MMA website FiveOuncesofPain.com that his previous comments on The Monsters had been misinterpreted.

[38] Many in the mixed martial arts community, including Jay Thompson, executive consultant to the company, attributed EliteXC and ProElite's failure due to Slice's loss to Seth Petruzelli.

In his first fight of the show, Slice was defeated by Roy Nelson via TKO stoppage in the second round after repeated punches to the head in the crucifix position.

[43] Following defeat in the preliminary round, Slice did not leave the show like some contestants after elimination, continuing to train with the remaining participants, befriending some of them and sharpening his own combat skills, particularly ground fighting and defense.

Slice brought record breaking views during his time on The Ultimate Fighter, and given his humbleness and apparent potential as he fought and honed his skills, it was decided he would be offered a contract by the UFC promotion regardless of his elimination at the hands of Nelson, albeit a lesser valued one than the coveted six figure deal the winner would receive.

[44] Slice made his debut when he fought Houston Alexander on December 5, 2009, at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale at a catchweight of 215 pounds (98 kg).

On May 8, 2010, Slice made his pay-per-view and official heavyweight debut in his second fight at UFC 113 against his fellow Ultimate Fighter veteran Matt Mitrione on the Main Card.

[51] It was soon revealed that Slice attempted to negotiate a contract with the promotion Strikeforce, but could not agree to terms because of dispute over his fight pay.

Slice fought in a four-round headlining attraction against 39-year-old James Wade (0–1) at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

He defeated Jesse Porter (3–4)[59] and Howard Jones (5–4)[60] both by first-round KO, but the more prominent came in the form of fellow Mixed martial artist, Brian Green (27–17).

[61] There was controversy and accusations the fight was a fixed and staged event, as Green admitted to wearing 20 pound ankle weights to fool the state commission, and was heavily ridiculed for it was believed he took a dive.

[62] Slice's next fight, the highest profile one of his career, was in Australia on the Anthony Mundine vs Daniel Geale undercard on January 30, 2013.

[63] He defeated Shane Tilyard (6–6), former 2x ANBF Queensland champion and IBF PP cruiser title challenger, by TKO in the second round.

After departing from the UFC and announcing his intent to enter other aspects of combat sports, Slice was to make his debut in professional wrestling on February 5, 2011, against former sumo wrestler Shinichi Suzukawa at the Inoki Genome Federation's "Genome 14" event in Fukuoka, Japan;[78] he pulled out of the match due to getting injured during practice.

[81] He made his official acting debut when playing the character Bludge on Nickelodeon's 2008 holiday special, Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh.

"[87] Dada, despite their rivalry and remembering the one-time friendship, paid tribute to his fallen adversary on the Instagram social media page, citing him as a somebody who "Showed the world that a guy from the back yard circuit can make it in professional sports and do the impossible".

[44][89][90] He set a Spike TV record, that stood during its fifteen years of operation, by participating in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights[91] bringing a viewing of more than 6.1 million views on the episode where he fought and was eliminated early on by the tournament winner Roy Nelson in the opening round,[92][93] trumping any other UFC content aired on the broadcasting.