A shocking report from the sports world as wildly popular MMA fighter Kimbo Slice has passed away from undetermined reasons.
Reports began surfacing on Monday indicating that Slice had been rushed to the hospital and was in “dire” condition.
Slice – whose real name is Kevin Ferguson – is the superstar that Uproxx describes as “the man who brought MMA to the masses.”
His popularity preceded his MMA career, becoming an internet sensation for his amateur bare-knuckle fights. But his personality helped propel himself and MMA to new heights. He was the main focus of the first ever MMA fight held on prime-time network television.
Via ESPN:
Professional mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice died Monday at age 42, Bellator MMA announced.
“We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family,” Bellator president Scott Coker said in a statement, calling Slice “a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport.”
“Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man,” Coker said. “His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Ferguson family and all of Kimbo’s friends, fans, and teammates.
Kimbo Slice is a very scary guy. He is also a thoughtful friend, loving dad and budding entrepreneur. As MMA’s date with mainstream destiny nears, it’s time to reappraise the ultimate YouTube legend.
There was no word on the cause of Slice’s death.
Check out ESPN’s E:60 report on the rise of Kimbo Slice …
In an interview just four months ago, Slice revealed a little-known side in which he expressed support for Republicans because they’re strong on taxes.
“A lot of black people will be mad when I say I want a Republican in office, but I gotta make a living,” Slice said. “A Republican being in office will be good for my taxes, but what do I know?”
He would go on to explain that he’s voted for Democrats in the past, but had shifted away once he started earning money.
“That’s why I say a lot of minorities will be upset, but when I voted Democrat, and I have, I didn’t see myself making any more money,” he explained. “Things were so hard. I still couldn’t get a job. Now that I’m a fighter and I’m in that other tax bracket, a Republican in office will save me a lot of money taxes-wise.”
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