Kimbo Slice (Esther Lin/MMA Fighting)Kimbo Slice Passes Away at the Age of 42 José Youngs June 6, 2016 Bellator, News, Spotlight YouTube sensation turned mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice has passed away at the age of 42. Bellator MMA officials confirmed the reports after TMZ revealed Slice, real name Kevin Ferguson, had been rushed in Coral, Florida to the hospital and was in “dire condition.” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker released the following on the passing of Ferguson: We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family. One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was 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. 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. In terms of competition Ferguson (5-2) was last seen finishing rival Dada 5000 in February. Prior to this win, fans saw the former YouTube star end his hiatus from the sport of MMA with first round TKO over longtime rival and UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock. This marked the Ferguson’s first professional bout since being released from the UFC following his second round TKO to Matt Mitrione in May 2010. The former EliteXC and The Ultimate Fighter alum held notable victories over Houston Alexander, James Thompson and Tank Abbott. Ferguson’s win over Shamrock set the Bellator ratings record with more than 1.58 million people turning into the three-hour event. The actual fight between Ferguson and Shamrock peaked at 2.1 million viewers. He would later break his own ratings record with a peak of 2.5 million tuning in to witness his win over Dada. Prior to this passing, Ferguson was scheduled to rematch James Thompson at Bellator 158 in England He is survived by his survived by six children and longtime girlfriend Antoinette Ray.
