Kimbo Slice, the famed MMA fighter who was recently hospitalized for an undisclosed illness, has passed away at 42 years old.
ESPN had previously reported Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, was admitted to the hospital on Monday, June 6 for unknown reasons. He had been previously scheduled to headline Bellator 158 in London on July 16.
In a statement from Bellator MMA president Scott Coker, he was remembered as a “friendly, gentle giant and devoted family man. His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Ferguson family and Kimbo’s friends, fans and teammates.”
No cause of death has been announced and police in Coral Springs said they did not suspect any foul play was involved.
A statement from UFC said “While he will never be forgotten for his fighting style and transcendent image, Slice will also be remembered for his warm personality and commitment to his family and friends.”
His third professional fight was in May 2008 in the first MMA fight to be aired on CBS. In 2009, he was a contestant for a reality series known as The Ultimate Fighter and after two more fights for the UFC, he took a leave of absence to try professional wrestling. He was signed to Bellator in 2015.
MMA fighter Ken Shamrock, who lost to Slice in an event in 2015, shared his condolences on Twitter saying, “We battled inside the cage, warrior vs warrior. Outside the cage, we have loved ones.”
He is survived girlfriend Antoinette Ray and his six children, one of whom recently made his own MMA debut.
See the other condolences to Slice below.
Screenshot via YouTube