Bellator fighter Kimbo Slice dies at 42 years old

Slice (photo) passed away at the age of 42. Photo: Disclosure

The world of MMA received sad news on Monday night (6), early on Tuesday in Brazil. Former UFC fighter and currently at Bellator, Kimbo Slice died at the age of 42 due to heart problems in Florida, in the United States.

Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, was rushed to a hospital in Coral Gables, where he lived. According to the gossip website “TMZ”, the first to report what happened, his situation was already considered “terrible”. A few hours later, the athlete's death was confirmed, although few details are known at the moment.

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The fighter, born in the Bahamas, gained fame in the United States at the beginning of the last decade, with videos of amateur fights he held in backyards. Due to his success, Slice was drafted by the EliteXC organization, where he had his first four professional MMA fights.

After beating the likes of veterans Tank Abbott and James Thompson, Kimbo was knocked out by Seth Petruzelli, which directly affected EliteXC's popularity. Furthermore, Petruzelli revealed at the time that the organization had asked him to hand over the victory to the popular Slice – EliteXC could not resist the scandal and closed its doors.

Kimbo then participated in the reality show The Ultimate Fighter, in an edition that only featured heavyweight fighters. Despite being quickly eliminated in the face of Roy Nelson, the athlete had two fights in the UFC, defeating Houston Alexander and losing to Matt Mitrione.

Years later, Kimbo signed with Bellator and made his debut with the organization in 2015, beating former UFC fighter Ken Shamrock. At the beginning of the year, he starred in one of the most controversial fights in MMA history, against Dada 5000, in which both showed great physical and technical unpreparedness. During the fight, Dada 5000 suffered cardiac arrest and kidney problems, but eventually recovered.

Kimbo was scheduled to have a rematch with James Thompson at Bellator 158, on July 16, in the organization's debut in England. He leaves behind six children and a longtime girlfriend.