Kimbo Slice

Kimbo Slice was a Bahamian-American UFC fighter and occasional actor who in the late 2000s rose to prominence as one of the most popular mixed martial arts fighters in America. Born Kevin Ferguson in Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, Slice was a big kid and a natural athlete. He moved with his family to Florida when he was still a young boy, and started playing football in high school. As a star middle linebacker, Slice wowed the team with his on-field heroics, and quickly established himself as one of the best young players in the state. By the time graduation rolled around, Slice was hotly recruited by several major universities. He eventually accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Miami, where he played defense for the school's legendary football team. Slice stayed at Miami for a year and a half, studying criminal justice, but left to try his hand at a pro career. He attended a tryout for the Miami Dolphins in 1997, but did not make the cut for the final roster. Undeterred, Slice bounced around Miami for the next few years, taking on odd jobs as a bodyguard and limo driver, before embarking on a street-fighting career in the early 2000s. Despite the sport being underground and therefore unsanctioned, Slice quickly became an internet star when several of his ferocious knockouts were posted onto YouTube. In 2007 he turned professional and started facing off with various mixed martial arts fighters. Slice racked up a number of wins, which eventually caught the attention of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) founder Dana White. White wanted Slice to take part in his reality TV program, "The Ultimate Fighter" (Spike TV/FX/Fox Sports, 2005-), which Slice accepted. Slice won the TV competition, and made his UFC debut soon after, where he continued to knock out opponents. By the late 2000s Slice was practically a household name among the UFC-watching public, but his aging body made it difficult for him to fight as often as he used to. He briefly tried a professional boxing career, where he defeated every opponent he faced, and also appeared in a few movies, including "The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption" (2012). Slice appeared in his final mixed martial arts fight in early 2016, which ended in a no contest. After a remarkable life that earned him millions of adorning fans, Kimbo Slice died on June 6, 2016 from heart failure. He was 42.