When Internet street fighting legend Kevin Ferguson (a.k.a. “Kimbo Slice”) decided to make his transition into mixed martial arts back in June against former boxing champion Ray Mercer, many people thought it was a publicity stunt. Little did they know how serious he had taken his new profession. After quickly submitting Mercer in less than a minute, people started looking at Kimbo Slice a little more seriously.
After all, this isn't a fighter who's training with amateurs in his back yard. He's training with the likes of MMA legend Bas Rutten and working out at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Kimbo knew that if he were to take the sport seriously, he'd have to go the best.
“I'm starting in my thirties. These guys have been doing this since their twenties. If I'm going to get into it, I want to get it from the best,” he said.
“Every aspect of my training has improved. My whole life has improved. I don't even smoke any more. I haven't had sex in four months. I haven't had a cocktail in five, six months. So I'm pretty pure and I'm backed up and I'm ready to fight.
He continued, “My focus is on point. I'm accurate. I know how to use my power. My wind is outstanding. I'm ready for anything coming my way. My groundwork is superb. I'm an all-around fighter. I'm no longer one-dimensional. I'm not going to stand there and bang.
“Working with Bas, that's like, man, he's like the Jimmy Johnson, the John Madden of NFL. He's the best of the best. And Bas, he's not light. When he trains, he trains hard. And he's very prompt on what he does. In order for me to even be on that level with him, it speaks a lot for my training and my characteristics because Bas would not waste his time if he felt like I was just trying to become a fighter. He tells you straight up.”
Kimbo was set to take on David “Tank” Abbott back in October, but a last minute cancellation of Cage Fury Fighting Championships prohibited that fight from occurring. With the fight cancelled, EliteXC seized the opportunity to sign him. Saturday night, Kimbo will make his debut in EliteXC against Bo Cantrell and he's excited.
“I'm glad about it. I thank God EliteXC was able to come through and snatch me up because for a minute everything was shut down and I was kind of upset that I wasn't going to get a chance to fight. That hard training, hard work that I put into it. (To think I) wasn't able to bang was kind of depressing for me. (The guys at EliteXC) came through. We had a great conversation. I thank God for those guys, man, because I'm excited about it. I'm ready to fight.”
Kimbo isn't coming into this sport with the attitude of just getting a payday. He wants to be a top guy in the heavyweight division. In fact, he already believes he is.
“I would definitely say I'm 60% in the top heavyweights. I just got to prove myself now.”
He even wants to be a world champion someday.
“Getting a title is the ultimate reason for all of us doing this. To get a nice payday and have that belt around our waist to consider ourselves a true champion. And that's what it's about with me. I'm a professional now in my life and I'm taking this thing serious. A guy put me in an armbar; you've got to break that (sucker) off. I'm not just tapping out. I don't know what tapping out is. I'm after something. I want to prove something. Sometimes I just get tears in my eyes when (it) doesn’t work out, when I can't get a fight. But I want that belt around my waist like everybody else. I'm hungry for it.”
With a win on Saturday night, Kimbo will continue to legitimize himself as a mixed martial artist. As popular of a figure as he is, he continues to be humble.
“I don't think I'm better than anybody,” he explained. “I consider myself to be an average man.
“I'm humble with my kids and my girl and I'm humble with my friends. I have a humble spirit by nature. Fighting just allows me to really be the way I probably would normally feel on the regular, if you know what I mean? But I came into this experience with Bas like a sponge, not like I needed to be tamed or humbled or anything like that. When I'm working with Bas and the other guys, I'm a human sponge.”
Kevin Ferguson is his real name, but many people have wondered where the name “Kimbo Slice” came from.
“Kimbo has been my name all my life. Slice was given to me by fans on the Internet. I accept it. It was cool. After the first fight I had with Big D in the backyard, I caught him with a left hook that sliced the bottom of his eye, and I guess broke his whatever. His eyeball came a couple inches down, almost out of his head. They branded me with that name. Ever since then Slice has been part of the name. I kind of … I have the domain, so I accepted Slice.”
