MMA Legend Kimbo Slice Passed Away

It’s been a heavy month so far, for the sport fighting community. We just lost Muhammad Ali, and now fans are mourning the sudden death of mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice. Slice passed away on Monday in Florida at only 42-years old. The cause of death is not immediately clear but no foul play was suspected.

His untimely death has left many shocked, including Scott Coker, the president of Bellator, the company that represented Slice. In a statement, Coker said he was shocked by the fighter’s death and referred to Slice as “a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport.”

“We are (…) saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family,” Coker said. “Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man.”

According to a representative for the Coral Springs Police Department, Slice was admitted to Northwest Medical Center in Margate, Fla., on Monday for undisclosed reasons.

The MMAjunkie reported that police officers were sent to Slice’s home following his hospitalization, but they did not find any issues.

Born Kevin Ferguson, Kimbo was a former backyard brawler and YouTube sensation. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, he had a 5-2 professional record with four TKOs.

He was scheduled to headline Bellator 158 on July 16 in London against James Thompson.

“We lost our brother today,” Slice’s longtime manager, Mike Imber, said in a text message to The Associated Press.