MMA Heavyweight Kimbo Slice Dead at 42

Kevin Ferguson, the professional mixed martial artist known as Kimbo Slice, died Monday at the age of 42, according to his mixed martial arts promotion Bellator MMA.

Slice was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons near his home in Coral Springs, Fl. reports the Los Angeles Times. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

“We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family,” Bellator President Scott Coker said in a statement.

Hailing from Miami with a distinctive bald head and beard, Kimbo became an Internet star by posting street fighting videos to YouTube. He exploded onto the MMA scene in 2007, when he defeated former pro boxer Ray Mercer in Atlantic City, N.J. He went on to have a prime-time spot on CBS in the short-lived show EliteXC and was signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship to appear on the The Ultimate Fighter:Heavyweights. He signed on with Bellator MMA last year.

“One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport,” Coker said. “Outside of the cage, he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man. His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Ferguson family and all of Kimbo’s friends, fans, and teammates.”

[LA Times]