You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Kimbo Slice is a great big softy.
Kimbo is flat-out frightening to the point it bears wondering if he's a real person or some kind of comic book character villain. He is composed of a mass of raw muscle that seems to have been crafted not by weight machines in gyms, but by whatever big comic book bad guys do -- like picking up cars in a junkyard and throwing them. He has hands the size of canned hams and a bushy black beard that just seems to say, "Run and hide."
Simply put, he just looks ... scary.
But on Monday, during a special call with select members of the media, Kimbo Slice was mostly soft-spoken (OK, he had one momentary outburst of anger), a polite family man who talked about caring for his children and having respect for the sport of mixed martial arts, a sport he's trying to find his way in despite a world full of detractors hoping to see him fail.
Right now, Kimbo Slice is a fighter so he can provide for his kids.
"I have three boys, three girls -- not from the same female. I'm taking care of them, they're living with me under my care and my watch," Kimbo said. "Everything I do, it's a life lesson for them. I compare real-life situations with my situations .That's what it's about. It's about raising my kids the right way to not make the same mistakes I made growing up. I'm a role model to my kids. They ask me questions, and they want answers and they look at me to protect them. I'm living for them now."
"Kimbo Slice," the street moniker of Kevin Ferguson, became nearly a household name thanks to millions of people watching YouTube videos of him in backyard and back-alley brawls. He is arguably one of the most well-known heavyweight fighters in the world -- despite having just four pro mixed martial arts fights.
At 3-1, all four of his pro fights were with the now-defunct EliteXC promotion. His 14-second knockout loss to Seth Petruzelli on live network television became infamous for helping lead to the demise of EliteXC just days later. It was the type of loss that made observers scratch their heads.
The loss only helped give rise to the theories of Kimbo's detractors -- that, despite training with MMA legend Bas Rutten, he was not a mixed martial artist, just a bully from the streets of Miami.
A former strip club bouncer, limo driver and bodyguard for an Internet pornography producer, Kimbo's size and strength are enough to stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the sport. But, as UFC president Dana White has questioned often, does he have what it takes to be a true mixed martial artist?
White famously said the only way Kimbo would get into the UFC would be to win his way in by competing on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show. Then White made that a reality.
Tonight, on the third episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights," Kimbo takes on former International Fight League heavyweight champion Roy Nelson on the show, which taped over the summer. Despite it not being an officially sanctioned fight for the record books, it is without question the most important fight of Kimbo's career. A loss in front of millions (Episode 1 this season had 4.1 million viewers on Spike TV), and the message boards will go crazy saying he can't hang in an MMA fight. A win over an established fighter like "Big Country" Nelson, and he quiets some critics.
And while Kimbo couldn't say Monday what happens in tonight's episode, he hinted that, win or lose, he was pleased with his progress and performance.
"It's a good matchup -- I was impressed with my performance," Kimbo said. "I was impressed with everything. I'm not cryin' about nothing. This fight is very exciting -- pound-for-pound, one of my best fights."
Kimbo said taking on Nelson -- without question the marquee matchup fans were hoping for, albeit early in the season -- was precisely what he would have wanted. And he seems to understand the importance of the business and entertainment side of things, too -- again a contradiction to the street thug reputation.
"I wouldn't want it no other way," Kimbo said. "If I have to lose a fight, I'd rather lose a fight to a guy like (Nelson) -- someone with a big name. It just makes sense to have two big names to go at it head-to-head. One's gotta win, one's gotta lose -- that's the nature of the beast. It's cool that it's happening right now (on the third episode). For the duration of the show, people get to see how I react with others before and after the fight. So it worked out perfectly."
His appearance on the show, and at least one fight in the UFC, likely on Dec.5, this season's finale -- regardless of whether he makes the finals or not, which he hinted at Monday -- has brought him a new level of fame beyond mere underground Internet videos. He's in a commercial for Norton Anti-Virus. He's got a clothing deal with Tapout. But he reiterates, it's of the utmost importance for his kids.
"The three babies don't really know what's going on," Kimbo said. "I still have to change Pampers and make bottles. My older two boys, they're reaping the benefits more than I am. They're in high school -- one's a wrestler and one's a football player. Both of those guys are big dudes. (But) I push education, schoolwork, getting those grades together. To me the sports are extracurricular. If they find themselves doing extremely well (in school), that's important to the fullest."
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"The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights"
What: Season 10 of the UFC's reality show, this time featuring 16 heavyweight fighters vying for a contract with the promotion.
When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays
TV: Spike (cable)
More TUF contestants: TUF 10 competitor Matt Mitrione is doing an exclusive weekly Q&A series with The Times about his experience on the show. Check in at nwi.com/mma each Thursday night to read Mitrione's recap of each Wednesday episode. And on Friday, fellow TUF 10 contestant Wes Sims, a former UFC fighter trying to win his way back into the promotion, will be making an appearance at Cut Throat MMA's "Best in the Midwest" at D.C.'s Country Junction in Lowell. He'll sign autographs and greet fans alongside TUF 6 contestant John Kolosci of Portage and TUF 6's Dorian Price, who is fighting on the card.
