South Florida

MMA Fighter Kimbo Slice Dies at 42 in South Florida

South Florida street fighting legend Kimbo Slice has died, MMA Bellator has confirmed.

Kimbo Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, was transported to the hospital near his Coral Springs home Monday, according to TMZ.

Slice reportedly died shortly after being hospitalized at Northwest Medical Center in Margate. American Top Team, an MMA academy, tweeted about his death: "The ATT Family and South Florida community lost a legend today. RIP Kimbo."

It's been more than a decade since Slice became an Internet sensation with his backyard fighting videos. He later became an MMA fighter.

The 42-year-old last fought in February and won, but the result was overturned when he tested positive for steroids.

MMA Bellator, a promotion company, released the following statement after Slice's death:

"We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family. One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport. 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."

The details surrounding Slice's death have not been released, but there are reports he died after having a heart attack.

Conan Silveira, the head coach at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, helped train Slice, who used the renowned gym for years.

"I couldn't believe it, I tried to call a bunch of people and I couldn't believe them," Silveira told NBC 6 Tuesday. "He was a born fighter, and what we did together was just give him better tools to become a professional fighter."

"Such a humble, great guy and everyone who meets him kind of feels like they have a connection with him. One of those guys who made everyone feel special when you meet him," added Mike Brown, coach.

Slice leaves behind six children, including son Kevin Ferguson Jr., who recently made his MMA debut.

Slice was interviewed in 2015 at American Top Team in Coconut Creek and spoke about everything from fighting in backyards to jumping into the MMA world. Check out the video below, courtesy of Jim Varsallone and the Miami Herald:

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