Professional mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice died Monday at age 42, Bellator MMA announced.
"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, calling Slice "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," Coker said. "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."
There was no word on the cause of Slice's death.
Slice had been hospitalized earlier Monday for undisclosed reasons near his home in South Florida, according to Coral Springs police, who had been dispatched to his residence to prevent a potential gathering outside. They said no foul play was suspected.
Slice, birth name Kevin Ferguson, was a former backyard brawler and Internet sensation. A heavyweight at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, he had a 5-2 professional record with four TKOs.
He was signed to Bellator MMA and scheduled to headline Bellator 158 on July 16 in London against James Thompson.
He last fought at Bellator 149 on Feb. 19 in Houston. He defeated Dhafir Harris, aka Dada5000, in a three-round decision. The result was later changed to a no-contest by the Texas commission, after Slice tested positive for anabolic steroids and an elevated testosterone ratio.
Slice was born in the Bahamas on Feb. 8, 1974, but later moved to Miami and made his home in the area. He played middle linebacker at Miami's Palmetto High and showed the potential to play in college before Hurricane Andrew caused Palmetto High's season to be cut short and his scholarship offers vanished. He flunked out of college at Bethune-Cookman University and was homeless for a brief time. He worked as a limo driver, bouncer and bodyguard before rising to fame through his viral street-fighting videos.
He was not embraced by much of the MMA world as it attempted to go mainstream, with UFC president Dana White famously saying Slice would not last two minutes in the Octagon. However, his popularity led to his being part of MMA's debut on CBS in 2009. And he eventually fought in the UFC, with a unanimous decision win over Houston Alexander in the season 10 finale of "The Ultimate Fighter" and a knockout loss to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113.
Slice lost his first professional fight, under the now-defunct EliteXC banner, in 14 seconds to Seth Petruzelli on Oct. 4, 2008. He joined the UFC in June 2009 but lasted just two years with the promotion. He then was out of the professional ranks for five years before signing with Bellator in January 2015. He TKO'd Ken Shamrock in the first round at Bellator 138 in his comeback.
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