More Than Meets the Eye: Unveiling Kimbo Slice

A group of high school seniors gather around a computer screen, jaws hanging open in between outbursts.

"Holy sh*t! Check out that dude's eye! It's nothing but hamburger meat!"

The sun shines off the warrior's bare scalp, a bushel of thick facial hair encompassing the rest of his face. The impact of his strikes can be heard even over the cheers of "Get 'em, Ferg!" that erupt from the backyard war zone.

"That guy is a beast!"

The "beast" they speak of is the muscle-packed, beard-bearing street fighter whose bouts have probably appeared on more computer screens than Paris Hilton's sex tape: Internet sensation Kimbo Slice.

Although your average human with Internet access probably sees Kimbo as the scariest force walking this Earth and with a beard just as intimidating as his biceps...let's just say Kimbo's claim to fame doesn't exactly fly with a lot of elite MMA fighters/enthusiasts. In fact, people go as far to say rather negative things about the muscular brawler.

Many feel that Kimbo's success in bare-knuckle stand-ups translates to nothing as far as success in MMA goes and he would prove to be no match for any professional fighter. As interest in Kimbo grew larger, it seemed as though everyone and their grandmother were in line to bust his chops.

Not I.

I want to express my view on Kimbo, a view that I have upheld since I began avidly following him after his first fight surfaced online all the way through his surprising loss to Seth Petruzelli that ended his EliteXC career. The first impression I got after seeing him nearly beat another man's eye out of his skull was a slugger for sure. 

I wasn't quick to assume that he was probably an arrogant thug who preyed on weaker fighters for money. I didn't immediately discredit all of fighting abilities and point fingers at the quality of his opponents. There was no comparison to Muhammad Ali made. Do you want to know what I did?

I kept my mouth shut until I knew something about the mysterious Kimbo other than his real name (Kevin Ferguson).

As his fights continued to spread and knowledge became available, I didn't rest until I had compiled as much of his background as google-ably possible. Only then did I begin to inform other people about Kimbo. But it wasn't because I thought I had found someone who could wrestle a bear, bench press a limousine, and get our troops out of Iraq Rambo-style all at the same time.

I wasn't overhyping him by any means. I told people exactly what I had found and they were amazed. It was because I noticed something in Kimbo that many are just now beginning to see, something you wouldn't expect in someone who is made out to be a thug: character.

I'm always game for a good argument and every time I would hear these bad things about Kimbo, I'd go and watch his fights. If you notice, he never entered in an offensive manner or said anything about the sexual tendencies of his opponent's mother. He simply took off his shirt and chain, squared up and prepared for battle.

He fought 'til the other guy said he couldn't, not until enough people got there to pull him off. No below the belt. Never hit anyone while they were on the ground. When he knocked someone down (or out), he simply waited for them to get back up, fists drawn. After the fight, he would embrace his victim. That's like a lion sparing its prey inches from its death.

The thing is, whether you like it or not, Kimbo is a fighter. Sure, he did those Internet fights for the money. The money was just a bonus. You can see in his fights that there are several occasions where people go down and say they are done (meaning Kimbo won the money). Kimbo instead encourages them to get back up and fight. He just has a love for fighting. Case closed. 

And did that hard earned money go to drugs, guns, or jewelry? It went to his family...and maybe a little jewelry. That's a family man doing what he does best to put food on the table. A man that is a father as much as he is a fighter. A father who shows everyone what it means to be humble. He never says he is the best. He never claims he is invincible.

His loss to Petruzelli? Simply said that he has some things to work on. He didn't say "let's take it to the streets, pinky!" A modest congratulation and that was that. He welcomes any and all fights. Win or lose, he does what he loves.

You might be thinking, "Why the hell is this guy obsessed with Kimbo?" The truth is, it isn't about that. If Kimbo was well respected and everyone gave him a fair shot, or was already having a lot of success in the UFC, then I wouldn't be pointing these things out. I'm not trying to boast the living daylights out of this man. I just feel he deserves respect.

Kimbo has fought hard, whether it was on the streets or on the field. He could have possibly made it as a football star had his senior season not been jeopardized due to storms in Florida. He's been through everything from living in a car to working as a bodyguard for a porn industry.

I couldn't have been more excited to see his first MMA fight, when he took out Ray Mercer, a former heavyweight boxing champion via guillotine choke! Immediately after, he called out former fighting-sensation Tank Abbott and inquired when he wanted to "go."

Once again, I was caught up in arguments left in right on how disrespectful Kimbo is or how much of a "thug" move that was. Kimbo simply was saying, "Hey, Tank. I love fighting. Do you? Well here's an idea: Why don't we do what we love sometime and fight each other in a sanctioned match and see who comes out on top? When are you available?"

Okay, so maybe he wasn't quite as friendly, but you get the point. This isn't the Mickey Mouse Club. It's MMA. Compare Kimbo and Tank's discussion to any of Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir's. Where does Kimbo get off?!

He went on to knockout Tank Abbott as well as two other fighters. Going into each fight was talk of how badly Kimbo would lose and when he won, the chatter turned to "well Tank is old as dust."

Tough crowd, huh?

Then everyone's prayers were answered. Ken Shamrock backed out of the fight and Seth Petruzelli stepped up to take his place. Did Kimbo say, "Hey, creepy dude! You're not Ken! I don't have to fight you!" No. He accepted the offer.

You know the rest. The fall of a street king via lucky punch from some pink-haired jumping bean that no one had heard of. Let the bashing begin.

Months went by and I began to wonder if I would ever see "Ferg" back in the ring. EliteXC bit the dust hard, likely due to Kimbo's loss. UFC president Dana White showed distaste for Kimbo just as everyone else had, so that route seemed unlikely.

Eventually, the man that had captured the attention of the Internet had seemingly vanished. That is until the announcement that probably soiled the shorts of many fight fans was made.

The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights. Featuring Kimbo Slice.

Now people would finally see what I had been saying all along. They would see the humble family-man who has worked hard his whole life to get to where he is. And it sure won't stop here. Every time he does an interview, you never hear one word of "I'm the best" and you don't hear any predictions. You hear a man, sitting in a chair in front of a camera, telling it like it is until he can get back to training.

The calmness that he displays shows you he isn't scared. He doesn't have to boast about how many people he's beaten the socks off of. He lets his fists do the talking. After all, actions speak louder than words. Even a heartless street fighter knows that. In fact, one of the main arguments against Kimbo was that he is a bad role model for things like the UFC and doesn't represent what it is all about.

That is why tonight, when Kimbo Slice takes on Roy "Big Country" Nelson on what some say is expected to be the biggest standoff in TUF history, my advice to you is get ready to see everything he's got. 

Whether he wins, loses, or gets booted by Dana White prior to the fight, his dedication, humility, and respect for the sport has exemplified time and time again what it means to be an Ultimate Fighter.