The mixed martial arts world lost one of its stars this week on June 6 when Kimbo Slice passed away at the age of 42. Accompanied by the death of boxing legend Muhammad Ali on Friday, June 3, the announcement of Slice’s death, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, have sent shockwaves through the fighting world and the Staples community.

Josh Berman ‘17, an avid mixed martial arts and UFC follower, is one Staples students who was extremely saddened by Slice’s death.

“I’m really sad about it because he was not only a great MMA fighter but also a great guy. He always fought with passion so it is a shame to lose such a great influence on the sport,” Berman said.

Slice was especially famous for his meteoric rise to fame, when videos of his fighting technique went viral and he was courted into joining MMA. He was scheduled to fight in June in London but started to have abdominal pain and was found to have heart failure, passing away just days after Muhammed Ali.

While nowhere near the legend and role model Ali was, Slice’s legacy and passion will always be remembered.

“It’s saddening to the true fans of caged fighting. Kimbo was more than just a fighter, he had a personality that recruited a cult like following,” Matt Johnson ‘16 said.  

Above all Kimbo Slice almost represented the American Dream, taking his talents to the Internet to later be discovered and given a chance to fight at a professional level.