Kevin Ferguson Jr.
Kevin Ferguson Jr. (born May 5, 1992) is a Bahamian-American professional mixed martial artist who is currently under contract with Bellator MMA.
| Kevin Ferguson Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 5, 1992 Miami, Florida, United States |
| Other names | Baby Slice |
| Residence | Long Beach, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11.8 st) |
| Division | Welterweight |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
| Style | Boxing |
| Fighting out of | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Team | Plus One Defense (2014–2016)[1][2] Team Bodyshop MMA (2016–present)[3] |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 7 |
| Wins | 3 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Other information | |
| University | Academy of Art University |
| Notable relatives | Kimbo Slice |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Early life
Ferguson Jr. is the eldest son of the late professional fighter Kimbo Slice. Kevin was born in Miami, but moved to Bahamas with his family as a toddler and returned to Florida at the age of five.[3] He was well aware of what his father did for a living and started training to fight with him. It was something he did not appreciate at first since he got beat up a lot. His father did not want him to pursue fighting and advised him to go to college.[2] Ferguson Jr. first attended Coral Springs High School, transferred to Miramar High School for the sophomore year before concluding his studies in Booker T. Washington Miami.[4] He wrestled from middle school throughout to the end of high school, and also played football through high school.[3]
After high school, he flew to San Francisco, California to study photography in Academy of Art University. After college he moved back east in West Hartford, Connecticut and formally trained mixed martial arts at Plus One Defense.[2][5]
Mixed martial arts career
Ferguson Jr. made his mixed martial arts debut as an amateur on March 12, 2016 against Tom Brink in a Warrior Nation Xtreme Fighters Alliance event in Chicopee, Massachusetts. He won the fight by knockout in the first round.[6][5]
Bellator MMA
In July 2016, Ferguson Jr. signed with Bellator MMA and was scheduled to debut on August 26, 2016 at Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull against another debuting fighter, Jonathan Tomasian.[7][8] On August 21, 2016, Ferguson Jr. pulled out of the fight due to an MCL injury.[9] Ferguson Jr.'s debut was rescheduled on October 21, 2016 against Rick Bing at Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove[10] The fight was cancelled after Bing went 16 pounds over the agreed catchweight of 165 lbs.[11]
Ferguson Jr. finally made his professional mixed martial arts debut on November 19, 2016 against Aaron Hamilton at Bellator 165: Chandler vs. Henderson. He lost the fight by submission via a guillotine choke.[12]
On May 19, 2017 at Bellator 179: MacDonald vs. Daley,[13] Ferguson Jr. earned his first professional win against DJ Griffin by TKO in the first round.[14]
On November 10, 2017, Ferguson Jr. faced promotion newcomer Fred Freeman at Bellator 187: McKee vs. Moore in Dublin, Ireland.[15][16] He won the fight by submission via a rear-naked choke.[17]
Ferguson Jr. faced Devon Brock at Bellator 197 on April 13, 2018.[18] He won the fight via submission in the first round. Although the fight was announced being finished at 34 seconds of the first round, the correct time as listed in the video holds the fight lasting well over 1 minute, clocking in at exactly 1:35 of the first round.
Ferguson Jr. faced Corey Browning on October 12, 2018 at Bellator 207.[19] He lost the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the second round.[20]
Ferguson Jr. next faced Craig Campbell in a 160-pound Catchweight bout at Bellator 232 on October 26, 2019. Ferguson Jr. was originally named the victor by TKO at just 38 seconds into the first round. However, the result was overturned to a no contest by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation after it was determined the strikes landed to the back of Campbell's head, a foul under the unified rules of MMA.[21]
Ferguson Jr. was next expected to face Kaheem Murray at Bellator 241 on March 13, 2020.[22] However, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] He eventually faced Murray at Bellator 253 on November 19, 2020. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Personal life
Ferguson Jr. resides in West Hartford, Connecticut where he also trains. He has two brothers, Kevin II and Kevlar, and three sisters, Kiara, Kevina and Kassandra. He is the son of the street fighter, MMA fighter and boxer Kimbo Slice.[5]
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 7 matches | 3 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 1 |
| By submission | 2 | 1 |
| By decision | 0 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 3–3 (1) | Kaheem Murray | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 253 | November 19, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| NC | 3–2 (1) | Craig Campbell | NC (overturned) | Bellator 232 | October 26, 2019 | 1 | 0:38 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Catchweight (160 lbs) bout. Originally a KO (elbows and punches) win for Ferguson. Overturned upon review when it was determined the strikes landed to the back of the head. |
| Loss | 3–2 | Corey Browning | TKO (punches) | Bellator 207 | October 12, 2018 | 2 | 2:08 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 3–1 | Devon Brock | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 197 | April 13, 2018 | 1 | 1:35 | St. Charles, Missouri, United States | Catchweight (160 lbs) bout. |
| Win | 2–1 | Fred Freeman | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 187 | November 10, 2017 | 1 | 1:57 | Dublin, Ireland | Catchweight (160 lbs) bout. |
| Win | 1–1 | DJ Griffin | TKO (punches) | Bellator 179 | May 19, 2017 | 1 | 3:40 | London, England | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Aaron Hamilton | Submission (guillotine choke) | Bellator 165 | November 19, 2016 | 2 | 3:00 | San Jose, California, United States |
Mixed martial arts amateur record
| Amateur record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Tom Brink | KO (punch) | Warrior Nation XFA 12 | March 12, 2016 | 1 | 1:23 | Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States |
See also
References
- Mike Anthony (October 12, 2018). "Mike Anthony: Son Of Kimbo Slice Got His Start Fighting In West Hartford, Now He Heads To Mohegan". Hartford Courant.
- "Into the cage goes Baby Slice, Kimbo's Slice's son". MMAFighting.com.
- Antonio McKee (April 9, 2019). ""Keepin It Real E1" with Baby "Kimbo" Slice formally known as Kevin Ferguson Jr" (Podcast).
- Chris Hays (July 28, 2011). "Kimbo Slice's son is rising high school football prospect in Miami". Orlando Sentinel.
- Cleary, Tom (7 June 2016). "Kevin Ferguson Jr., Kimbo Slice's Son: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com.
- "WNXFA - Warrior Nation XFA 12". Sherdog.com.
- Kernaghan, Rory (26 July 2016). "Kimbo Slice's Son Kevin Ferguson Jr. Signs With Bellator MMA". LowKickMMA.com.
- "Slice's son to make pro MMA debut with Bellator". ESPN.com.
- "Sources: Injury scraps Baby Slice's Bellator debut". ESPN.com.
- "Kimbo Slice's Son Follows in Dad's Footsteps: 'I'll Knock Anyone Out'". RollingStone.com.
- "'Baby Slice' pro debut off as opponent misses weight". ESPN.com.
- "VIDEO: Kevin Ferguson Jr. loses pro MMA debut". MMAFighting.com.
- "Kimbo Slice's son tells us what he learned from his legendary street-fighter father". BusinessInsider.com.
- "'Baby Slice,' Kevin Ferguson Jr., wants to be more than a bearded brawler". MMAjunkie.com. 16 May 2017.
- "Bellator 187's Kevin 'Baby Slice' Ferguson Jr. no longer feeling pressure of Kimbo's legacy". MMAjunkie.com. 7 November 2017.
- "Kevin Ferguson Jr., son of Kimbo Slice, heading to Bellator 187 in Dublin". themaclife.com.
- "Bellator 187 Results: McKee vs. Moore". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- Ariel Helwani (February 8, 2018). "'Baby Slice' vs. Devon Brock set for Bellator 197". mmafighting.com.
- "'Baby Slice' moves to lightweight for Bellator 207 fight vs. Corey Browning". MMAjunkie. 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
- "Bellator 207 results: Corey Browning upsets massive favorite 'Baby Slice' in back-and-forth bout". MMAjunkie. 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
- "Mohegan commission overturns 'Baby Slice' TKO at Bellator 232 for illegal blows". MMAFighting.com. October 28, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- Dave Doyle (February 27, 2020). "'Baby Slice' Kevin Ferguson Jr. returns at Bellator 241". mmajunkie.com.
- Pishna, Ken (March 13, 2020). "Bellator makes last-minute decision to cancel Friday's Bellator 241". mmaweekly.com. MMA Weekly. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- Sherdog.com. "Kevin". Sherdog. Retrieved 2018-10-10.