Talk about ruthless aggression, talk about Miami’s backyard street fighting! And these harrowed lanes were once ruled by none other than Kevin Ferguson, known better as Kimbo Slice. In the world of mixed martial arts, plenty of fighters boast about their raw backgrounds—claiming they’ve been scrapping long before making it to Dana White’s promotion. However, Slice’s street fights were not only real but also recorded and widely circulated. Moreover, he was one of the first viral YouTube sensations with the unfiltered nature of his scraps, garnering millions of views.

Once the face of the thriving rival promotion Elite XC, his backyard brawls ultimately became his ticket to the UFC. However, his overall MMA record wasn’t as influential as his persona. With a record of 5-2, the backyard brawler wasn’t an exceptional or technical fighter by any measure. However, he had heart and grit like no other! Recently, this sentiment was expressed by Joe Rogan, who questioned whether MMA was truly the right fit for him or not. But why does he feel so?

By the time Slice made his MMA debut, he was already 33 years old. Just a few years later, he stepped into the UFC cage for the first time at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale. While he showcased his trademark knockout power and lethal standup skills, his lack of formal MMA training became painfully apparent in subsequent bouts. With a lackluster first outing against Houston Alexander followed by a brutal KO loss to Matt Mitrione, his fate was sealed. After just one year, the UFC released Slice in 2010. Despite his struggles in the Octagon, Rogan holds a different perspective on Kimbo’s legacy.

The UFC commentator believes that if bare-knuckle boxing had been a more established avenue during Slice’s prime, he could have thrived as a combat sports icon. “If Kimbo was fighting just standup only, he’s very dangerous,” Joe Rogan stated on the #2296 JRE episode. “Like, bare-knuckle boxing was around back then, he would have been a huge star of bare-knuckle boxing. He would have f—ed a lot of people at bare-knuckle boxing.”

Despite Slice’s underwhelming MMA career, he epitomized the essence of a fearsome warrior. He also had a unique look, which made it easily recognizable, and Joe Rogan would once talk about how popular he was during a conversation with MMA legend Bas Rutten almost a couple of years ago. Let’s take a look at that front!

Joe Rogan once spoke about Kimbo Slice’s popularity

During the 2000s, the internet was still a rather undiscovered space, but Kimbo Slice made great use of it. However, he may not have expected to become as popular as he did due to his backyard brawls. While speaking to Bas Rutten, Joe Rogan revealed that Slice’s unique look would often make him the center of attention, as he was quite noticeable given his huge size. Fans would swarm around him, and he’d be as gentle compared to how ferocious he was during fights.

“You can’t walk on the street with that guy. Everybody knows him,” Joe Rogan stated on the #139 episode of the JRE MMA Show. “He had the crazy look, too. The bald head with the beard. He looked so good. [And] He was such a good guy, too. Such a good guy.” Even Dana White, who didn’t have the best impression of Kimbo Slice, would later reveal a couple of months during an interview, that the backyard-brawling legend was “the nicest f—ing guy in the world.”

Kimbo Slice may not have made it big when it came to professional combat sports. But he’s still remembered for the moments he gave the fans, whether on the internet or inside the cage. What is your favorite memory of Kimbo Slice, and do you think he’d been successful in bare-knuckle boxing? Drop your comments below.