

At the time, EliteXC was vying to become a potential rival to the UFC.
#KIMBO SLICE BACK YARD FIGHT PRO#
In his third pro fight, for a promotion called EliteXC in 2008, the then–34-year-old headlined the first MMA card to air in primetime on a major television network. From the Miami backyards to Madison Square Garden. Kimbo slice - backyard fight.flv andrey man 28 subscribers Subscribe 99 Share Save 94K views 12 years ago Show more Show more UFC Debut: Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander Free Fight UFC. Kimbo maintained his forbidding reputation and internet celebrity, at least for a few short years. Jorge knew Kimbo since he was 19 years old and says he wouldn’t be where he’s at if it wasn’t for him. In interviews, he came off like a typical journeyman athlete, talking earnestly about how he needed to work hard and improve. He was humble and eager to learn, by all accounts.
#KIMBO SLICE BACK YARD FIGHT PROFESSIONAL#
His vaunted power, so useful in a one-minute backyard brawl, faded in the first round of a professional cage match. His flaws as a fighter were obvious, even after years of training at American Top Team, one of the best MMA camps in the world. Though he took the sport seriously, Kimbo had started late. More importantly, he was online and easy to watch. When Kimbo’s manager buried video of Dada’s spectacular backyard fight debut, for fear of Dada overshadowing his rising superstar Dada trades his time in the ring to start organizing brutal amateur bouts and becoming a backyard brawl impresario. He wore a huge gold fist around his neck. He shaved strange patterns in his chest hair. DVD series like Ghetto Fights, Bumfights, and Felony Fights gained cult followings. The demand for authentic violence was high, all the more so if it looked like it might be happening in a city near you. Kimbo Slice, a former backyard brawler and internet sensation who parlayed his popularity into a career as an MMA heavyweight, died Monday at age 42, Bellator MMA announced. This was the early-to-mid-2000s, before UFC had fully rehabbed its brand and gained a mainstream toehold. He was, to borrow a phrase, a “successful practitioner of ogreism.” Could such savagery really be happening behind Miami fences? Were ferocious men actually meeting at underground spots to do battle? There was something fearsome and primal about what he represented, about his very existence. “Let’s run this,” Kimbo liked to growl into the camera after dispatching an opponent. Afro Puff, Big Mac, Chico, Dreads, Adryan-they all went down.
