Six years ago, MMA fighter Kimbo Slice passed away. Earlier this week, the sports world paid tribute to him.
“Kimbo Slice passed away six years ago tonight,” Ariel Helwani wrote on Twitter. “He opened more doors for MMA than people know. He was a gentle giant and soul. A mainstream star when they were few and far between in MMA. Can’t wait for him to be inducted into the MMA HOF, whenever it opens.”
This heartfelt message from Helwani inspired others to share their fondest memories of Slice.
“I used to watch his back yard fights on YouTube a lot, Legend,” one fan tweeted.
“It’s true, man. When he was just a personality, I loathed Kimbo because I felt like he was dragging the world back to the dangerous days of street brawling. When you met the guy, he was so friendly and funny, such a great personality. Glad he did TUF 10 so people could see that,” another fan wrote.
“Kimbo Slice vs Shane Tilyard was a classic on the Mundine v Geale undercard. Still remember the crowd going absolutely nuts,” an MMA fan said.
Slice quickly became popular because of viral street fights. He didn’t disappoint on the big stage, defeating Houston Alexander in his UFC debut.
Unfortunately, Kimbo passed away because of heart failure. However, his legacy lives on to this day.