On this date in 2015, the late Kimbo Slice stepped into the mixed martial arts cage for what would be his second-to-last professional bout.
Slice, widely known for becoming an online phenomenon through his viral street fights, had a relatively brief but unforgettable career in mixed martial arts.
Initially competing in bare-knuckle boxing, Slice quickly transitioned from backyard brawls to becoming an MMA star after debuting under the EliteXC promotion in 2007. This followed an amateur contest where he defeated Olympic boxer Ray Mercer by chokeout.
After building a 3-0 record, Slice suffered a quick 14-second knockout loss to Seth Petruzelli. The subsequent financial collapse of EliteXC paved his way to compete on MMA`s biggest stage, the UFC.
Having boosted his fame during his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter reality show, Slice compiled a 1-1 record across two fights in the UFC. Following his release from the promotion, the fan favorite went undefeated with seven victories in professional boxing. However, his time in MMA was not yet finished.
Kimbo Slice Made a Triumphant Return to Knock Out Ken Shamrock in a 2015 Bellator Match
Five years after his previous UFC appearance, Slice returned to active MMA competition with Bellator. He headlined Bellator 138 against the legendary figure Ken Shamrock in a matchup that had originally been scheduled to take place back in 2008.
Similar to Slice, the MMA pioneer Shamrock was also returning after a five-year hiatus and was 51 years old at the time. Despite his age, the former UFC `Superfight` Champion managed to put Slice in a precarious position early in the fight.
Less than two minutes into their encounter, Shamrock successfully took Slice down and secured a tight rear-naked choke submission. The former internet sensation struggled intently and appeared to be seconds away from tapping out.
Remarkably, the tap never occurred, even after enduring the deep choke hold for well over 30 seconds. When Slice eventually managed to slip free, he made Shamrock pay dearly for the missed opportunity, unleashing his renowned power with strikes to finish the fight on the feet.
Ken Shamrock Later Claimed He Released the Choke Because He Believed Kimbo Slice Had Tapped
However, the outcome of the bout was not without its share of controversy.
Aside from suggestions by some that Shamrock might have intentionally taken a dive against Slice, the veteran fighter himself claimed that he let go of the chokehold during Bellator 138 because he felt Slice submit via a tap.
This particular claim was publicly refuted by the fight`s referee, John McCarthy, shortly after the event. Despite this, Shamrock reiterated his story as recently as his 2024 appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast alongside Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
“I felt so good. I felt like I was going to destroy him,” Shamrock recounted. “I remember taking him down…it went exactly the way I thought it was going to.
“If you watch that fight, I slip in that choke…he reaches out and he does this (slightly taps twice). … The original Ken Shamrock, I’d have destroyed him and I’d have kept holding on until they pulled me off.
“But it was just something where I reached a point where I wanted more respect. I wanted to leave with respect. I wanted to have the courtesy of being able to choke him out, shake his hand…so I let go.
“I eased up on him because I felt like he tapped,” Shamrock added. “He was done. It was over…I felt him go limp. … All of a sudden, he pops up and I slide off.”
The former backyard brawler would compete one more time in mixed martial arts, defeating Dada 5000 by knockout at Bellator 149. However, this victory was later overturned to a no contest after Kimbo Slice failed a post-fight drug test.
Tragically, Kimbo Slice passed away in his home state of Florida in June 2016, just four months after his final professional fight.
