Bellator signs ‘Baby Slice’ Kevin Ferguson Jr. for August debut

It’s a strange reminder of just how young a sport MMA is, that we have so few legacy fighters of note. A.J. McKee, Ryan Couture, Kron Gracie; the group of notable fighters whose parents were also notable fighters is pretty slim, and at times stretching the meaning of the word notable. However, we’ve got a new entry into that rare brotherhood, Kevin Ferguson Jr.

“Baby Slice” is the 24-year-old son of the late Kimbo Slice, and the newest member of the Bellator roster. He’s set to make his debut at Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull, taking place on August 26th in Los Angeles, California.

Under the same promotion that Kimbo Slice fought for the final time in his career, ‘Baby Slice’ will very much be operating in his father’s shadow as he makes his way in pro MMA. Ferguson spoke to the Associated Press about losing his father, who passed away on June 6th, following a diagnosis of congestive heart failure:

“I won’t say I adjusted well or it didn’t bother me, but I was talking to him a few days before, so I understood what was going on,” Ferguson said.

“It was more of a shock to the world, put it like that. It was still a very big tragedy, but I got through it. I’m still getting through it. I won’t say I’m over it, but I’m working on it, I guess.”

Worth noting, MMAFighting reports that Ferguson Jr. (currently 0-0) was actually signed prior to the death of Kimbo, however the news appears to have come with the announcement of his debut date. In his own words, he started training MMA “a little bit, like once a week,” while in college, but has been dedicated full time to the sport for the past two years.

A debut opponent has yet to be named, but is expected in the next few days. While Ferguson Jr. has yet to compete as a pro, he did score an impressive KO win in his only recorded amateur fight, besting Tom Brink back in July of 2015. You can check out the video of the fight below.