Kimbo Slice Passed Away!

Kimbo Slice passed away.

As we mourn the loss of Muhammad Ali, World News Today announces the death of Kimbo Slice, the famed boxer and mixed martial artist passed away at the age of 42.

At first report by TMZ, Kimbo was being held on undisclosed conditions. They said that he was in a dire situation.

Born Kevin Ferguson, he was a Bahamian-born American mixed martial artist, boxer and occasional actor. He became famous for mutual combat street fights which were spread across the Internet, leading Rolling Stone to call him "The King of the Web Brawlers".

Slice left the underground fighting scene and signed a professional contract with EliteXC in 2007. Slice competed in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, where he lost in his first fight to series winner Roy Nelson. In his UFC debut, Slice defeated Houston Alexander in the The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights finale. From January 2015 until his death in June 2016, Slice was under contract to Bellator MMA.

Slice's death was confirmed by Mike Imber, his longtime manager.

"We lost our brother today," Imber said in a text message to The Associated Press.

The cause of death was still unclear. Kmiotek said there is no active police investigation, and no foul play is suspected.

Slice was a Bahamian-born ex-football player and strip club bouncer who began competing in unsanctioned street fights in 2003. Videos of his violent knockout victories in those bouts became wildly popular online, both for his punching power and his distinctive, intimidating appearance.

He studied MMA and eventually competed in several promotions, including the UFC and Bellator, which staged his two most recent fights.

Slice's death also was confirmed by Scott Coker, the CEO of Bellator, which promoted his return to MMA last year after a five-year absence. Slice beat Dhaffir "Dada 5000" Harris with a third-round knockout at Bellator 149 in February in Houston, but the result was overturned after Slice tested positive for steroid use.

"We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice," Coker said. "One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport. Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man. His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts."

Slice was scheduled to headline the Bellator 158 show in London next month in a bout against James Thompson.

American Top Team, the prominent South Florida gym where Slice trained for many years, also mourned his passing.

"The ATT Family and South Florida community lost a legend today," the team said in a post on its Twitter account.

Slice was the star of the first MMA show broadcast on network television, beating Thompson by third-round knockout in May 2008 on CBS with the defunct EliteXC promotion. With Slice and pioneering featherweight Gina Carano as the top attractions, EliteXC's two CBS shows drew big television ratings and introduced millions of viewers to MMA.

While he went 5-2 and never won a championship belt, Slice became one of MMA's best-known figures, attracting large television audiences and crowds to his growing sport. He also had a pro boxing career between stints in the cage, going 7-0 with six knockouts from 2011-13.

For all of his glowering in-cage swagger and viral fame, Slice was extraordinarily honest about his fighting abilities. He acknowledged being an MMA newcomer with much to learn about his new sport, never claiming to be anything but a big puncher providing for his family while constantly trying to learn the sport's other disciplines.

"The guys who are holding the titles, heavyweight and light heavyweight, these guys are awesome," Slice told the AP in a 2010 interview before his second UFC fight. "I'm really just having happy days in the midst — being among them, fighting on the undercards, just contributing to the UFC and the sport. That's really what I want to do. I'm not looking ahead to winning a title or anything like that. I'm just enjoying each fight as it comes."

Slice had six children, three boys and three girls. World News Today send our condolences to the family of Kimbo Slice. He will definitely be missed.