fKimbo Slice is the primary of 10 matters that shall be mentioned in-depth on Vice TV’s latest Darkish Aspect sequence.
Darkish Aspect of the Cage debuts Wednesday evening at 10 p.m. ET on Vice TV, and it kicks off with Kimbo Slice: Rise of a Yard Brawler. The episode options Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, and extra to assist inform the story of Slice, whose actual title is Kevin Ferguson.
One of many present’s govt producers Tim Healy says the thought for the present got here after his firm helped inform the story of the early days of the Final Preventing Championship.
“My manufacturing firm, Rail Splitter Photos, we produced Darkish Aspect of the 90’s for Vice, and after we had been brainstorming episodes, we got here up with let’s inform the story of the UFC,” Healy advised MMA Preventing. “The promotion has gotten so in style during the last decade that we figured plenty of viewers don’t perceive the early days and what they confronted as an organization. So we did a two-parter, we did 2 hours on the darkish facet of the UFC and it did actually, very well. It was acquired very well and even past that, it was a blast to make.
“We had a lot enjoyable doing it and it rated actually, very well. So when these scores got here in, we reached out to Vice instantly and we mentioned, ‘Look, there’s one thing right here. We need to do extra at nighttime facet house, let’s do Darkish Aspect of the Cage. Let’s simply dive into combined martial arts and let’s dedicate a complete sequence to those tales.’ And that was a few yr in the past, and Vice was receptive. They jumped proper on it they usually greenlit these 10, one-hour episodes, and that’s actually the backstory of the genesis of the thought.”
Different matters being featured on season one of many new program embody Diego Sanchez, Ronda Rousey, Nate Diaz, Matt Hughes, and the rise and fall of Satisfaction FC.
Healy mentioned the primary 10 episode matters had been pretty apparent to all concerned, and kicking issues off with Slice gave the impression to be one of the simplest ways to go — particularly since he would doubtless be one of many extra misunderstood athletes in the event you didn’t know him.
“You’ll be exhausting pressed to search out anybody to say one dangerous factor about about Kimbo,” Healy defined. “He was clearly a pressure to be reckoned with, however I by no means met him, however from what everybody says, he was simply the nicest man.”
The story of Slice discusses his notorious yard combating days that made him a YouTube legend, to his underground battle with Boston police officer Sean Gannon, his transition to the world of combined martial arts, up till his premature demise in 2016 on the age of 42.
Slice at all times had that star high quality, and even again when the game was gaining an increasing number of notoriety, Slice performed his function completely — via the ups and the downs. However the extra you hear about Slice’s path via his profession, the extra you perceive that he could have been nearly a decade forward of his time.
“However he turned a scholar at a late age. Whenever you have a look at what occurred to him, how he was form of the one of many largest athletes and was sitting on the sofa on the Jimmy Kimmel present and making the late evening rounds, after which immediately every thing falls aside at Elite XC. After which the man goes on The Final Fighter the place guys initially go. So he was a man that wasn’t afraid to actually put it on the market to place himself out on a limb to attempt to succeed at one thing. So I feel he would have tailored to all these different alternatives in fight sports activities actually, very well.
“I imply, it was simply tragic what occurred to the man.”
Probably the most notorious fights of Slice’s profession came about at Bellator 149 — simply 4 months earlier than he handed away — taking over fellow avenue fighter and bitter rival “Dada 5000.” The battle was one of many weirdest in MMA historical past, however in the end ended with Slice incomes a knockout win within the third spherical earlier than it was overturned to a no-contest attributable to a optimistic steroid take a look at by the Texas Division of Licensing and Regulation.
Because the present dives deeper within the memorable heavyweight tilt, the sadder it turns into in hindsight.
“[The Dada 5000 fight was] tragic,” Healy mentioned. “I imply, if you watch that battle within the episode and Large John McCarthy, who reffed that battle, he talks about how he nearly feels form of responsible as a result of he was urging Kimbo — you hear him within the [cage] saying, ‘You need to do one thing. You’ve acquired to maneuver,’ not realizing the man had a coronary heart situation.
“It’s like, if you watch that battle, you don’t have any concept what’s occurring inside that man’s physique and the way sick he was.”
Take a look at an unique clip of Wednesday’s premiere episode beneath.
