By: Rashad Milligan
It's been a difficult 72 hours for fighting fans and fans of celebrities that just have good stories.
Multiple sources reported that former UFC fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has died at the age of 42. A tough pill to swallow and a tragedy indeed, but we can all learn a very valuable lesson from the life of Mr. Slice.
He became one of the most known fighters from his YouTube popularity. The videos uploaded of him had him facing other amateur opponents in Florida in people's backyards. He dominated seemingly every online fight with ease and was given a shot by the budding sport that was the UFC in 2007, just 13 years after he was a homeless man.
Slice worked himself out of poverty, taking on all odd jobs from washing cars, to serving as a body guard and driving limos before he could make a decent living off of winning street fights.
Once the internet and the world got a hold of Slice's footage and story, he became an instant celebrity. In addition to becoming a professional fighter, he was also a guest on Jimmy Kimmel, ESPN ran a cover story on him in their magazine and he was included in many acting roles, including the movie "Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh."
While his UFC career only stood at 4 wins and 2 losses, his rise from living in poverty to having a million dollar net worth is perhaps the most important part of the Slice lesson. He wanted to change his situation, so he worked hard while his conditions may not have been the best and then he took his passion as far as he could without waiting for someone to tell him to "go."
To follow one of eternities most tired cliche's, "you can do anything," every goal is now more obtainable than ever with the internet. If anyone wants to truly accomplish something, they no longer have to wait for someone to hire them or give them the green light to begin their process, because they can start the process themselves with a few clicks. Slice's final nine years on earth showed that consistency and remaining positive through any circumstance can create some amazing opportunities for anyone, even if the moments only last a handful of years.
It's been a difficult 72 hours for fighting fans and fans of celebrities that just have good stories.
Multiple sources reported that former UFC fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has died at the age of 42. A tough pill to swallow and a tragedy indeed, but we can all learn a very valuable lesson from the life of Mr. Slice.
He became one of the most known fighters from his YouTube popularity. The videos uploaded of him had him facing other amateur opponents in Florida in people's backyards. He dominated seemingly every online fight with ease and was given a shot by the budding sport that was the UFC in 2007, just 13 years after he was a homeless man.
Slice worked himself out of poverty, taking on all odd jobs from washing cars, to serving as a body guard and driving limos before he could make a decent living off of winning street fights.
Once the internet and the world got a hold of Slice's footage and story, he became an instant celebrity. In addition to becoming a professional fighter, he was also a guest on Jimmy Kimmel, ESPN ran a cover story on him in their magazine and he was included in many acting roles, including the movie "Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh."
While his UFC career only stood at 4 wins and 2 losses, his rise from living in poverty to having a million dollar net worth is perhaps the most important part of the Slice lesson. He wanted to change his situation, so he worked hard while his conditions may not have been the best and then he took his passion as far as he could without waiting for someone to tell him to "go."
To follow one of eternities most tired cliche's, "you can do anything," every goal is now more obtainable than ever with the internet. If anyone wants to truly accomplish something, they no longer have to wait for someone to hire them or give them the green light to begin their process, because they can start the process themselves with a few clicks. Slice's final nine years on earth showed that consistency and remaining positive through any circumstance can create some amazing opportunities for anyone, even if the moments only last a handful of years.