“He’s a modern day superhero.” Brendan Schaub’s closing statement in his emotional tribute to Kimbo Slice sums up what some people don’t understand — Kimbo Slice overcame homelessness and chronic heart disease to become one of the most famous fighters ever. Sure, Kimbo looked like a bad guy in Double Dragon, but he was a sweetheart, a family man. You can’t judge a book by its cover, especially when it comes to Kimbo Slice.
Schaub and Kimbo were castmates on The Ultimate Fighter season 10, and Schaub made it obvious that he didn’t want Kimbo there. At the time, plenty of MMA fans didn’t want Kimbo there. He was a street fighter, a thug, someone who, in their perception of the man, didn’t pay the dues that they did in order to make it to the big stage. Everyone couldn’t have been more wrong. As time went on, the house rallied around Kimbo. He was introspective, empathetic and a hard worker. He was what a fighter would want in a training partner.
Plenty has now been said and written about Kimbo Slice’s impact on the fighting world, but in the coming weeks, months and years, the stories of the impact Kimbo Slice had on the people around him won’t stop. They may never stop.