Free Republic

Kimbo Slice has reportedly died at the age of 42, though no reports have been confirmed. The MMA fighter — whose real name is Kevin Ferguson — was hospitalized in Florida Monday due to a “dire” medical situation, TMZ reported, and several sources on Twitter now claim he has died of heart failure.

The promoters kind of hinted to me, and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him,” he told “The Monsters in Orlando” radio show. “They didn’t want me to take him down, let’s just put it that way. It was worth my while to try to stand up and punch with him.” The quote spoke of an attempt to if not rig the fight, then make it favorable for Slice, the main star and cash cow of the EliteXC promotion. Such an action would be a disaster for mixed martial arts as it attempts to convince mainstream...

Kimbo gets his butt kicked in 14 seconds! YouTube

The CBS Television Network and ProElite Inc. announced a multi-year deal on Thursday that would make Elite Xtreme Combat, the mixed martial arts promotional arm of ProElite, available in primetime on major network television. Four two-hour Saturday evening specials will air live on CBS in 2008. "Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and a wildly popular entertainment vehicle for upscale, young adult audiences," Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime, said in a prepared statement. "It's original programming for Saturday night; it's live, creating an event-atmosphere; and it's something that hasn't been...