Baby Slice impressed in the cage on Friday at Bellator 197, and discussed his performance, and carrying the Slice legacy, post-fight.
Of all the action on Friday night in St. Charles, MO at Bellator 197, perhaps none was as impressive as the performance of ‘Baby Slice.’ Kevin Ferguson Jr., son of the late Kimbo Slice, had his best showing yet. The welterweight made short work of Devon Brock, dropping him with a punch, following him down, softening him up with ground strikes and eventually submitting Brock via a rear-naked choke. It was a short, but successful night for Slice, all in all.
After the event, Slice faced the media to discuss his performance, and talk about representing ‘Team Kimbo’ and the Slice legacy.
“It was a good fight,” he said of his performance, but cautioned he’d have to watch it again before judging, or agreeing that it was ultimately an easy fight. “I work hard, so I guess that’s what hard work does. Hard work pays off.”
Expanding on the topic, Slice told media members present (including Cageside Press) that “I wasn’t really sure how it was going to go.”
“I thought I was going to do a little more damage than what I did,” he said, adding “I wanted to, that was the goal. When you step in that cage, everything is unpredictable. Anything can happen, you’ve just got to be alert and take advantage of the opportunities. I feel that’s what I did tonight, and I’m showing that I’m growing. I knocked him down, and I submitted him.”
In the end, “that shows a lot.”
On his coaches advice (Slice trains under Antonio McKee at the rising Team Bodyshop), he said he was told to “keep my composure, stay calm, don’t rush it.” Which is exactly what Baby Slice did at Bellator 197. “I knew my cardio was good, but I didn’t want to overdo it. So I tried to stay calm, tried to pick my punches right, I pushed the pace.”
On opponent Brock, Slice was complimentary: “he was tough, that was a tough guy.”
Addressing fighting where his father had before him, Slice embraced the comparison. “I’m part of Team Kimbo now,” he explained. “The legacy lives on through me. I have to take it to the next level, and that’s what I’m trying to do. That’s my motivation in itself, and I love doing it. I love MMA, I love this sport.”
Check out the full Bellator 197 post-fight press scrum with ‘Baby Slice’ Kevin Ferguson Jr. above.
