Joe Rogan claims 'very dangerous' UFC legend would have been perfect BKFC superstar

03/28/2025 05:33 PM

Joe Rogan believes the late Kimbo Slice would’ve killed in bareknuckle boxing.

A viral street fighting legend in Dade County, who would’ve thought Kevin Ferguson, better known as “Kimbo Slice“, would make it to the UFC Octagon when he did back in 2009.

Knocking out grown men in the backyards of Miami, Slice didn’t start training MMA until 2005. Despite advice from boxing icon Mike Tyson not to turn pro, Slice eventually did, making his MMA debut in 2007 against former boxing heavyweight champion Ray Mercer.

Slice won his first MMA fight by guillotine choke, going on to win three out his next four pro fights before getting called up for season 10 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’. Slice was eventually signed to the UFC off a one-sided loss to Roy Nelson.

By the time Slice’s UFC career began, the street fighter was 35 years old with not much MMA experience. His UFC run was very short-lived, leaving the Octagon in 2010 with a 1-1 record.

• READ MORE: Kimbo Slice knocked out UFC legend in 43 seconds to prove he was more than a backyard brawler

Joe Rogan says Kimbo Slice would’ve made it big in bareknuckle

Still though, UFC commentator Joe Rogan commended Slice for his violent striking style, thinking how great he could’ve been in a promotion like Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). No gloves, just good old-fashioned fist fighting.

“If he was fighting just stand-up only, he’s very dangerous,” the UFC commentator said of Kimbo Slice on The Joe Rogan Experience.

“Like if he was involved in like if bareknuckle boxing was around back then he would have been a huge star of bareknuckle boxing,” Rogan said.

“He would have f***** a lot of people up bareknuckle boxing.”

Joe Rogan calls Kimbo Slice courageous for trying MMA

In MMA, Kimbo Slice finished all four of his first opponents inside of the first round. Slice even stopped Ken Shamrock in Bellator years after his UFC career had ended and of course, bloodying many others on the streets of Miami.

The sport of bareknuckle boxing didn’t really see a resurgence until 2018 when the BKFC was founded, two years before Kevin Ferguson died due to congestive heart failure. He was 42 years old.

BKFC bouts have five two-minute rounds with Rogan thinking that would’ve been a good place for Slice to fight.

MMA may not have been made for a fighter like Kimbo Slice with grappling involved but Joe Rogan pays his respects to Slice for stepping into the Octagon, especially later in his life.

“Kimbo had a bunch of injuries from football,” Rogan said. “You can’t really grapple at full capacity with knee injuries and learn grappling at 35 or however old he was…

“But dude kudos to that guy for having the courage to actually get into the UFC and The Ultimate Fighter,” Rogan said of the late fighter.