Jorge Masvidal is a welterweight contender and earned global fame through his fights in the UFC. But, most MMA fans are not familiar with his origin story. Furthermore, a handful are aware of Kevin Ferguson’s connection to Masvidal. Slice was among the few established fighters who believed in ‘Gamebred’. He saw how a young boy from Miami could become one of the biggest names in combat sports. And he gave him the push needed to make it happen.

To this day, Masvidal credits the iconic fighter for his meteoric rise in the UFC.

Kimbo Slice was the first to see the potential in a young Jorge Masvidal

Back in the day, Kevin Ferguson, popularly known as Kimbo Slice, offered Jorge Masvidal a chance to make a name for himself. The late street-fighting icon invited ‘Gamebred’ to compete in his notorious backyard brawls. These backyard brawls gained insane popularity over the internet and created curiosity over MMA.

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In an old interview, Jorge Masvidal said, “It was crazy, one day (Kimbo Slice) was like, ‘Hey, do you want to come fight on my show, in my backyard?’

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“And I was like, ‘Holy smokes, that’s nuts, man.’”

Unsurprisingly, the opportunity given to him overwhelmed Masvidal. And, He already idolized Ferguson for his exploits in fighting, but this made him respect him even more.

“This is the same guy that’s getting all these crazy views, he’s knocking people out dead and he’s giving me a chance?”

Since then, Masvidal remained indebted to Slice because he saw the potential in him and gave him a chance to prove himself.

‘Gamebred’ launched his own promotion to repay his debt

Ultimately, this invaluable opportunity given by Kevin Ferguson made Jorge Masvidal popular. And eventually earned Masvidal enough fame to break into the prestigious UFC promotion.

Therefore, Masvidal started his own promotion called ‘Gamebred Fighting Championships’ to launch new fighters. And he felt Slice, who launched him, would be proud of this initiative.

“And it’s kind of like why I felt I had to get into the promoting game, I’m giving these guys that chance to go and earn their keep.”

Masvidal also felt it was a way to honor the memory of the late Kimbo Slice.

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Would you credit Kimbo Slice for Masvidal’s success?