Kimbo Slice’s story is headed to the big screen, as a biopic of the late mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter’s life, appropriately dubbed “Backyard Legend,” is in the works according to a report from IMDB.
In talks to portray the late bearded brawler is Winston Duke, one of the stars of the blockbuster smash “Black Panther,” portraying M’Baku, who also made an appearance in the summer hit “Avengers: Infinity War.”
Making his name via YouTube as a ferocious street brawler on the streets of Miami, Kimbo eventually make his way onto the professional MMA scene in 2007 under the now-defunct Elite XC umbrella. He collected a 3-1 record for the promotion before hitting the big time as a member of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) “Heavyweights” cast.
Slice — real name Kevin Ferguson — was a ratings monster and went on to fight twice for the promotion, scoring a win over Houston Alexander before getting knocked out by Matt Mitrione. Kimbo then took his talents to the Bellator MMA cage where he knocked out Ken Shamrock and Dada 5000. His bout against Dada, though, was overturned to a no contest after he failed a drug test.
Slice passed away in June of 2016 due to heart failure at the age of 42, four months after his final MMA fight. All in all, the father of six amassed a professional MMA record of 8-5 and a professional boxing record of 7-0.
Now, Kimbo’s unusual road to the top in what is a is a true underdog story, will now be told in theaters across the world in the near future.