During the Bellator 145 broadcast, Bellator President Scott Coker announced their next big tentpole event, and they have a wild pair of headlining fights set. In the main event, UFC and MMA legends Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie will face off in a third match 20 years in the making. The co-main event? A bout between Kimbo Slice and Dhafir Harris, also known as Dada 5000.
Slice retains a unique place in MMA. The YouTube sensation, known across social media for his vast catalog of backyard brawls, was the top star of EliteXC, a promotion that famously collapsed when Slice was upset by Seth Petruzelli in 2008. He would bounce back, however, by drawing record ratings on The Ultimate Fighter season 10, and would fight twice in the UFC from there, defeating Houston Alexander at the TUF10 Finale before losing in devastating fashion to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113.
He would then be released from the UFC, taking his heavy hands to boxing. He then famously returned to MMA with Bellator in June, defeating Ken Shamrock via first-round knockout.
Dada 5000 is not as familiar to MMA fans, but his resume is similar to that of Slice. He famously competed in YouTube street fights similar to those of Slice, and joined Slice’s entourage after his rise to fame before splitting from the group to form a fight club of his own. That semi-legal promotion would be featured in the Netflix documentary “Dawg Fight,” which lent a hint of credibility from his two successful forays in professional MMA in 2010 and 2011.
Oh my…this is DADA 5000, and he is fighting Kimbo Slice next #Bellator145 pic.twitter.com/vANcCWy1N9
— MMA GIFS (@mma_gifs_) November 7, 2015
Harris called out Slice in June while speaking with MMAJunkie Radio, ahead of the latter’s fight with Shamrock. The announcement dispels previous rumors that Slice would face the winner of Bellator 145’s bout between Bobby Lashley and James Thompson.
Slice vs. Dada 5000 will take place on February 19 in Houston. No fights other than Slice vs. Dada 5000 and Shamrock vs. Gracie 3 have been announced, so keep an eye on Bleacher Report for more details on the card as they break.
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