Bellator 158 at O2 Arena in London on on July 16, 2016, was expected to be headlined by a rematch between Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and James “The Colossus” Thompson. Life, as it turned out, had other plans.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world got the shocking news that he was in “dire shape” last night. And before that news had even fully broke, Slice passed away at age 42. As the news cycle churned throughout the day, it was revealed that Slice suffered from heart failure, and subsequently, Broward County’s Medical Examiner ruled that “no investigation was necessary.”
Now we know the reason.
South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that as early as last Friday, the popular fighter had been admitted to Northwest Medical Center in Margate, Fla., complaining of abdominal pain, nausea and shortness of breath. Attending doctors discovered that Slice was suffering from congestive heart failure and a liver mass, which meant that he was immediately placed on a ventilator and informed that he’d need a new heart.
In fact, on Monday, Slice was being prepared for a medical transport to Cleveland, Ohio, where he would be put on an organ donor list for a transplant. However, he took a turn for the worse before that could even happen.
In speaking with ESPN, American Top Team’s Mike Brown said that Slice was already preparing to withdraw from Bellator 158 before his untimely demise.
“He had a few things going on. He had a crazy hiccup problem and he had high blood pressure. He also had a problem that had something to do with his gallbladder. We had talked about him pulling out of the fight. That’s what he was going to do. I don’t know if he had done that officially yet, but a decision had already been made not to fight.”
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