UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Unbeknownst to many, Kevin Ferguson Jr. is fighting this weekend.
A last second-effort by the promotion has added “Baby Slice” to the Bellator 232 preliminary card. Son of the late Kimbo Slice, Ferguson Jr. (3-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) will return to the cage to take on Craig Campbell (3-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).
The fight will be his first since October 2018, when Ferguson suffered his second pro loss at the hands of Corey Browning at Bellator 207. The defeat snapped a three-fight win streak, who appeared to lose a significant energy as the fight progressed.
According to Ferguson, his gas tank wasn’t the main problem. Twenty seconds into the fight, Ferguson tore his ACL when the two fighters tied up against the cage.
At a media day held Thursday at Mohegan Sun Casino, Ferguson gave MMA Junkie the play-by-play of how the injury occurred.
“If you guys go back and watch that fight, we exchange punches and I shot in for a takedown,” Ferguson said. “As we hit the cage, I guess the doctor said the impact from being here it gave out. So, we hit the cage and then I fell to the right. I thought I was okay and kept fighting.
“Then after that I put him in a choke and turned off the cage and it gave out on me again. From that point on, I was like, ‘I’m going to give it my all until I don’t have it any more.’”
If he wins against Campbell on Saturday night, Ferguson hopes Bellator books a rematch against Browning. The second time would go much differently, said Ferguson.
For the past year, Ferguson has been recovering and rehabbing his knee. He’s not stopped training. Despite not being ‘100 percent,’ Ferguson said he received clearance to take the fight at Bellator 232.
“When the doctor was saying it’s almost there, he was like ‘I can clear you if you want to fight on it,’” Ferguson said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I want to fight.’ Even after this fight, I have to go back and do more rehab because it’s not where it needs to be.”
Through the darkness of his injury, Ferguson found light. The rehab process taught him to take care of his body properly. As a result, Ferguson said he found his weaknesses and improved on them.
“I feel like it made me better in a lot of areas where I was weak,” Ferguson said. “Balance. Hand eye coordination. So it made me better in a lot of ways, which is a gift and a curse. Actually, a curse and a gift – put it like that.”
'Baby Slice' views torn ACL as 'a gift and a curse' heading into Bellator 232
