Baby Slice Q&A: Overturned Decisions, MMA Evolution and Bare Knuckle Fighting Future

Interview with Baby Slice – Kevin Ferguson Jr. below:

Tony Reid – It was an odd situation for you at Bellator 232 versus Craig Campbell. In the cage, you won via KO with fists and elbows but it the result was overturned as it was determined that the strikes were to the back of the head and therefore illegal. How did it all play out from your perspective?

Baby Slice – I got word on it about thirty minutes before they made it public. There aren’t any hard feelings. I went in there and did what I was supposed to do. I listened to the referee and I did everything right. That is what the commissioner told me. I did everything right. I don’t know why they overturned it. The first shot that hit him almost knocked him unconscious and he kind of fell into the second one. It’s all good. They said I was too fast. I was hitting him too fast. They had a bunch of excuses. They thought it was a no contest, so that’s what it is.

Tony Reid – You hit him too fast? That may be the first time I’ve heard that.

Baby Slice – Yeah, he said the punches were so quick they couldn’t see anything. They had to slow it down and review it. Even if you watch it again, the first one was on the side of the head, which is a legal strike and that seemed like a flash knockdown and he dropped. The second one, well he fell into that one. That one hit him in the back of the head. The ref told me to watch that strike. I heard him, so I switched it and came out to the side and hit him again. Then it was all hammer fists to the side of the head and the ref called it off. I don’t understand but I guess it’s not for me to understand. It happened and it is what it is. I am moving on.

TR – If you graded the evolution of Baby Slice in the cage over the course of your six total fights, how would you grade out?

BS – I am constantly learning new things. The more time I get in the cage, the better I get. All you guys are going to see is me better than my last fight, better than the fight before that. That’s all you guys are going to see. I am in the gym every day. I am always in the gym, literally every day. It gets to the point where my coach tells me to take a few days off and chill. I love this sport and I love what I do. This is not work for me. I have the most fun during fight week. That’s all me. There is no better feeling. I love flying out, chilling in the hotel, relaxing, getting my mind right and weighing in. I love everything about it. I have been doing it with my dad since I was a kid. This is all I know, honestly speaking. I am so comfortable doing it. This is my home. This is what I want to do. This is what I love to do.

TR – Speaking of your legendary father Kimbo Slice, you wanted to get into some bare knuckle fights but he advised you to go pro and you honored his wishes. Is some part of you still interested in bare knuckle fights somewhere, somehow, some time down the road?

BS – I am with Bellator right now. Bellator is home but how can I not do bare knuckle at some point when I’m older or whenever? That’s what my dad started. I will be the biggest name in the sport. I will be the biggest name in bare knuckle just because of what my dad did for bare knuckle fighting and boxing. No matter who they sign, no matter who they get, there will be no name bigger than mine. Everyone will want to see my fight, if I ever decide to do that. If it would be promoted right, I will get the biggest ratings and I will be the biggest draw they have. It’s only right. People would love to see that. I will finish what he started. I could see a big storyline behind that.

Tony Reid

In July of 2008 Tony Reid launched an MMA inspired clothing line that he named Reid Fight Wear. He saw a need in the MMA clothing market for a more classic, clean and timeless design and less of the dated styles seen then. In the process of major life changes, Tony cashed out his 401(k), emptied his bank account and put his heart and soul into building the brand. In August 2009 Tony began writing for TapouT and MMA Worldwide Magazines. There he created Rattling the Cage, an MMA specific news site and home for all of his work. In May of 2012 Reid began writing for Ultimate MMA Magazine, launching an MMA Legends and MMA Officials Series. Also in May of the same year he started appearing regularly on ESPN 92.3 WVSL as the MMA Insider. In early August of 2012 Reid was named General Manager of UFC Fighter Tim Boetsch’s Barbarian Combat Sports in Sunbury, PA. By December 2012 Reid started contributing to Fighters Only Magazine. "The World's Leading MMA and Lifestyle Magazine" is sold in over 30 countries around the world and has the largest reach of any international magazine of its type. In May of 2013 Reid became a monthly segment host on Sirius XM Radio. Appearing the first Thursday of every month on TapouT Radio on SiriusXM (Sirius 92 XM 208) in a segment he created called "On Blast!" where he puts people in the MMA world on notice. In June of 2013 Reid began writing for the UK based MMA Uncaged Magazine. In August of 2013, Reid launched "Rattling the Cage with Tony Reid" a talk radio show he hosted on ESPN 92.3 WVSL "The Valley's Sports Leader". The show aired over 100 episodes and featured some of the biggest and brightest stars in the world of combat sports. It was one of the most successful shows in the station's history. In May of 2016 Reid became a feature writer for FloCombat. In September of the same year Reid began writing for ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports media property in history. Reid is happy to now join the team at MyMMANews as a contributor.

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