Full transcript: Kevin Ferguson Jr on London Real
4:27 Brian Rose: This is London Real. I am Brian Rose. My guest today is Kevin Ferguson Jr. AKA Baby Slice who is an American mixed martial arts fighter signed to Bellator MMA. You are the son of the street fighter and mixed martial arts legend Kimbo Slice who passed suddenly last year just days before we were scheduled to have him here on London Real.
4:45 You fight DJ Griffin at Bellator 179 here in London next week on May 19th at Wembley Arena in your second professional fight. Kevin, welcome to London Real.
4:53 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Thank you. Thank you.
4:55 Brian Rose: Awesome to have you here.
4:56 What’s your read so far of London? First time here. What do you see? You know, you’re coming from a different kind of place.
5:03 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I mean, I’m loving London, man.
5:05 It’s a great place. The people are nice. People are cool. Great city. I’m loving it so far.
5:10 Brian Rose: Tell me what it was like where you grew up. Where did you grow up and like how would that be different from say a city like London?
5:19 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, I was born in Miami, Florida, you know, and then when I was like one or two, I moved to the Bahamas for a couple of years with my family and then I moved back here to the United States. Well, there, right, to my back to Miami, Florida, and I grew up, you know, fighting real bad kid. Really?
5:39 Kind of snapped out of that there now. Okay. But yeah.
5:42 Brian Rose: Did you kind of have to fight to stay alive in that area of Miami?
5:46 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, I wouldn’t say fight to stay alive.
5:48 Just fighting just because I liked it. Okay. So whenever I had the chance to get into a fight, I jumped on it. You know, I didn’t even hesitate. So if a kid says something wrong to me, I would just fight them.
5:59 You bump me, I’m going to fight you. Like, you know, getting suspended back to back.
6:04 Brian Rose: Yeah. Where does that come from?
6:06 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I guess my dad, I guess.
6:07 Definitely not my mom, you know. She was a good girl in school, you know, good grades, played a lot of sports. So I guess I got that from my dad, you know, not even knowing at the time.
6:18 Brian Rose: And you’re one of 12 kids, right? Yeah.
6:20 Do you all have those kind of demeanors?
6:23 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I would say it’s all in us from my dad’s side, you know. I’m 12 siblings total, but six from my dad, six from my mom. Okay. Yeah.
6:31 All right. The six on my dad’s side, definitely. Yeah, we all have that in us. Okay. For sure.
6:36 Brian Rose: Just that ability to snap. Yeah, right. Okay. But not the default mode, but you’re ready to. Ready to when it’s time to.
6:42 Kevin Ferguson Jr: You have to self-defense only.
6:43 Brian Rose: Okay. On the streets. What are some of those street fights you remember, like the good ones and the bad ones?
6:48 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, I guess I wasn’t, I didn’t have hands yet, you know.
6:51 So it was all like slamming them and grounding pound. Like that was mine to go to. Okay. You know, I let them hit me or let them get off a little bit, grab them. I know once I grabbed it, you know, that’s it, you know.
7:01 You’re going for a ride and then I’m going to just ground and pound you too. You don’t want to fight no more.
7:08 Brian Rose: What age was this?
7:10 Kevin Ferguson Jr: This was like nine to 13, 16. Okay.
7:12 When I got to like 16, then the trouble started coming with cops being called. And you know, I was getting a little older, so I had to stop that.
7:19 Brian Rose: Okay. Now, grounding pound, did you wrestle in high school?
7:21 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, I did wrestle in high school, yeah.
7:23 Brian Rose: Okay. So there you go. Right. So you hadn’t started boxing yet. Didn’t know what to do with those things.
7:28 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, I always had to bob and weave because no matter what, like in the garage one day, I used to set up this rope from wall to wall and the whole time we was just bob and weave under the rope. Before we do any punches, we’re just bob and weave. So I always had the ability to, you know, get out of the way of punches.
7:42 Brian Rose: Okay, which is perfect. You slip a couple, take down, ground and pound, it’s over.
7:46 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right, exactly. Yeah, that’s what the wrestlers love to do, right? Yeah.
7:49 Brian Rose: And if you don’t train wrestling, you don’t see that coming. It’s hard to beat it.
7:53 Right, exactly. And you got to be a good striker in the street to actually get that one or two shots off.
7:59 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right, exactly. And back then, I don’t think, no one was even thinking about MMA, so I guess I just had it in me. Right.
8:05 Not even knowing.
8:06 Brian Rose: You told the story one time about the first time you asked your dad to train you. Yeah. How old were you then?
8:12 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Maybe 13.
8:13 Okay. 12, probably.
8:15 Brian Rose: And you knew about him. Yeah, of course. Right?
8:19 Did you grow up watching his fights on YouTube?
8:22 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I grew up watching him, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Yeah, that was just a theory. Okay, that’s why I’m a trio. Right.
8:28 Brian Rose: And did you have to kind of get your guts up to go in and ask him to train you, or is it something he talked about ever?
8:34 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, I just was like, I want to fight. And then he was like, you sure? And I’m like, yep. So we went to his private gym and we sparred.
8:41 And he hit me with a body shot. And I went down and I was just like, all right, I’m done. I don’t want to fight. But then a week later, I was right back in there, you know, doing it again, training with him. You know, so it was no quitting me.
8:53 Brian Rose: Did he enjoy training you?
8:54 Kevin Ferguson Jr: He did. He loved it, yeah.
8:56 Brian Rose: Were you one of the few of his kids that was really into the training, or did everybody kind of have their time with the training?
9:03 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, I was the oldest, so I was always around.
9:05 So, you know, it kind of like, I got the knowledge from it, you know, just being around him so much, traveling with him. You know, I was a photographer in college, so I was taking pictures of the camp. So, I mean, I guess it just drew on me, you know.
9:19 Brian Rose: I trained with Bas Root in one time out in London. I took, I mean, I had in Los Angeles, sorry.
9:24 Maybe eight, nine years ago, I went and did a private session with him. And Bas was so intense, such an old school guy.
9:30 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I started with Bas Root.
9:31 Brian Rose: You tried to train with Bas Root. Yeah, okay.
9:33 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, no, I didn’t train with him, but he had a tape back in the days, like… Oh, yeah. He had like a tape, like left kick, right kick, knee. So, I started doing that. Okay.
9:41 We used to, that’s how I started.
9:43 Brian Rose: Wow. Because he had the big book of combat, which was a print thing, and then he did all those DVDs. And he’s also got some where he walks, he voices over all of his fights in Japan, in Pancras, I think. And I remember your dad went and trained with him, and trained ground game with him.
9:58 I asked him about him, and he said, you know what, everybody, I don’t think people knew Kimbo that well. And he said, people think he’s this and think he’s that. He’s like, man, this guy works hard, nicest guy you ever met, all these kinds of things, as what Bas told me, this was like eight, nine years ago. I guess that’s all that’s true.
10:15 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right, yeah, that’s definitely true, for sure.
10:17 Brian Rose: He liked his family.
10:18 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, loved his family.
10:19 Brian Rose: What’s that like to be part of a family where your dad really is looking out for you that much?
10:25 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I mean, it feels good. You know you have that parent that’s going to protect you, no matter what, it has your back, no matter what, and if you need to call him or you need, he’s going to be there.
10:35 So I mean, yeah, I guess it’s comfort. But I was always doing things on my own, so I never really called an expert help, more for expert advice.
10:45 Brian Rose: Okay, okay. And the training, so you started training 13, 14 with him. When did it really look like you were going to continue and take this MMM?
10:54 Kevin Ferguson Jr: After college. Yeah, after college, I moved to Connecticut, and I was working at a gas station, and I was just paying for everything. I didn’t call an expert for no helps, no handouts, and I was doing it on my own, working at a gas station, and when I’m done, I go train, drive an hour to go train at Plus One Defense in Connecticut, in West Hartford. Okay. And then they saw how serious I was, and then that’s when I had my first amateur fight, and I got the knockout in a minute, 23 seconds.
11:25 Brian Rose: Okay, so you wanted to do this on your own?
11:28 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, I wanted to show them that I was serious about it, you know.
11:31 Brian Rose: Okay, who’s them?
11:32 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, my dad and my manager, I see Mike. Okay.
11:35 Yeah, which was my dad manager.
11:37 Brian Rose: Okay, so you wanted to go away, do it on your own. Yeah. And then once they saw you were serious, then did you get back in the fold and train them?
11:44 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, exactly, yeah.
11:45 Okay. But I didn’t want to ask them for any help and then not take it serious, you know. I wanted to do it on my own, have that grind on my own, and then it showed them that I was serious about it, and it worked out.
11:57 Brian Rose: Did that bother your dad that you were way up in Connecticut?
12:00 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, not at all.
12:01 He always said he missed me, but he understood this is what I needed, you know. Okay. Staying home in Florida is just too much going on. I know too many people, you know, bad influences, you know, so I just stay away from that.
12:13 Brian Rose: Okay, so if you want to train MMA, you got to go somewhere serious?
12:16 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I go somewhere, right, and that’s why I’m in Long Beach. Okay. But if I want to party a little bit, I go back to my house. Now it makes sense. Yeah, I’ll find out a little bit.
12:23 Brian Rose: Okay. You know, I watched your first amateur fight, and you do seem to have that Kimbo gene when you turn it on. Right. I mean, you look pretty scary in there, and you look like you’re moving forward. Right.
12:36 Is that something you think is in the blood, or do you think by being around your dad all that time and training with him, you have that kind of a heavy-hitting, moving forward style?
12:45 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I think it’s a little bit of both, you know. I think it’s definitely my blood, and then being around him, I have the knowledge of that, you know, being in the cage, knowing how to move, slip a punch, take one to give one, you know. So, yeah, it’s definitely in the blood.
12:57 Brian Rose: And I guess you’ve been watching him for so long that, I guess if you watch your dad fighting all of his life, you’re probably just going to pick a lot of that stuff up.
13:05 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right, it’s natural. Right.
13:07 Brian Rose: But you’ve been said to say that, like, you’re evolving the slice name. Right. Because you’re a wrestler, which is different.
13:15 You got a kick, you got submissions. Yep. Your dad, and I didn’t even think about this, he didn’t start fighting until he was 32. 32, right, exactly. Explain a little bit about that.
13:27 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I mean, I just feel like I did what he wanted me to do, you know, he told me to learn from his mistakes. And one was wrestling in high school. It was either football or wrestling, or track or wrestling. So, I did football for one year. I broke records, and still no one broke them yet, at Coral Springs High School.
13:45 And after that, I just got joined wrestling, and I loved it ever since I loved it, man. That one-on-one, I didn’t like having a team. Because then, if they wasn’t doing good, then the team is not going to do good. And my quarterback doesn’t give me a good hand-off, and then it’s a fumble, you know. So, I don’t like depending on other people, when it’s like gut time, when it’s time to, you know, put the clutch work in.
14:09 I like to depend on myself. So, that’s how it is in a fight.
14:12 Brian Rose: I had King Moen here, we were talking a few months ago, you know, one of the top wrestlers in the world. And I wonder if you could tell me what wrestling is like. For people that don’t know, you’re talking about one-on-one.
14:24 You know, you’re in that room training with those guys. You know, it’s no joke in there, right?
14:29 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, it’s no joke.
14:30 Brian Rose: What are they teaching you when you learn wrestling, do you think?
14:33 Kevin Ferguson Jr: They’re teaching you to grind, you know, not to give up, no quitting, you know, putting your all out there.
14:39 Because you’re going for strength with another person that’s trying to pin you, you know, that’s trying to control you. So, either you’re going to be controlled or control the person, you know.
14:49 Brian Rose: I think Daniel Cormier, you know, who was a wrestler, and then a wrestler for the Olympics, he said, I’m trying to break you mentally.
14:55 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right, yeah. Via the physical, they just try to get you to mentally quit.
14:59 Yeah.
14:59 Brian Rose: Which is tough when you’re fighting other wrestlers that have trained their whole lives to do the same, right?
15:05 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, yeah. So, then it comes down to technique. You know, if none of you guys are breaking, if both of you guys got a strong will, now it’s like who trained better, who has the better coach, who has better technique.
15:16 And that’s, I think, that plays a big part.
15:18 Brian Rose: Okay. Do you think wrestling is the best base for MMA?
15:21 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Definitely the best base.
15:22 Brian Rose: Better than Jiu-Jitsu.
15:23 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yes, for sure. Better than Thai boxing. Jiu-Jitsu gets you beat up in an MMA fight, for sure.
15:28 Brian Rose: Okay, explain that.
15:29 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Because in Jiu-Jitsu, you have to, like, hook and grab certain positions, and they leave you open for elbows and punches.
15:35 But in wrestling, you have to be dominant, you have to stay on top, you have to control the person, which is way better for MMA. But you need to know Jiu-Jitsu, too, so you have to know how to mix it up and do a little bit of both.
15:46 Brian Rose: How’s your Jiu-Jitsu?
15:47 Kevin Ferguson Jr: It’s pretty good. I started with Jiu-Jitsu, actually.
15:49 Brian Rose: Okay.
15:49 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Before I did any stand-up work, it was Jiu-Jitsu with the G.
15:54 Brian Rose: Interesting. Yeah. At ATT?
15:56 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, at Plus One Defense. Okay. In Connecticut. Okay. See, this is a secret.
16:02 A lot of people don’t know this, you know?
16:04 Brian Rose: I know, man. We should be talking about this. Yeah, you can’t stop the bag. But that’s great.
16:07 I was like, a slice with the gi on.
16:09 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, right, right.
16:10 Brian Rose: What’d your dad think of that?
16:11 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, he loved it, and he was proud of that, because he didn’t do it. So the fact that I was doing it at such a young age, 20, that he was like, all right, well, we probably have something here.
16:21 But, you know, he never said it. You know, he was more of like a tough love kind of dude. So even if he was proud, he went, he’s not going to tell me right away. He’s going to tell me to work harder, you know, push myself more. You know, don’t give up, stand your ground, you know, stuff like that.
16:33 Brian Rose: Okay. What was he like?
16:34 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, great dad, man. I feel like it was just like most dads, you know, but just a little bit tougher, you know, just tough love, you know. If you watch the movie Fences with Denzel Washington, screen example.
16:46 Brian Rose: Okay. He’s that kind of guy?
16:48 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, for sure.
16:49 Brian Rose: Okay. Did he have a real rough side to him?
16:52 Did he have a hard childhood?
16:54 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, yeah, he grew up rough, man. And the Bahamas back in, what, the 70s, the 80s. So it was tough back then, you know. Okay.
17:04 And he made it, yeah, right there. Like you get killed in a fight there. Yeah, for sure. Okay. Yeah.
17:09 And police won’t come and nothing like that. Okay.
17:11 Brian Rose: And you could always feel that side of him, right? Even though he had the real warm side, he also had the…
17:16 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, the rugged side, you know.
17:17 He kind of fight for his life side. Yeah, for sure.
17:20 Brian Rose: I mean, looking back and if you ever, you probably don’t rewatch him. But if you ever look at some of that…
17:25 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I don’t watch it all.
17:26 Brian Rose: You do, okay.
17:27 Kevin Ferguson Jr: All the interviews, I watch everything.
17:28 Brian Rose: You do. Okay, why?
17:29 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Just, I don’t know, just the memory, you know.
17:31 It’s like he’s here when I’m watching that. So it’s like I’m kind of glad that they filmed a lot of it. Because watching it, it’s like, okay, now I know that was my dad. I remember who that was now. So sometimes you kind of forget, you know, as the time go by, you just…
17:44 Brian Rose: You will forget.
17:45 Kevin Ferguson Jr: So I just watch the videos and remember, you know, just to stay on point.
17:49 Brian Rose: Okay. And when you see him in those brawls in the backyard, what do you see that maybe other people don’t see?
17:55 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, now it’s like, I look at it as like, oh, at Kimball Slice, you know, sometimes.
18:00 I don’t put it like, oh, this is my father. I look at it like, okay, this is Kimball Slice. Now I actually see what he accomplished and the things he’s done, you know.
18:10 Brian Rose: Which is pretty cool. Yeah, definitely.
18:12 And that style that he used to use, like in those brawls, I mean, he was of course all about the hands. Yeah. How did he even learn the hands? Do you know?
18:24 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Watching Mike Tyson.
18:25 Brian Rose: Okay, that makes sense. Right. Because he has that style where he twisted the waist.
18:29 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Mike Tyson was his favorite fighter. He always wanted to fight him too.
18:32 Brian Rose: Okay. Yeah. All right.
18:34 Kevin Ferguson Jr: But then they became friends. Okay.
18:37 He was like, I still fight him if I had to. But yeah, it was pretty cool.
18:40 Brian Rose: And I think in the backyard brawls, because he was real, I mean, he’s very technical when he fights, right? Your hands are always moving in like that. Yeah.
18:46 I think when a lot of guys got sloppy in the backyard brawls, he would just capitalize on those mistakes. Yeah. Yep.
18:52 Kevin Ferguson Jr: That and being pretty ruthless. Yeah, exactly.
18:54 A little bit of both. A little bit of both.
18:57 Brian Rose: He used to always say, I mean, he said, he once told you, if you don’t stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything. You’ll fall for anything. What does that mean?
19:06 Kevin Ferguson Jr: It means a lot. It all depends on who you are and how you take it. But it means a lot. You got to stand your ground. You got to stand for something.
19:14 Or you’ll get played. Or people will think you’re sweet. Like sweet meaning they’ll take advantage of your soft side. So if you don’t stand your ground, if you don’t show them like this is what you mean, this is my word, then it’s all a person to take advantage of you. So I feel like that’s why I don’t get taken advantage of, you know?
19:33 Brian Rose: What do you stand for?
19:35 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I stand for a lot. What? Like my family, you know, supporting my loved ones, you know, stuff like that. Yeah.
19:45 Brian Rose: It seems like you’ve got a long range plan somehow. I get the feeling about you. You’re not just here to try this thing out. I feel like this is kind of a legacy thing for you.
19:55 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, at this point it is, you know.
19:57 I’m here to make a statement.
19:59 Brian Rose: What’s that statement?
20:01 Kevin Ferguson Jr: That I’m a winner. You know, I want to win. I’m working hard, pushing myself, you know.
20:07 And I’m better than my dad. That’s always the way he wanted.
20:12 Brian Rose: Okay. Yeah. Alright.
20:14 So you’re better than your dad now? Yes. Okay. Because you have a more rounded skill base. Yes.
20:19 And you’re better than your dad?
20:21 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I think I’m more technical. Definitely more technical. I use, he was more like a, like rugged, you know, like just, I’m going to take a couple to get mine. No, I don’t think I want to take a couple.
20:35 I just want to punish you and get out the way and then punish you more. That’s my thing, you know. And I can take you down. I’m going to shoot in. If I see a take down there, then hit you with an elbow and then let you stand back up while you’re bleeding and do it again.
20:49 That’s my thing.
20:50 Brian Rose: That’s something of a good style. Do you have to hold yourself back from that take down when you’re striking because you have a natural tense here.
20:58 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, sometimes, sometimes, yeah.
21:00 Brian Rose: Because that first fight, your amateur fight, you didn’t take him down.
21:04 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, I didn’t.
21:05 Brian Rose: Did you think about it or you were having so much success with the strike?
21:08 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, I was having, yeah, I was real comfortable on the feet, you know. And I don’t think my cardio was as good as it is now. Freshly-packed, I wasn’t training hard.
21:15 I was still partying. I didn’t understand the sacrifices. I knew them, but I didn’t. I didn’t do them.
21:21 Brian Rose: Okay, but now you’re evolving.
21:23 Kevin Ferguson Jr: But yeah, definitely.
21:24 Brian Rose: Okay, so now striking’s on point. Jujitsu is wrestling. What’s the next few things that you want to work on yourself?
21:31 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, my biggest thing is cardio.
21:33 My cardio is really good now at this point, but more is just more technique, you know. More technique, more technique, more technique, more cardio, more endurance. You never have enough of those things, you know.
21:44 Brian Rose: And how do you train your cardio?
21:46 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, well, my coach, I run a lot, and then, you know, he has his methods, and he does, and, you know, we just push the pace.
21:52 Okay. Yeah. Before, I didn’t know how to push the pace. You know, I’m still new to the game. I only been a pro for like a year and a half.
22:01 I only had one amateur fight, so, you know, I’m still learning.
22:05 Brian Rose: What do you make of all this? I mean, they’re putting you right up to the front.
22:09 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I love it. Yeah?
22:10 Yeah, I love it, man. Why? Because it’s something I always wanted to do. I saw myself doing this, and doing it now is pretty easy. And then I’ve been around it my whole life.
22:17 I saw my dad do it. I walked out with him a couple fights. So it’s pretty easy for me, you know. It’s pretty simple, you know. Mentally, I’m focused.
22:25 Mentally, I’m there. And now, physically, I’m there, and I’m focused. So I’m just ready to perform at this point.
22:32 Brian Rose: Big shows don’t bother you.
22:33 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Not at all.
22:34 Brian Rose: Okay. Not at all. Okay. Now, you’re a calm, almost, you got almost like a surfer dude demeanor. Right.
22:41 You know, spend time with the Bahamas. Yeah. And then, you know, I’m like, does your personality change?
22:46 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, not really. Okay.
22:47 Once I’m in there, it changes. I just want to, like, I know when to turn it on and turn it off, you know. Like, an instant, I could really hurt someone quick. But I don’t show it. I’m chill, you know.
22:57 But if you cross that line, then it’s a problem. You don’t have a big problem with your hands. But if you don’t, then we’re cool. You see the cool side of me. But I could switch it off like instant, you know, on and off.
23:08 Brian Rose: Like a light switch. What’s it like fighting for Bellator?
23:11 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I love it. My dad fought for Bellator. I say I’m not, I wouldn’t, not say I would never fight for UFC, but I wouldn’t fight for UFC.
23:19 I’m going to stay at Bellator forever. Bellator’s my home, you know.
23:23 Brian Rose: Your dad and Scott Coker had a long relationship, didn’t they?
23:26 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah. It was cool.
23:27 Bellator took care of him. Right. They had done business for a long time and everything. Yeah. Yeah.
23:32 Brian Rose: I’ve got to ask you, you know, he passed suddenly last year. I’ll be honest, you know, I was a fan for a long time of father. I remember him before the UFC. I remember the Ultimate Fighter. I remember I trained with Bas and Bas talked about him.
23:44 And it was like two or three days out, he was supposed to be here in that chair. Right. And I got an email and I just never happened even in the history of this show. Yeah, right. And I’ll be honest, I always thought, I never thought there was a great interview of your dad out there.
23:57 Not a two hour long, getting really deep inside his head. And I was just like, man, we’re going to get that on paper. So that way everyone will always know who he really was. Right. And I never got the chance and it always bothered me.
24:08 And I was just wondering how you felt about that whole situation. I mean, it sounds like you made peace with it, but how was it at the time? Was it hard for the family? What do you make of all that?
24:17 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I mean, it definitely was hard on family because it was so big, you know, it was like worldwide.
24:22 You couldn’t run away from it. Like if you wanted to, like it was ESPN, like it’s all over the news in Florida. So it was a big thing, you know, so I guess you had to embrace it. And if somebody had to be strong and continue the legacy, which was me. So I just took the role on and I was prepared for it.
24:41 Brian Rose: Did you grieve at all? Or was that not your style?
24:44 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, yeah, I did. But it’s kind of not in the same sense. But you know, you have your days.
24:49 Brian Rose: Yeah. I think there’s some proverb, some Chinese proverb where they say, you know, you judge a man by who comes to his funeral. And you judge a man by like if the undertaker cries, you know, and I was amazed by the amount of outpouring that came out. Even like Dana White in the UFC, they did a whole video thing about him. And were you surprised by that?
25:13 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I mean, no, in a sense, you know, but I knew I didn’t understand it at first. But now, like I said, you know, watching all the old interviews, I realized the impact he had. And I see it now and I’m like, OK, well, we made a statement. You know, he growing up, I didn’t see it. And I was just, you know, a young kid.
25:29 My dad’s a fighter. We got all the money. So I was just living, you know, but now I understand what he was doing and the sacrifices he made. So it means more to me now.
25:40 Brian Rose: How old are you now?
25:41 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Twenty five. Just turned twenty five. May 5th.
25:44 Brian Rose: OK. Yeah. First time in Bellator. You’re on the ground.
25:47 I think maybe putting an anaconda on. I was watching it. And then all of a sudden, boom, it’s reversed. Yeah. Tell me, walk me through that last fight, how you felt on the day and how you feel about it now.
25:57 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I felt good about the whole fight. You know, like I said, I didn’t I didn’t know certain things, the little techniques. My cardio wasn’t great. So but, you know, I learned a lot from it. I’m very comfortable now.
26:09 And if I get that choke in now, it’s someone’s going to sleep. But they’re going to tap for sure.
26:14 Brian Rose: For sure. Yeah. That’s the way you take a loss.
26:16 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
26:17 Brian Rose: And you move forward. Right.
26:18 Kevin Ferguson Jr: And I watch it. I watch it a lot.
26:20 I was doing great. I was being a guy the whole time. And we can touch me. You know, one mistake, though, you know, it’s chess, not checkers. Yeah. So it was just like roll one way or the other.
26:31 Brian Rose: Yeah. Before you turn, probably drill that in your sleep.
26:35 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, yeah. And then the cardio up. Yeah.
26:37 Brian Rose: Now you’re like, OK, let’s do this.
26:38 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, let’s do it.
26:39 Brian Rose: Do you know much about your next fighter, DJ?
26:41 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, not really.
26:42 Brian Rose: Do you care about your opponent?
26:43 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I disappoint. No, I don’t. OK. No. I put in the work, man. I’ve been working hard. So it’s going to show.
26:49 My heart rate is going to show. So hope he’s been working hard.
26:54 Brian Rose: Do you go into fights with game plans?
26:57 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Nope. OK.
26:58 I just do what I do every day. OK. Go fight. Keep my hands up, move, be quick, hit hard. That’s the game plan.
27:07 Beat them up, cut them up, slice them up. It’s about it.
27:11 Brian Rose: We were talking before about MMA, and you said it’s still evolving, right? I mean, look, the last 10 years of MMA, it’s like going from the stone ages. Yeah.
27:21 What do you see, because you’ve been involved in the sport, you know, as the son of Kimbo for a long time, where do you see it where it’s been and where do you see it going in the next five or ten years?
27:32 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I mean, kids are doing it now at five. So it’s going to be crazy in the next, what, ten years? It’s going to be something completely different than it is now, you know? I’m just, I want to, I’m surprised to see what it’s going to be, you know, pretty stoked about that.
27:46 Just to see what it’s going to become in the next ten, fifteen years. With the kids doing it now and the things that they’re learning now, they’re learning jiu-jitsu now, like everything. Wrestling now, so it’s going to be pretty crazy, you know?
27:57 Brian Rose: You think we’re going to see techniques that we’ve never seen before?
28:00 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Definitely, yeah.
28:01 Things made up. You can do a lot, man. At MMA, you can do so much that, you know, people haven’t seen yet. There’s guys doing cartwheels and, you know, all type of crazy things in the ring now. I can just imagine what else you can do.
28:13 It’s not like boxing, where it’s just hands, you know, you’re pretty much seeing everything in boxing. But MMA is evolving. So much you can do and learn, you know? And there’s so many different styles of martial arts that haven’t been used in MMA yet.
28:28 Brian Rose: Yeah. Well, like, you know, you see that Wonder Boy Thompson style, you see…
28:32 I know you’re training at MVP’s gym this week, so we’ve had him on the show. You see MVP with a different type of stance, right?
28:39 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah. He was showing me some crazy techniques out there at Shoot Fight. And to the end, the coach came by and he’s like, I don’t want you putting that on YouTube.
28:47 Because he was like, and he has all these strange striking techniques where… Those are the worst, too. You don’t see them coming, you know?
28:54 Brian Rose: Yeah. He actually… He’s telling me how he puts himself out of balance to strike, which is like a counterintuitive thing in striking.
29:01 But yeah, he does it knowing that he’s going to kind of go into the guy. Yeah. A lot of things to do out there, right? Yeah. Jiu-jitsu as well. I mean, you know how that game’s changed.
29:10 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah. The 50-50 guards and all those crazy techniques. A lot, yeah.
29:14 Brian Rose: How do you stay on top of that?
29:15 Kevin Ferguson Jr: You just learn and stay in the gym.
29:17 If you stay in the gym, then you won’t be missing out on anything, you know? You have to stay in the gym. You have to train every day. I train twice a day, every day. So…
29:25 I don’t miss a beat, except Sundays. And on Saturdays, we run hills. So, I mean, just have to stay in the gym, stay working, you know, stay active. That’s the key.
29:36 Brian Rose: Do you think most people would be surprised by the number of fighters who don’t train that religiously?
29:43 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah. But it shows in a fight. Okay. So you can talk as much as you want, but once you step in that cage, it’s going to show all the work you put in. It’s going to show.
29:51 Brian Rose: I think back in the day, too, sometimes, like five, six years ago, sometimes guys would take three months off, you know, and it would be some of that stuff. It feels like with your generation, the newer generation, there’s some real discipline, professional sports discipline.
30:05 Kevin Ferguson Jr: You have to be self-disciplined, though. No one could make you do something you don’t want to do, you know? If you don’t want to go into the gym, you won’t, you know?
30:13 It’s been days in the past where I’m just like, all right, I’m chilling, I’m chilling, I’m not going into the gym. And no one’s going to be like, hey, get up, go to the gym, you know? You’re just going to be lazy. The next thing you know, you’re like 200 pounds. You got to cut all this weight.
30:26 So it’s ridiculous. You have to stay in the gym if you want to be a fighter, or if you are a fighter, you know? I’m not saying I know it all, but I just know what works.
30:36 Brian Rose: What do you want from your career?
30:38 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I want to be a champion at this point.
30:40 I’m working hard to be a champ now, you know? Before I was just fighting for the tournament because I loved it. Now I’m putting my own into it, and I want to go. For sure.
30:51 Brian Rose: And what weight is that?
30:52 Kevin Ferguson Jr: It’s like weight 155.
30:53 Brian Rose: 155, okay.
30:54 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah.
30:55 Brian Rose: And when does that happen?
30:56 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I’m 25, I say about 28, 27.
30:58 Brian Rose: Okay. Yeah. All right, so no rush.
31:00 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No rush. But it’s part of the plan.
31:03 Oh, yeah.
31:03 Brian Rose: Okay. And this fight coming up is a catchweight with 65? Yeah. Is that because it was late scheduled?
31:08 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Probably, yeah.
31:09 Brian Rose: Okay. Is it hard for you to get to 55?
31:12 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, not at all. Okay.
31:13 Brian Rose: Yeah. You must be pretty scared.
31:15 Kevin Ferguson Jr: At this point, it’s not.
31:16 Brian Rose: You’re tall for 55, right?
31:17 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Kind of, but not really.
31:18 I’ll be short for 170 for sure.
31:21 Brian Rose: Okay. Yeah. All right. And who else is in the 55 division in Bellator?
31:26 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson.
31:28 Brian Rose: Benson, that’s a 55?
31:29 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right.
31:30 Brian Rose: I think he’s a champ, right?
31:31 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, Michael Chandler’s a champ.
31:33 Brian Rose: Okay. At 55. Yeah, all right.
31:35 Kevin Ferguson Jr: And I think one of the pit bulls is 155 too, so some good guys at 55 for sure. Okay.
31:41 Brian Rose: Yeah. You mentioned boxing earlier. We’ve seen everything in boxing. Everyone’s talking about this potential matchup, Mayweather, McGregor. What do you make of the hype?
31:49 What do you make of McGregor?
31:51 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Everything. Well, I say Mayweather will definitely outbox him for sure. Easy, you know, but McGregor has a puncher chance, but it’s not like been there with a boxer, you know? He’s going to go in there and be surprised.
32:06 Like, it’s a different speed, you know, like, because I sparred with a boxer before at my room, my cat is under feet right now out of Long Beach. But it’s a different pace, you know, their hands are different. They let off punches different. The speed is different. It’s not like MMA.
32:20 MMA is more like calm than boxing. So I don’t think McGregor will be ready for Mayweather. No, he can beat up for sure. Okay. Mayweather has schooled him.
32:30 Brian Rose: And so he has a puncher’s chance. Yeah. But when you go around with a boxer, you’re just saying that the frequency is higher. Yeah.
32:37 Kevin Ferguson Jr: And they have that kind of cardio that’s like the boxing.
32:40 Because they’re not moving their legs. They’re not worried about checking kicks. Yeah, right. Exactly. It’s really like efficiency.
32:45 Yeah. Just stand, just quick, quick with it.
32:47 Brian Rose: Okay. And their combinations are really ridiculous.
32:50 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Really?
32:50 Brian Rose: You’re not used to them?
32:51 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No. Because in the MMA, there’s no eight punch combos. No, right. Exactly.
32:55 And boxing, they throw like five jabs and then a body shot and then a headshot and then two more jabs. So you’re like, oh man, whoa. Then I be shooting in for a takedown sometimes. I’m throwing spinning backfaces. I got to be like, oh, my bad, man.
33:08 My bad. But it happens a lot.
33:10 Brian Rose: So it’s more of a chess game in a way, you think? Boxing?
33:14 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah.
33:14 No. No. I don’t think so. They have a lot, because of the frequency and stuff, they have a lot more different weapons that they can kind of play with it. Right.
33:23 Boxing is more like checkers. Okay. MMA is chess. Because there’s a lot going on. You know, no offense to boxing.
33:30 I love boxing.
33:31 Brian Rose: What do you think of Mayweather?
33:32 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, I love Mayweather. He’s a beast. He’s a champ.
33:35 He’s my favorite boxer.
33:37 Brian Rose: What do you make of his career, the way he marketed himself, anything?
33:42 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Perfect. He did it. He gets paid what he’s worth, which is rare in boxing.
33:47 In any sport, actually. He’s always a middleman and another man and another guy. And then you get paid that amount. He’s no middleman. He’s the main guy.
33:57 The main guy, the fighter, the promoter. It’s smart. No one else is doing it. I don’t think no one else will be able to do it, honestly. But, yeah.
34:05 He knows how to sell that fight. He knows how to build the hype. He knows how to have the image. Yep. So, yeah.
34:12 Brian Rose: Yeah, I guess he’s the one we should be talking about. Yeah. McGregor’s good, too. You can’t take that from McGregor. What do you make of McGregor, the phenomenon, everything?
34:18 Because he’s your weight class, potentially. There could be a bout in the future with him.
34:22 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Nah, I forgot how many. He never know. He’s a great…
34:25 McGregor’s a good fighter, man. I think you have to keep the pace on him, though. Stay close to him. Don’t let him use his range or his technique. And he’s…
34:34 I don’t think his ground game is that good. When he fought, who was that? Chad Mendez, maybe? Yeah, Chad Adam Mendez. Right.
34:42 And that was… Yeah, I think it went about four rounds, three? Maybe three. Yeah. But if he would have had his Chad Mendez, his cardio would have been good.
34:50 I think he would have did more damage. And I think he cut McGregor. He landed some elbows. So, I mean, yeah, maybe McGregor has a good ground game. But if you’re a better wrestler than him, then that’s what you should do.
35:01 I say take him down and use that against him. And put pressure on him. I think he intimidates people. Sometimes he’s a little bigger than the guys. And he has this really…
35:11 I think he’s very good at that range, kind of that pressure range. He stays maybe three inches closer than most guys do. And he’s a little taller. And I know he intimidates guys and I think he slows them down. Right.
35:26 Yeah. So keep the pace up. Yeah, keep the pace, for sure. Lessons to learn from McGregor when it comes to selling fights. Anything you would learn?
35:34 I mean, that’s not my style. I let him do that. Let other fighters, if they want to be a McGregor, then they talk trash and do that. But I don’t talk trash or do none of that. I do what I do in a cage.
35:45 That’s my style.
35:46 Brian Rose: And when you see him lose to Diaz and then come back, what did you see there?
35:52 Kevin Ferguson Jr: He learned from his mistakes. I think he was more overwhelmed. The power of Diaz was probably…
35:59 We stepped up 55-70. Yeah. The power was different for him. But he came back and did better. Yeah.
36:07 Give him that, hats off to him. Yeah. I think he just never seen anybody take that kind of punishment. Right. Yeah.
36:14 So Diaz is a bigger guy. Probably could take the punches better. And we’re still right in the pain, but I’m getting trouble. Yeah. Also, he’s a goddamn Diaz brother.
36:19 Yeah. That’s what it means they take. He’s a fighter. Yeah. Right?
36:24 Yeah. You know. Yeah. You can see that, right? Yeah.
36:29 And those guys don’t mind taking punches. Right. And he was down, and I think after Connor put so much into it, he was just probably mentally exhausted and physically. Yeah. And then it was all over.
36:38 Yeah. Second fight, you can see Connor was really holding himself back for me. Pick his punches. Yeah. Pick his punches.
36:45 Smart game. Smart game. Right. And props to him for coming back from a loss. For sure.
36:50 And just taking it the way it is. Yeah. So.
36:53 Brian Rose: Just wanted also, where do you see Bellator fitting into the whole picture as we go into the future? Yeah.
37:01 And you kind of provide me an alternative to the UFC. Yeah. Where do you see that going more? Do you see more fights we haven’t seen before? You know, things like that, like bringing Fedor back, that kind of thing.
37:11 Or do you see them building these divisions with guys like you and Benson and Rory to where they’re really going head to head against UFC when it comes to skill level?
37:20 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I mean, Bellator is on the rise. You know, they’re starting to pay for you now. So I mean, they’re getting up there. They’re going to be neck and neck with the UFC.
37:28 And I feel like their cards are better than the UFC because UFC got a lot of old guys, old fighters now. No, no offense to those guys, but they’re older fighters at this point, you know? So and I don’t see they have new guys, but they don’t promote them like how Bellator promotes their fighters. And the sponsorship is different and, you know, crazy. But I’m with Bellator.
37:47 So I’m with Bellator 100 percent a day.
37:49 Brian Rose: What do you make of coming to London? What do you expect from the London fans? And yeah, how’s it going to feel, you know, fighting in the UK? That’s probably crazy, right?
37:59 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, yeah, it’s unreal, man. I’m just I’m just ready. I’m just glad I put in the hard work and I don’t have to worry about nothing but cutting these last couple pounds and just staying focused at this point. You know, I’m ready. Hopefully they cheer me on.
38:12 You know, I love London. So hope all the fans, you know, cheer me on. No booze. Yeah.
38:16 Brian Rose: And so for the next eight days, just so people can kind of get inside your head, what do those next eight days look like for you?
38:23 Just mentally, physically. You know, what is it like being inside that fighter’s mind?
38:27 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Just relaxing, staying focused. You know, you don’t think about the fight too much because if you’re a fighter, then you do this every day. You know, you got to remember that.
38:35 You know, some people lose track and they go into a fight forgetting who they are. But now, you know, you have to stay focused. You know, realize you do this every day if you train every day like I do. I train every day. So, you know, I just train every day.
38:49 Now I just get to unleash that beast now. You know, I get to hit you a little bit, hit the person harder than I would hit my teammates. So, that’s the only difference. I do this every day, man. So, I’m ready.
39:00 Brian Rose: Night of, do you get any nerves?
39:02 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No nerves. I’m just ready, man. I’m ready now at this point. My nerves get out at this point and I’m nervous like now.
39:10 Once it gets closer, I’m like, okay, yeah, perfect. I’m ready. I’m going to cut weight. I’m going to point the weight in so then I’m ready.
39:15 Brian Rose: You want to get in there?
39:16 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, yeah. Because that’s your chance to just let it rip. Right, exactly. Okay. It’s like almost, you get like a free pass.
39:22 Yeah, exactly. To do some beatdowns. To do some damage, yeah.
39:25 Brian Rose: And is there any correlation to those old street fights that you used to do there? Do you feel that kind of adrenaline at all going into that cage or is it a completely different thing?
39:35 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I’m calm. It’s a sport, you know. I’m just chilling. I’m just chill, calm. I just like to stay focused, you know.
39:42 Not to let my emotions get the best of me. Use that. I turn on my energy in a different way, you know. Okay.
39:47 Brian Rose: And weigh-ins, will you be getting in people’s faces or looking them down?
39:51 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Of course. Okay. So, you do turn it on for that. Yeah, of course. And you’re like, because it’s time for that.
39:58 Right, yeah. Yeah, like I say, you got to know when to turn it on, turn it off. You got to have that switch.
40:03 Brian Rose: And what do you do when you look, did you look into a guy’s eyes?
40:06 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh yeah, definitely.
40:07 Brian Rose: This is what Tyson used to say, right?
40:09 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, I look right into them.
40:11 Brian Rose: And what do you see?
40:12 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Fear, you know. Who knows?
40:14 But I see fear.
40:15 Brian Rose: You see fear?
40:16 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, always. Always. You look for fear.
40:19 I look for fear. For any kind of fear. Any kind of fear.
40:22 Brian Rose: And they’re looking for the same thing?
40:24 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I don’t have fear in my eyes at all.
40:26 Just open them up and you’re ready.
40:28 Brian Rose: Did your dad teach you any of this stuff?
40:30 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, not really. Maybe he mentally prepared me for it. You know, by his stare downs.
40:35 You know, maybe, yeah.
40:37 Brian Rose: What was he like before fights?
40:39 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Um, he was hype. He had a big entourage. So, everybody was like hype and, you know, ready.
40:46 Everybody was turned up, you know. Okay. He was probably one of the common ones there. Yeah, he was chill a little bit. But he would stare people down.
40:55 He was out of control, right? No, not really. He didn’t talk any smack, didn’t he? No, not really. Okay.
41:01 He went into business. Right. It was more of his look, his demeanor. Right. You know.
41:06 Very intimidating. Right. Feel about it. Yeah.
41:09 Brian Rose: Now, you’re much lighter than him.
41:11 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, half his weight. Half his weight. 250. He was 250. 250.
41:16 160.
41:16 Brian Rose: And did he devolve into that? Or was he just naturally? Yeah, like that. Yeah.
41:21 Yeah. He was bigger than that. He was like 260, 270. Yeah, all muscle. Yeah.
41:26 Yeah. Serious muscle. So you’re never going to be fighting at those kinds of…
41:30 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, no way. Of levels, right?
41:31 That’s heavy weight, man. And I’m not even over six feet, so. Okay. Yeah. So this is the fine division for you.
41:37 Right. Perfect.
41:38 Brian Rose: Anyone else in the family going to be fighting from this?
41:41 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, I don’t think so. Just me.
41:43 At this point, yeah.
41:44 Brian Rose: And what about in the future your kids think they’ll ever be fighting?
41:49 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, probably not. Baseball. You know.
41:52 Brian Rose: Why is that?
41:53 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Because you’re going to be able to get better money in baseball. You’re going to get… Your body doesn’t wear and tear like MMA. You’re going to do a lot of injuries in MMA, you know, that the fans and people don’t see.
42:04 And then football too. But baseball, I feel like it’s calm, safe. You can make millions at 18. You can be a millionaire, you know.
42:12 Brian Rose: You’re sharing this card with Paul Daley and Rory McDonald.
42:16 You just had Paul in here a few days ago. I had Rory a few weeks ago. What do you make of that bout?
42:23 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Let’s see. Paul Daley, Rory McDonald.
42:25 I think it’s going to be a great fight. Paul, you know, he has a lot of power. And, you know, Rory McDonald is a tough guy. We all know about his nose and everything. But everyone keeps saying, oh, Paul Daley hit the nose and he went in a fight.
42:43 But, you know, Rory McDonald is a tough guy. He could fight through that. So even if his nose break again or bleed, he’s still going to fight. So it has to be a finish or a decision. I think if it goes all three, Rory McDonald might win it.
42:56 And let’s Paul knock him down and keep him on his heels.
42:59 Brian Rose: Fight stays standing up or goes to the ground?
43:02 Kevin Ferguson Jr: It all depends. I know. It all depends, I guess.
43:05 I don’t know. You never know with MMA.
43:08 Brian Rose: When you see someone like MVP, what do you see in him as a fighter?
43:12 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Unique, a very unique fighter. Different.
43:15 He has his own style and he believes in it. Very confident in his style. Which a lot of fighters are not. Especially enough to drop their hands in the fight like he does. So it’s a lot of confidence.
43:27 Brian Rose: Interesting. That’s a big part of it, believing in your style.
43:30 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Believe in your style, yeah. Because a lot of fighters don’t really believe. They don’t really believe, yeah.
43:35 Brian Rose: Exactly. Interesting. And what else? What about someone like Kim Lo? What do you see?
43:40 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Kim Lo is an animal, man. He thinks he’s in any weight class. He’s a beast for that. An animal for that. Heavy weight, light heavy weight.
43:49 He doesn’t care. That shows how the hard work he puts in. He believes in itself, 100%.
43:55 Brian Rose: Can you explain to people how crazy that is? I mean, you’re in the gym.
44:00 Right. I’m sure you sometimes have to roll or spar with some heavy weight and stuff.
44:04 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, it’s not easy at all.
44:06 Brian Rose: Is it really just a night and day difference?
44:08 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, for sure.
44:09 Brian Rose: And he doesn’t even weigh in that heavy weight. He weighs in what, 220 maybe?
44:14 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Maybe. If Rampage was 260, you know what I mean? It’s a lot of weight.
44:19 It’s a lot of weight. I was wrestling with a guy that was 190, and I was like, oh, man. 180, and I was just like, oh, I can’t. I could do it, but it’s exhausting. When you beat one of the, when they’re that big, you know.
44:31 So, again, I hats off to Kim Lo for that, for sure.
44:34 Brian Rose: What about Rampage?
44:35 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, Rampage would be, too, you know. He’s getting a little bit older, though, you know. So, yeah.
44:41 But Rampage is a beast. I used to watch Rampage growing up. You know, the cover, the covering of Raul, you know, he’s an animal. I don’t think he wanted to cut the weight for this fight, though, you know. But if he would have, he would have been in shape, and it would have been a completely different fight.
44:55 Brian Rose: Yeah, I agree. I agree. He’s always had good hands. Yeah, yeah. Always.
45:00 Still does. Just a little bit slower. Some power’s still there, though. People forget he knocked Chuck LaDol out in the UFC when no… Red and Silver.
45:07 Yeah, when nobody could touch him. Yeah, Vanderlei. Right. Although he got beaten up by Vanderlei in Pride. I mean, that was an amazing rivalry, right?
45:14 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right, right, yeah. Forget that. I forgot about it. Wow. But Vanderlei were at each other.
45:19 They had two epic fights in Pride. Yeah. I think so.
45:22 Brian Rose: What about the old days? Do you ever think back about the Pride days and all those characters?
45:26 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I wish, I wish Brother Tour was kind of like Pride, because I like the stomping in the head. I like that in me and to the head. Oh, man. I would love that in a fight. I would love it, honestly.
45:37 Brian Rose: Rory said the same thing to me.
45:39 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah. Yeah. I think those no rules go back. Yeah, yeah.
45:42 Except the eye gouging, pulling hair, you know, growing. Other than that, knee to the head, everything should go.
45:48 Brian Rose: What about when you’re getting knee to the head?
45:51 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Get out of the way. It’s all part of the game.
45:53 Yeah, it’s part of the game.
45:54 Brian Rose: Okay. So those rules with your hand on the mat, it doesn’t do anything for the sport?
45:58 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, I don’t like it at all. That’s how my first fight got stopped in a sense.
46:01 You know, the guy was coming up, but he was coming up, and I threw a knee, and they stopped it, but didn’t take a point, you know. So I’m like, you know, what was that about? Fights were bent over, but they kept it going. No excuses, no complaints, but I just think that that should kind of, you know, get out of there, you know, knees, wherever, kicks, wherever. It’s a fight.
46:24 If it’s a street fight, you’re going to kick him in the head or stomp him in the head. I prefer that.
46:29 Brian Rose: Do you ever see any street fights these days?
46:32 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, I love them. Yeah?
46:33 Brian Rose: Getting in them?
46:34 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, no, I can’t get in a street fight at this point. Too dangerous.
46:38 Brian Rose: You see them?
46:38 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I see them.
46:39 Brian Rose: How is the street fight different?
46:41 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, man, it’s funny. It’s funny to watch, knowing that this is what I do, is in my profession, and to see these guys try to do that, and just to have the confidence that, even though they know they don’t have the skills, just the confidence in themselves to try to fight this other person, and doing crazy punches, it’s entertainment, man. It’s real funny.
46:58 Brian Rose: Do people, they just think they’re fighters because they watch a lot of the street?
47:02 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right, exactly, and then they get in there and realize, oh, man, this is not what I thought it was, you know. They get tired within a minute, and then somebody land their lucky punch at night-night.
47:12 Brian Rose: And then all of a sudden there’s a car there, and there’s this there, and his buddy’s behind you with a bottle of beer, and then he starts getting crazy, huh?
47:20 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, and then that’s when you get out of there, when the weapons are drawn, all right, I’m out. Yeah, that’s a little crazy at that point.
47:27 Brian Rose: Can I ask you a couple questions about just, you know, what you changed about your game, because obviously you started taking this whole thing really seriously a few years ago. Before that, you know, I don’t know if you decided you were going to be a fighter, but what was the thing that really changed in you, where you’re like, you know what, I’m going to go do this.
48:06 I had a guest in here a few months ago, and he said, Brian, you’re only as old as the last time you changed your mind. And I was wondering, what’s something you changed your mind about recently, whether it’s training, life, or family, or business, or something. There’s something where you were like, I used to think this, but now actually I’m starting to think that this is the way things are. Did something come to mind?
48:35 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, I go with my training. That’s my everyday life, is training, you know. That’s pretty much all I do right now, is just train, train, train. I’m in the gym. So like I said, I changed my mind to go harder, you know.
48:46 Before I did it, I was just going with emotions, just, you know, just living. Now I’m actually putting my all into it, pushing myself to that limit. So yeah, I think I’m much shorter.
48:58 Brian Rose: What scares you?
48:59 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Heights.
49:00 Brian Rose: Yeah? Properly?
49:01 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, that’s it. Okay. Other than that, no fear.
49:05 Brian Rose: So no roller coasters for you?
49:06 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, I could take roller coasters, just like standing over a ledge, just like I can’t do that. For some reason, my knees, my legs just go out on me. I have no control over that. I don’t think it’s a fear, but it’s just like, I don’t know, anxiety maybe?
49:18 Brian Rose: Fovea?
49:18 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Fovea, yeah, there we go.
49:20 Brian Rose: You can’t really control it, right?
49:22 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I can’t control it, yeah. It’s out of my control.
49:24 Brian Rose: Okay. What keeps you awake at night? Anything?
49:29 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Success. Just being successful.
49:32 Brian Rose: You want to be successful?
49:33 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, definitely. But I know I have to work harder, as I did yesterday, to be successful.
49:38 Brian Rose: Why do you think that’s important to you, to be successful?
49:41 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I don’t know.
49:42 I feel like I have a lot of family, I have people behind me, you know, even the fans, you know, like, they just want to see me be successful. So that’s all I know. So my dad do it. He was successful, so that’s what I’m trying to be. All I know, all I got to do is work hard.
49:57 It’s in my genes. So I just got to put it into work, and I have to put it into work. So I’m pretty confident.
50:03 Brian Rose: You met your family a lot. Bahamas, you went there when you were really young.
50:07 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, yeah.
50:08 Brian Rose: Who did you live with when you went to the Bahamas?
50:11 Kevin Ferguson Jr: My grandmother. Your grandma. Yeah.
50:13 Brian Rose: What’s grandma like?
50:14 Kevin Ferguson Jr: That’s my dad’s mom, by the way.
50:15 Brian Rose: Okay, oh, she has one.
50:16 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
50:17 Brian Rose: What’s she like, and talk to me about the family.
50:19 What’s it like, what are the characters like?
50:21 Kevin Ferguson Jr: They have that family fighter mentality, you know, like, like every time I talk to them, it’s like, you know, put them out, don’t play with them, because of my dad. So that’s how they talk to me now. So it’s like, I give them that, that, that, that, that. It’s like, I feel that space that was gone, that was missing from my dad.
50:39 I kind of feel it in again for them. So even though like, they don’t, they can’t talk to him about his fights no more, or tell him what to do before his fights, they do it with me now. So it gives them that, that, that comfort, you know. I can feel that. Okay.
50:54 Brian Rose: And who are these people? Is it grandma?
50:56 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Like my grandmother, my stepmoms, all on my dad’s side, you know, all my dad’s family, because my mom, they didn’t really experience none of that, you know, none of the fighter lifestyle or anything like that. But my dad’s side did, you know. So with them, I feel that gap.
51:11 But with my mom’s side, I’m more of a role model. They see me, they’re like, oh, Copie, really? I’ll do this, do that. And I’m like, all right. You know, watch me learn from this, try to teach them.
51:20 But you know, they’re too young to understand, but they can see it. And the dad’s side, they’re different. They talk to you differently. They’re talking differently, yeah. So grandma says, put them out, don’t play with them.
51:29 Don’t play with them.
51:30 Brian Rose: Which means, put out your hands, don’t play with them?
51:33 Kevin Ferguson Jr: If you don’t want them to go three rounds, don’t let it go three rounds. But if you do, make sure you have the cardio. I’m like, yeah, because my dad didn’t have cardio, because he didn’t like to run.
51:43 So I learned from that, and I run a lot. So I do have the cardio.
51:46 Brian Rose: OK, I’m not going to see grandma in the corner.
51:49 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, no. But she knows what she’s talking about.
51:51 She knows what she’s talking about, yeah.
51:53 Brian Rose: OK, so you’ve got a real support group in the family there.
51:55 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, for sure, both sides.
51:56 Brian Rose: OK, so one side, you’re the role model. The other side is pushing you, saying things to you that are, and you listen to it.
52:01 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Of course.
52:02 Brian Rose: OK, do you like having family around you?
52:04 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Not before a fight.
52:05 Brian Rose: OK, because they drive you crazy.
52:07 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, for sure.
52:08 Not even a girlfriend. I told her, no, can’t come.
52:11 Brian Rose: OK, she’s not here.
52:12 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No.
52:12 Brian Rose: OK, so it’s all business.
52:13 Kevin Ferguson Jr: All business.
52:14 Brian Rose: OK, nice. You’re here with your trainer, and that’s it?
52:17 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah.
52:18 Brian Rose: OK, that’s good stuff.
52:19 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Stay focused. Yeah.
52:20 Brian Rose: Kevin, I always ask a few people just a couple of questions at the end. I’m going to ask you.
52:26 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No problem.
52:27 Brian Rose: You know, if you could pick up the phone and make a phone call to the 15-year-old Kevin, you know, that kid, maybe he’s still getting his street fights, maybe he’s slowly stopping, maybe he’s start wrestling. But if you could give him a few words, give him a little bit of advice. Yeah. Sounds like you already know what you’re going to say here. What would you tell him?
52:44 Kevin Ferguson Jr: That’s a very great question. I feel like it’s the best question I’ve ever been asked, honestly, in every interview I ever did. You know, it’s a great question. But first of all, I slapped myself. That’s for sure.
52:54 That’s how bad I was. So I had to slap myself.
52:57 Brian Rose: Just slap yourself in the face.
52:58 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, right. A couple times.
53:00 A couple times. Yeah. And then I’d take school and backhand both ways. Then maybe I would spin a back kick. Two-stop.
53:08 Brian Rose: Right. You’re not that impressed with the 15-year-old.
53:11 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, not at all. I was horrible, man. I was bad.
53:13 I don’t know why.
53:14 Brian Rose: What was he like? Tell me about what was it?
53:16 Kevin Ferguson Jr: I just didn’t listen to no one. Not even my dad.
53:18 I don’t know why. I was just horrible, man. I was getting in fights, breaking windows. And, you know, it was a game we used to play back in the days when cars drive past, we used to try to hit it and bust the window out the cars, you know? I don’t know why I did it.
53:31 It was fun, you know? Then the car would chase us and we would run. But yeah, I’ll stop all that madness. I’d take school serious, more serious, which I did. I graduated 3.5 GPA.
53:41 Probably could have did better in high school. But I’ll take that. I’ll take my schooling more serious. And I’ll listen to my dad more, you know? I’ll do listen more.
53:49 I listen, but I listen at the last minute. So I’ll do listen at the beginning of everything he was saying, you know?
53:55 Brian Rose: Did he used to get frustrated with you as a kid?
53:58 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
53:59 What can he do? What would he do? I was a spitting image of him, you know? So I used to listen, but it’s like I did it, but I did it. You know, I’d wait till the last minute to do things, you know?
54:09 Like I’m good under pressure, you know? But that’s what I’ll do, man. I’ll just take things more serious. And I’ll do MMA. I would have been doing some wrestling back then.
54:18 MMA. Just staying focused, being more focused.
54:21 Brian Rose: Did he have to sit you down and have talks with you?
54:24 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, for sure.
54:25 Brian Rose: Or what did he say to you?
54:26 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Just, well, you know, he was first question is why? What’s the reason? You know, I could never come up with a reason why I was doing it. I just used to do it, you know? So…
54:35 Brian Rose: Was he scary or was he always calm?
54:37 Kevin Ferguson Jr: No, he was more… He was scary to my other brothers and sisters. They was more afraid of him. I was just like looking him right in the eyes all the time, man.
54:44 You know, he hated it because I was just like him. So… Yeah, so I was just… You knew that? But yeah, I was just listening more, you know?
54:52 Take things more serious. I was always laughing, thought everything was a joke, it was a game. Just didn’t care, didn’t understand life. But who did at 15, you know? But that’s what I’ll do.
55:02 Brian Rose: That’s the difference. Okay, so two slaps, spinning back kick.
55:05 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Spinning back kick.
55:06 Brian Rose: And tell him to get serious.
55:07 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah, stay focused.
55:08 Brian Rose: Take your studying more serious. Train MMA earlier.
55:11 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yeah.
55:11 Brian Rose: And listen to pops.
55:12 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Listen to pops, yeah.
55:13 Brian Rose: Because he’s dropping some serious wisdom on you.
55:15 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yes. Yep. And might not always be here for you. Exactly, yeah.
55:18 Brian Rose: Yeah. That’s good. Yeah. Second part of that question, best advice you ever received? Could it come from your dad, or maybe a trainer, or something you heard someone say over the years?
55:28 What would that be?
55:29 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Well, it would definitely be from my dad. He always told me, no one is going to be as hard as I am to you, you know? And then no one is going to care about you as much as I did. So all the things I used to do, no one really said anything but him.
55:41 So that’s why I did Scrating Up, you know? So I feel like that was the best advice right there. Just to Scrating Up, stop doing what you’re doing, you know? And no one is going to be as tough as I am to you, like he was, you know? Okay.
55:55 Brian Rose: So he would be tough on you, but then say no one is going to be as tough.
55:58 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right. If I’m able to deal with him, I’m able to deal with the world.
56:01 Brian Rose: Okay, gotcha. So that’s kind of a little bit of hope.
56:03 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right. If I’m able to spar with him, I’m able to fight spar with these guys. Okay. I’ll fight with these guys out here. Okay.
56:09 Brian Rose: So, yeah. That’s good advice. Right. Last part, you know, to that kid out there who’s 15, you know, who wants to grow up one day and beat the next Kimbo Slice, beat the next Baby Slice, beat the next Bellator Champion. Maybe that’s that kid right now is you at 15 watching this interview.
56:25 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Right. Barely.
56:26 Brian Rose: Right. What advice do you give to him if he wants to accomplish all these things?
56:31 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Yes, you know, pay attention, you know, you know, stop playing around, you know, stay focused, you know, just take things serious, you know?
56:39 You know, life is not about games. You know, when you’re young, you don’t see that at 15. You know, you’re living under your parents’ roof. So, when you turn 18, if they put you out now, what are you going to do? What are you going to fall back on?
56:50 So, you know, you just got to look at the big picture, which is hard because you’re young, but you have to be raised a certain way, you know? But you have to stay focused and work hard now. So, when you get older, it’s easier. You know, you don’t have to grind and go through the dirt and the mud, you know, just to get clean again, you know? That’s good advice.
57:11 Brian Rose: Yeah. Kevin, thanks so much for coming here.
57:13 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Thank you.
57:14 Brian Rose: When I see you, I see a few things. First of all, I see that kid that took the body shot from dad in the ring and said, I had enough that day.
57:22 That shows me that you’re a human, right? Yeah. Because if you told me you didn’t and you kept fighting, I wouldn’t believe it, right? Yeah. Now, the second thing is you go back in there a few days later.
57:32 So, that says a lot about you. Yeah. Third thing is you decided to go do this on your own up in Connecticut, doing the hard work, didn’t ask to, you know, let dad help you do it. He could have made phone calls, connections. Right, exactly.
57:44 Right? So, you didn’t do that. I see a few things. Let me continue. Fourth thing I see is you look at that first loss as a gain.
57:51 Again, a lot of guys would quit after that if they weren’t in it for the right reasons. And for you, you’re like, no, no, no, it was good. I’m feeling good about it. And then finally, I see you got a higher reason to be here. Right.
58:02 And it’s not about, I don’t feel like you need to be the next Kimbo. I feel like you want to be you. Right. So, I think you’re going to do some big things here. Oh, thank you, man.
58:11 Much respect. Well, it’s good having you in London. All the best in this fight. It sounds like weight’s on point, everything’s on point. I look forward to an exciting fight, some spinning back fists, some takedowns, maybe some crazy choke, or maybe just some beautiful KOs.
58:26 You’re striking looked on point. And again, it was really interesting to see you in that amateur fight because you had that kind of intensity that your dad had. And again, that even that distance, if not literally giving up much distance. So, yeah, you’re the new slice. Thank you.
58:43 So, exciting stuff. All the best of Bellator. At London Real, we say it’s about the journey. Right. And I wish you all and yours.
58:49 Kevin Ferguson Jr: Thank you. And we’ll see you on the 19th. Thank you.
59:09 Brian Rose: All right, thank you, sir.
