The first thing you notice about Kevin Ferguson Jr. is the strong resemblance to his father. He hits hard like him, too, and has a look in his eye that displays the fire and emotion that made his father, legendary street fighter Kimbo Slice, so memorable.Slice died in June at the age of 42, and now his son is ready to make his own impact in the world of mixed martial arts.Ferguson, 23, nicknamed Baby Slice, will make his pro debut Saturday on the prelims of Bellator 165 (9 p.m. ET, Spike TV/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3) in San Jose, California, in a 165 pound bout against Aaron Hamilton (0-2). The platform marks a fitting beginning to the start of a pro MMA career for the son of Kimbo Slice -- aka Kevin Ferguson -- whose legacy was ultimately built upon his ability to draw eyeballs to everything he did.I am doing this for the fans that are watching and everything, but at the same time Im really not doing it for them -- Im doing it for me, Ferguson told ESPN.com. Im ready to go in and get that W.The younger Slice first wanted to become a fighter at age 16 after seeing his dad fight, along with watching videos of boxing greats Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson. It wasnt until Fergusons first amateur bout in March, however, that he knew this was something he could do for a living.Ferguson trained jiu-jitsu for a full year before working on his stand-up skills. For the two weeks leading up to his amateur debut, he limited his workout to a Healthtrax gym with a personal trainer. Pushing a sled and doing situps, the focus was on cardio with no fight technique being drilled. It turns out he didnt need jiu-jitsu, or much cardio for that matter, as the fight ended in 83 seconds, with another quick knockout being added to the family ledger.Its definitely genetics; not everybody has knockout power,?Ferguson said. Some people hit hard, but they dont have that knockout power, so I definitely inherited that from my pops, for sure.Fergusons amateur debut, which took place at a Polynesian restaurant in Chicopee, Massachusetts, for a local promotion, soon hit the internet and became a sensation, garnering over 1.6 million views on YouTube to date. Shortly after, he received a phone call from his father?to discuss the young fighters next move.He was telling me that Bellator had interest,?Ferguson said. I had to think about it a little bit. I trained with ATT [American Top Team] for a month in Coconut Creek [Florida]. Then I made that decision -- we all made that decision together -- that yeah, this is what I wanted to do. It was my decision, but I made it with my dad -- we did it together.Three months later, the elder Slice died suddenly due to heart failure, just four months after his final bout with Bellator.Ferguson, whose debut will come on Fridays preliminary card, doesnt have any specific plans to honor his father; he says hes saving that for when he gets promoted to the main card.Im still dealing with [the loss] every day. It aint something you just get over, he said. I just know that Im continuing a legacy. I wouldnt mind fighting in his shadow. I wouldnt mind that at this point. Thats OK with me.This is the third time Fergusons pro debut has been scheduled since August. A freak injury during takedown defense training injured his MCL and caused him to pull out of Bellator 160. Going through his first serious camp, Ferguson describes the injury as a blessing in disguise because he was learning so much about pushing himself in camp.The second time around, at Bellator 162 in October, the fight was called off after Fergusons opponent, Rick Bing, missed weight by 17 pounds. The thought of his opponent missing weight crossed Fergusons mind ahead of the bout, but his entire focus was on the fight itself. According to Ferguson, Bing was given the opportunity to make the weight but never came back. Meanwhile, Ferguson tipped the scales at 164 pounds after an easy cut.For a 23-year-old, Baby Slice displays a lot of maturity in the way his speaks and in his approach to the fight game. After the second bout was scrapped, Baby Slice took a week off of training and spent time with his family. Despite having many personal and professional setbacks this year, Ferguson is pushing to see the silver lining in the delay of his professional debut.I saw the bigger picture and I knew that it was an opportunity just to get better and to push myself more in the gym, said Ferguson.Now armed with greater understanding of what it takes to compete as a pro, Ferguson has continued training with The Body Shop in California alongside fellow Bellator prospects A.J. McKee and Joey Davis, whom Ferguson credits for keeping his focus and dedication on the sport. Since returning to the gym after the debacle at Bellator 162, Ferguson says hes been able to push harder than ever before.They push me, A.J. and Joey, those guys push me to the limits, said Ferguson. Now Im pushing myself harder those last rounds. When I do my rounds, Im pushing myself, you know? Even when Im exhausted Im still going.He may look and punch like his father, but Ferguson is his own man with his own style in the cage. Fighting at welterweight, as opposed to heavyweight, he describes himself as a faster and more athletic fighter than his father, with a better ground game. With the expectations of a famous nickname and having many eyes on your early fights, one could easily expect nerves to be a bigger battle than the fight itself for Ferguson, but that doesnt appear to be the case.Theres really no emotions for me, he said. I zone out. I go into a whole other zone. I dont hear the crowd. All I see is my opponent, just getting a W, my hand raised at the end of the night. No matter if it comes by submission or knockout [or] TKO. As long as I get that W, Im happy. NFL Jerseys Wholesale .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. NFL Jerseys 2020 Paypal . 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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- With Florida States mens basketball team a week into preseason practices, coach Leonard Hamilton realizes that expectations are high.The Seminoles havent made the NCAA Tournament since 2012, but they have what is expected to be one of the nations top freshmen classes for the second straight season.Were trying to tailor our system to who we are. We can be a real good defensive team and be able to create more on offense, Hamilton said Friday following the annual Jam with Ham public practice. Im excited about where we are.The newcomers are led by five-star 6-foot-10 forward Jonathan Isaac, who is expected to be one of the top freshmen in college basketball. Isaac has the size to be physical in the paint but also has enough quickness and shooting ability to play on the perimeter.The Seminoles have a talented duo of four-star guards in point guard Trent Forrest and shooting guard CJ Walker.All of the newcomers have done a nice job so far, Hamilton said. The thing that has surprised me is I thought we would be struggling from the perimeter, but we have shot well so far.FSU has a talented nucleus returning despite Malik Beasley leaving after one season for the NBA draft. Dwayne Bacon led the team in scoring (15.8 pooints) and rebounding (5.dddddddddddd.8). Xavier Rathan-Mayes was third in the ACC in assists but saw his scoring average drop to 11.8 points.Hamilton is more encouraged over the return of senior center Michael Ojo and sophomore forward Phil Cofer. Ojo missed all of last season due to a knee injury and Cofer played in only 11 games before having surgery to remove bone spurs in his ankle.The Seminoles started last season 10-2 but faltered and lost five straight in February during the second half of Atlantic Coast Conference play to see their NCAA hopes dashed. They advanced to the second round of the NIT and finished 20-14.With the mix of youth and experience, many have put the Seminoles as a team to watch in preseason polls. Hamilton, who received a two-year contract extension in February, is happy about the recognition but guarded about expectations.It says a lot about the overall respect that people have for our program on a national basis, Hamilton said. The fact we are in the conversation we have to use as a motivator. Weve got to go out and earn the right to be in this position and move up higher. ' ' '
