Masvidal: Kimbo Slice Gave Him His First Big Break

Jorge Masvidal says Kimbo Slice is the reason his fighting career ever got off the ground, crediting the late backyard-brawl legend for putting him on a secret Miami fight platform when he was still an amateur grinder with something to prove.

Speaking with Daniel Cormier, the former UFC welterweight title challenger and BMF champion explained that his connection to Slice started at Miami's Freestyle Fighting Academy, long before either man became a national name. "Well, particularly with Kimbo, it just so happened we didn't grow up far from each other," Masvidal said. "We had some friends in common and we ended up at the same gym, Freestyle Fighting Academy, and we started training."

How Kimbo Slice Put Masvidal On

By the time Slice's backyard-fight videos were going viral online, Masvidal already had amateur fights and grappling experience under his belt. One of the gym's owners asked Slice to watch Masvidal spar and consider putting him on the card, and Slice agreed. Masvidal still credits him for it. "I always give him big props because he put me on his platform," Masvidal said. "He didn't have to."

The stakes went well beyond a normal fight card. Organizers kept locations secret because they risked fines and even arrest for staging the events, and Masvidal said he once got only two hours' notice before a bout. That first fight took place behind a laundromat in Liberty City, Miami. Before he stepped up, Slice passed along scouting on his opponent. "I'm going to give you the location right now. You got two hours to get there," Masvidal recalled being told, before Slice circled back with a warning. "Keep your left hand up. He's got a really, really good right." Masvidal said the fight went his way from there.

Why This Chapter Still Defines Masvidal's Rise

Masvidal turned that underground platform into the foundation of a career that eventually carried him to a UFC welterweight title shot and the promotion's BMF championship, built on the same aggressive, opportunistic style that got him noticed behind that laundromat. The Kimbo Slice connection has become a defining chapter in how Masvidal explains his own rise, a reminder that his path to the UFC ran through Miami's underground scene long before pay-per-view main events and highlight-reel knockouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Kimbo Slice help Jorge Masvidal's career?

Jorge Masvidal has said Kimbo Slice got him a spot on his underground backyard-fight platform in Miami after a gym owner at Freestyle Fighting Academy asked Slice to watch him spar.

Where did Jorge Masvidal have his first backyard fight?

Jorge Masvidal said his first fight on Kimbo Slice's platform took place behind a laundromat in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami.

Did Jorge Masvidal and Kimbo Slice train together?

Yes, Jorge Masvidal said he and Kimbo Slice trained at the same gym, Freestyle Fighting Academy in Miami, after discovering they had mutual friends and grew up near each other.