Where Are They Now: Legends of Underground Fighting
The underground fighting scene has produced some of the most compelling figures in combat sports history. From backyard brawlers who became household names to promoters who built empires out of bare knuckles and borrowed rings, the legends of the underground have followed wildly different paths after their fighting days ended. Some transitioned to mainstream success. Others built organizations that legitimized the very scene they came from. A few met tragic ends.
This is where they are now.
Kimbo Slice (1974-2016): The Godfather Who Started It All
No conversation about underground fighting begins without Kevin Ferguson -- better known as Kimbo Slice. The Bahamian-born, Miami-raised street fighter became the internet's first viral combat sports star when grainy footage of him destroying opponents in backyards across South Florida began circulating in 2003. Rolling Stone called him "The King of the Web Brawlers," and the title was well earned. Before YouTube had even launched, Kimbo's fights were being shared on forums and file-hosting sites, racking up millions of views in an era when that was virtually unheard of for combat content.
His first recorded bareknuckle fight, filmed in a Miami backyard surrounded by a wooden fence and palm trees, earned him $3,000 and set the template for an entire genre of internet content. The fights were raw, unregulated, and captivating in a way that polished productions never could be. Kimbo was not just a fighter -- he was a character, an imposing 6'2" figure with a signature beard, tree-trunk arms, and a primal fighting style that seemed to channel something ancient.
The Transition to Professional Fighting
Kimbo's internet fame opened doors that had never existed before. In 2007, he made his professional MMA debut with Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and by 2008 he was headlining CBS broadcasts for EliteXC. His fight against James Thompson drew 6.5 million viewers -- numbers that mainstream MMA promotions were struggling to reach.
When EliteXC folded, Kimbo joined the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights in 2009, where he lost to eventual series winner Roy Nelson. His UFC run was brief and humbling, but it cemented his crossover appeal. He later competed in Bellator, picking up wins against Ken Shamrock and Dada 5000 in bouts that were more spectacle than sport.
Legacy and Death
Kimbo Slice died on June 6, 2016, at the age of 42. He was admitted to a hospital in Margate, Florida, after experiencing severe chest pains and nausea. Doctors discovered he was suffering from congestive heart failure and found a mass on his liver. He passed the following day.
His death sent shockwaves through both the underground and mainstream combat sports communities. Kimbo's legacy, however, is permanent. He proved that the internet could create fighting stars outside the traditional gym-to-promotion pipeline. Without Kimbo Slice, there is no Streetbeefs. There is no Strelka. There is no backyard fighting YouTube economy. He was not the first man to fight in a backyard, but he was the first to demonstrate that the world wanted to watch.
Dada 5000: From Kimbo's Rival to Bare Knuckle Mogul
Dhafir "Dada 5000" Harris grew up just blocks away from Kimbo Slice in the Perrine neighborhood of Miami-Dade County. The two men's paths were intertwined from the beginning -- both products of the same streets, the same culture of backyard fighting that permeated South Florida's rougher neighborhoods. While Kimbo became the star, Dada became the promoter, organizing backyard fights and building a reputation as the Don King of the underground scene.
Their rivalry culminated in a Bellator fight in 2016 that nearly killed Dada 5000. After losing by TKO in the third round, Dada went into cardiac arrest backstage and had to be rushed to the hospital. It was later revealed that both fighters had failed drug tests -- Kimbo for a steroid, Dada for elevated levels of nandrolone.
Building BYB and the Rebrand to BKB
Rather than letting that near-death experience define him, Dada channeled his promotional instincts into something legitimate. In 2015, he co-founded BYB Extreme Fighting Series alongside Mike Vazquez, former owner of NASCAR team HRT Motorsports. The concept was straightforward: take the raw energy of backyard fighting and put it inside a regulatory framework.
BYB became one of the first modern professional bare knuckle organizations in North America, running events that preserved the visceral appeal of the underground while operating under state athletic commission oversight.
In February 2025, BYB Extreme underwent a major rebrand, merging with the London-based BKB promotion to become BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing. The new entity secured a multi-year broadcast deal with VICE TV -- the channel's first live programming as it pivoted toward a sports-heavy focus. By August 2025, NBC Universal announced that BKB would be carried live in Spanish on Telemundo Deportes Ahora, giving the promotion access to a massive Latin American audience.
Dada 5000 remains a central figure in the organization. His health history has complicated his own competitive ambitions -- the Florida State Boxing Commission pulled a scheduled bout following a routine medical evaluation that raised concerns about his cardiac history -- but his role as a promoter and figurehead continues to drive BKB's identity. A return bout was planned for late 2025 in London, though no outcome has been confirmed.
The man who once hosted illegal fights in Miami backyards is now running a promotion with network television deals. That is one of the more remarkable arcs in all of combat sports.
Jorge Masvidal: Street Fighter to UFC Superstar to Promotion Owner
Jorge Masvidal's story is the underground fighting scene's greatest success narrative. Growing up in Miami, Masvidal was fighting in backyards and parking lots long before he entered a professional gym. He appeared in early backyard fighting footage, often in the same South Florida circles as Kimbo and Dada. His street credentials were never in question.
What separated Masvidal was his technical ability. He transitioned into professional MMA and eventually reached the UFC, where he became one of the most popular fighters in the promotion's history. His flying knee knockout of Ben Askren in five seconds at UFC 239 remains one of the sport's most iconic moments. The "BMF" title fight against Nate Diaz at Madison Square Garden turned Masvidal into a mainstream celebrity.
Life After the Octagon
After his UFC career wound down following losses to Kamaru Usman, Masvidal pivoted to the business side. In April 2021, he launched Gamebred Fighting Championship, a bare knuckle MMA promotion that combined the two worlds he knew best -- MMA technique and raw, ungloved combat. In January 2022, he launched a second promotion, iKON FC, focused on up-and-coming talent.
Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA has featured a roster of UFC veterans including Junior Dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Alan Belcher, with JDS winning the promotion's inaugural heavyweight championship. The promotion closed out 2024 with a series of events, paused through 2025, and has returned for 2026 with two shows planned: a 16-man heavyweight tournament in the Dominican Republic on April 10, followed by a 16-man lightweight tournament on May 1 in Miami, each carrying $500,000 in prize money.
Masvidal also made headlines outside of fighting. He was arrested in 2022 for an alleged assault on his former UFC rival Colby Covington, a case that underscored how the "street" in Masvidal's persona was not just marketing. But his business ventures have continued to grow, and he remains one of the few fighters who has successfully bridged the gap between underground origins and legitimate promotion ownership.
Peter Storm: The Man Who Kept MMA Alive in New York
Peter Storm is one of the underground fighting scene's most important and least known figures. When New York State banned professional mixed martial arts in 1997, Storm did not wait for the law to change. In 2003, he launched the Underground Combat League (UCL), an unsanctioned vale tudo fighting organization that operated in secret locations across New York City for 13 years.
The UCL was the only MMA game in New York during the ban. Cards were organized via text message, locations changed constantly to avoid police detection, and both fighters and spectators attended by invitation only. "We're known as a take-no-prisoners, come-as-you-are fight league," Storm told reporters who discovered the operation. The UCL hosted over 40 events and became a proving ground for fighters who had nowhere else to compete in the state.
The End of an Era
In April 2016, New York became the last state in the U.S. to legalize mixed martial arts. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Senate Bill S5949B into law, and the UFC immediately booked Madison Square Garden for a November event. With legal MMA now available, the Underground Combat League's reason for existing disappeared overnight.
Storm held one final show in the Bronx in August 2016, closing the book on a 13-year run. The UCL's legacy is not measured in television ratings or fighter paydays -- it is measured in the fact that it kept the sport alive and accessible in America's most famous city during a period when the government had declared it illegal. Storm gave fighters a place to compete when no one else would.
Since the UCL's closure, Storm has largely retreated from the public spotlight. He continues to teach martial arts in New York City, but the underground promoter who defied state law for over a decade has not launched any new fighting ventures. His story remains one of the scene's most fascinating chapters.
Chris "Scarface" Wilmore: Still Running Streetbeefs
While many underground fighting legends moved on or burned out, Christopher "Scarface" Wilmore is still doing exactly what he has been doing since 2008: hosting fights in his backyard and uploading them to YouTube.
Streetbeefs, the Virginia-based backyard fighting organization Wilmore founded, has grown into the largest operation of its kind in the world. As of early 2026, the main Streetbeefs YouTube channel boasts over 4.2 million subscribers and more than 1.4 billion total views across 3,600-plus videos. What began as a way to settle disputes in Harrisonburg, Virginia -- "Fists Up, Guns Down" was the founding motto -- has become a genuine content empire.
The Mission Has Not Changed
What makes Wilmore remarkable is his consistency. The mission has never wavered. He still frames every fight as an alternative to street violence. He still opens his property to ex-convicts, recovering addicts, and anyone else who needs a controlled outlet for aggression. ESPN, The New York Times, and The New Yorker have all profiled the operation, and Wilmore has never shied away from discussing his own criminal record -- nine years in and out of jail, by his count, including charges for assault and drug possession.
The YouTube revenue eventually allowed Wilmore to quit his personal training career and run Streetbeefs full time. The organization now stages upwards of 180 fights annually and has inspired satellite branches across the country. Wilmore referees, promotes, and occasionally mediates disputes that fighters bring to his ring. His brand has diversified into grappling-only events and kickboxing formats alongside the traditional boxing and MMA bouts.
Scarface is not retired. He is not transitioning. He is still in the backyard, still running the show, and still growing. In a scene defined by burnout and controversy, that kind of staying power is its own form of legend.
Artem Lobov: From McGregor's Sparring Partner to Bare Knuckle Pioneer
Artem "The Russian Hammer" Lobov carved out one of the most unusual careers in combat sports history. Best known for his close friendship with Conor McGregor and his time in the UFC -- where his 2-5 record earned him a cult following despite the losses -- Lobov became one of the first recognizable MMA names to cross over into bare knuckle fighting.
He signed with BKFC and immediately became one of the promotion's biggest draws, competing in a memorable rivalry with Paulie Malignaggi. He then fought for Mahatch FC in Ukraine, losing to Olympic silver medalist and WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk in a bout that prompted his retirement announcement in July 2021.
Retirement, Lawsuits, and a Comeback
Lobov stated publicly that he would only return to fighting under two conditions: a seven-figure payday or a fight against Zubaira Tukhugov, a longtime rival whose conflict dated back to a backstage confrontation at UFC 229.
Both conditions nearly materialized in 2025. A bout against Tukhugov was booked for PFL Champions Series 3 on October 3, 2025, ending almost seven years away from MMA competition. However, three days before the fight, the promotion announced the bout was scrapped due to an injury Lobov suffered in training.
Off the mat, Lobov has been locked in a legal battle with his former friend McGregor over the Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey brand. Lobov claims he was the original co-creator of the concept and is entitled to 5% of the sale proceeds. He has also launched a clothing brand called "Outcasts & Underdogs."
Now 39, Lobov has signaled interest in entering the influencer boxing scene and has targeted a rematch with Chris Avila, a Nate Diaz teammate. Whether his body will cooperate remains an open question, but Lobov's willingness to fight in any format -- MMA, bare knuckle, boxing, underground or sanctioned -- has made him one of the scene's most versatile figures.
The Dawg Fight Fighters: Perrine's Rise and Fall
The 2015 documentary Dawg Fight, directed by Billy Corben, brought the backyard fighting scene of West Perrine, Florida, to a national audience when it premiered on Netflix. The film centered on Dada 5000 and the network of fighters who competed in the unregulated backyard bouts he organized in one of Miami-Dade County's most dangerous neighborhoods.
Tragedy and Transformation
The documentary's most sobering legacy is the fate of Treon "Tree" Johnson, one of its most prominent fighters. Johnson was killed at age 27 by a police Taser in February 2014, a tragedy that deeply affected director Corben and galvanized his determination to release the film regardless of distribution deals.
The film was also among the last appearances of Kimbo Slice before his death in 2016, lending it an additional layer of historical weight.
For Dada 5000, the documentary served as a launching pad. The visibility it provided helped him build the audience and credibility he needed to launch BYB Extreme in 2019, transforming the illegal backyard scene into a professional, state-sanctioned enterprise. In a very real sense, the fighters and stories of Dawg Fight are the origin story of what is now BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing.
Other fighters from the Perrine scene have had mixed outcomes. Some transitioned into sanctioned amateur or professional fighting. Others returned to civilian life. The community itself remains one of Miami-Dade's most economically challenged areas, and the backyard fighting scene that defined it has largely moved into regulated venues. Whether that represents progress or the loss of something raw and authentic depends on who you ask.
Early BKFC Fighters: The Pioneers of Modern Bare Knuckle
When Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship held its first event -- BKFC 1: The Beginning -- on June 2, 2018, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, it marked the first legal, sanctioned bare knuckle fighting event in the United States since 1889. The fighters who stepped into the squared circle that night were guinea pigs in the truest sense.
Bobby Gunn: The Underground King Goes Legal
Bobby Gunn won the very first fight in BKFC history, knocking out Irineu Beato Costa Jr. in the first round. Gunn was already a legend before he stepped into the BKFC ring -- he claimed a perfect 73-0 record in underground bare knuckle fights, a number that is impossible to verify but speaks to the man's mystique. A professional boxer by trade, Gunn brought an old-school legitimacy to bare knuckle that the promotion desperately needed in its early days. Now in his late 40s, Gunn has largely stepped back from active competition but remains a respected figure in the bare knuckle world.
Sam "Hillbilly Hammer" Shewmaker: The BKFC OG
Sam Shewmaker also debuted at BKFC 1 and became one of the promotion's most recognizable heavyweight fighters. Known as the "Hillbilly Hammer," Shewmaker is one of the rare fighters who built his entire career in bare knuckle rather than crossing over from MMA or boxing.
After a nearly two-year absence, Shewmaker returned to the BKFC squared circle in 2025, earning a unanimous decision over Josh Burns in their rematch at BKFC 63 in Sturgis, South Dakota. The promotion has signaled plans to keep him active, and Shewmaker appears motivated to make up for lost time.
The Broader BKFC Evolution
The promotion that these early fighters helped build has grown into the biggest bare knuckle organization in the world. With Conor McGregor joining as a minority owner in 2024, a $25 million tournament announced in 2025, and champions like Mike Perry (6-0 in BKFC), Kai Stewart, and Austin Trout carrying the banner, BKFC has achieved a level of mainstream acceptance that would have seemed impossible at BKFC 1.
The early fighters who risked their hands and their health to compete in a format no one was sure would survive deserve credit for laying the foundation. Without Bobby Gunn throwing the first legal bare knuckle punch in 129 years, none of what followed would exist.
The Common Thread
What connects all of these figures -- Kimbo, Dada, Masvidal, Storm, Scarface, Lobov, the Dawg Fight crew, the BKFC pioneers -- is a willingness to fight outside the system. Whether that meant backyards in Miami, basements in the Bronx, or unsanctioned rings in rural Virginia, these individuals chose to compete on their own terms when the mainstream would not have them.
The underground fighting scene in 2026 looks nothing like it did in 2003 when Kimbo threw his first filmed punch. It has been professionalized, monetized, and in many cases, fully legitimized. But the DNA of every bare knuckle promotion, every backyard fighting YouTube channel, and every unsanctioned bout traces back to the legends profiled here.
Some are dead. Some are retired. Some are richer than they ever imagined. And some -- like Scarface in his Virginia backyard -- are still doing exactly what they have always done, one fight at a time.