EliteXC heavyweight fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has quickly become one of the biggest, and also, most controversial figures in MMA.
But is it really his own fault?
During the most recent episode of HDNet's weekly "Inside MMA," program, host -- and Ferguson's friend and trainer -- Bas Rutten weighs in, and he makes a case for why the fighter should actually be considered a role model.
Thanks to our partnership with "Inside MMA," MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) now presents a clip of that conversation.
Because Ferguson is such an interesting character, Rutten argues, other fighters are constantly asked about him. That often leads to criticism and resentment, and Rutten said that it's an unfortunate byproduct of Ferguson's popularity.
"He's good to the fans, and he treats the people good," Rutten said. "He talks good about the other fighters. He never talks bad. They talk bad about him, but not the other way around.
"He trains hard. He's a role model. The guy's never been in jail, and (yet) they say he's a thug. The guy is doing a really good job, but everyone is just asking about him all the time, and it drives the other fighters nuts."