By Admin – Steroidal.com
MMA fighter Kimbo Slice has passed away from heart failure at only 42 years of age. But were anabolic steroids to blame?
Kimbo Slice (Kevin Ferguson) was taken to Northwest Medical Center in Margate (Florida), complaining of feeling unwell and shortness of breath. He was then diagnosed with a serious congestive heart condition and put straight on the list for an immediate heart transplant.
Sadly, he died on Monday, June 6, 2016, before a new heart could be found and replaced.
The media then jumped on the band wagon and begun to blame anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) for his early death. Although Kimbo was a former anabolic steroid user, it would be incorrect to blame his heath on their usage, but one could hypothesize they would of made his condition worse and may have accelerated his death.
During his most recent fight against Dada 5000 (Dhafir Harris) at Bellator 149, many critics stated it was one of the worst MMA fights seen in years. Both Kimbo and Dada 5000 were gassed only minutes into the first round. This would indicate both fighters were of poor cardiovascular fitness, and perhaps that certain PEDs were being utilized.
Kimbo then failed a drugs test and was suspended. He was shown to be using exogenous testosterone (Testosterone Enanthate, Cypionate, Propionate, Suspension or Sustanon 250) and nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin). The Deca usage is important as recent research has stated that even small doses in males can lead to the destruction of blood vessels and a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
No doubt, because of the ‘steroid demonising’ era we’re in, steroid abuse will be to blame for Kimbo’s death, as it has been blamed for other extreme causes such as, roid rage being to blame for WWE Chris Benoit’s murders and suicide. That’s not to say steroids aren’t to blame, but they are not the sole cause of Kimbo Slice’s death, but likely did make his demise accelerate.
But what we don’t know is how Kimbo also treated his body. What was his diet like? Did he get regular blood testing done? Did he take the various important support supplements to aid the body and mitigate the damage caused by even small doses of anabolic steroids? Was he careless with his dosage of androgens? We will likely never know.
Kimbo wasn’t against PED usage in athletes, in fact, he was outspoken in stating that he thought some athletes and sports should be allowed to use PEDs, with a doctors supervision.
“The commissioners should sit down and come to an agreement on what levels should be okay. You understand where I’m coming from? The levels should be okay for professional entertainers on that level. You know, not so much like some guy who’s doing this for a living. We’re not those guys. We’re just performing for a certain time. So yes, our levels should be just a little bit above normal. That should be okay in the professional world,” he explained.
He does clearly say “a little bit above normal”. That’s not steroid abuse, that’s putting total testosterone at levels in teenage and pubertal years, likely adding a performance advantage to the drug user. These are often hormone replacement therapy (HRT) dosages and levels set out by endocrinologists.
Either way, the MMA world has lost a famous name in Kimbo Slice. Whether PEDs were to blame, we will never know.
Source:
Chia, J. (June 9, 2016). MMA legend Kimbo Slice dies aged 42: Street fighter turned professional with history of steroid use passes away after mystery medical emergency.
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