photo credit:  DFree // Shutterstock

Female fans went crazy after seeing Winston Duke in “Black Panther” as T’Challa’s ally M’Baku. With the power of social media (and females), Hollywood was forced to learn who this new black actor was.

Well it seems Hollywood picks up on trends pretty quick! Duke has just been casted as MMA legend Kimbo Slice, (real name Kevin Ferguson) in his upcoming biopic, Backyard Legend.

The story will show the Bahamian-born backyard brawler who rose from homelessness to mixed martial arts fame after his brutal backyard fights drew a huge YouTube audience. Duke and Michael Imber, Kimbo’s longtime friend, manager and employer, will be prominently depicted in the picture, will also serve as executive producers.

The movie’s producer Steve Lee Jones says, “It’s a rich and layered tale about this man’s incredible journey from a poor neighborhood in Miami to becoming a worldwide phenomenon. We are ecstatic that Winston has decided to take on this both physically and emotionally challenging role. We simply could not find a better Kimbo!”

Kimbo passed away in 2016 at the age of 42 from heart failure and a liver mass.

Written by Clarke Jones