February’s Bellator 149 continues to live on in infamy. Dada 5000 claimed in an Instagram post Wednesday that he “died during [his] fight” with Kimbo Slice in the co-main event of one of the most bizarre mixed martial arts cards in recent memory.
Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, defeated Dada 5000, whose real name is Dhafir Harris, in what was dubbed by many as the worst fight ever.
Harris lost by third-round TKO after collapsing in the cage. He was taken to a nearby hospital. A statement released by his family the day after the fight explained Harris was in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest following the bout. The fighter had high levels of potassium in his system as a result of cutting an excessive amount of weight leading up to the fight. He also suffered kidney failure and a fractured orbital bone during the fight. Harris remained in the hospital for nearly three weeks before being released in early March.
“Those who knew me they knew that something wasn’t right by the look in my eyes when I stepped into that ring,” he wrote before claiming he suffered two heart attacks during the fight.
The 38-year-old deleted the Instagram post but not before screenshots were taken by fans and MMA reporters. You can read his full statement below.
Harris is expected to discuss his experience and release more information in a series of interviews next week.
In addition to that, it was revealed last month that Slice tested positive for steroids and elevated testosterone following the bout.
