Kevin Ferguson was 13 years old when he won his first brawl protecting a childhood friend from a bully.

"Other than being beaten up by my sister, that was my first fight," recalled the 6-foot-2, 230-pound cage fighter, better known as Kimbo Slice.

"An older guy was pushing my buddy around ... and I went in to protect him," Ferguson, 34, recalled. To his surprise, "instinctively, I saw his punches ... he telegraphed everything. I threw a left hook, connected, and he was done."

A one-punch knockout became a signature move of the EliteXC heavyweight contender and former street fighter, who will be the main event on the first mixed martial arts fight card in history to premier on network television — just two years after the first ultimate fighting event was held at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim after the state's legalization of such contests.

The event — where Ferguson will go three, five-minute rounds against James "Colossus" Thompson — will be broadcast Saturday, May 31, on CBS. CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights will be broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Ferguson said he is honored to be a part of the first prime-time event showcasing mixed martial arts — America's fastest-growing sport that evolved from several ancient combat disciplines. Typically in the setting of a caged octagon, world-class athletes engage in hand-to-hand combat incorporating judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling, kickboxing, striking and grappling, among other techniques.

"I'm glad to be a part of this," Ferguson said.

Born the oldest son of 11 children in Nassau, Bahamas, Ferguson was raised in Miami, where he was a star defensive football player for Miami Palmetto High. He later attended the University of Miami on an academic scholarship with a major in criminal justice, but stayed for only two semesters.

As a street fighter, he first appeared in several filmed, consensual underground fights which have spread primarily over the Web.

"It was a way to make extra money," said Ferguson, who also worked as a bodyguard for RK Netmedia, a Miami-based pornography production/promotion company responsible for a number of adult subscription Web sites.

"Fighting comes naturally to me," he said. "I'm very competitive."

His passion for mixed martial arts sparked when he saw a video featuring Bas Rutten, a retired, undefeated UFC heavyweight champ with a a fifth-degree black belt in Kyokushin karate and a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Born in Tilburg, Netherlands, Rutten began his professional mixed martial arts career with the Japanese fighting organization, Pancrase. In 1993, two Japanese pro wrestlers went to Holland to scout fighters for their new "hybrid wrestling" (Bushido wrestling) organization, featuring submission fighting, but with no closed fisted strikes to the face. A precursor to what would become modern mixed martial arts, the organization was the first of its kind.

"When I saw Bas' fight, I thought, This is it,' " said Ferguson.

He immediately set up a meeting with Rutten, who lives in Westlake Village and has a mixed martial arts studio in Thousand Oaks.

"It was like meeting a messiah — the king of MMA ... It's a dream come true," said Ferguson, who trains exclusively with Rutten and Randy Khatami, a certified USA Boxing instructor and owner of KO Boxing Club in Thousand Oaks.

In his sanctioned mixed martial arts debut against Ray Mercer in June of 2007, Ferguson defeated Mercer with a guillotine choke at 1:12 into the first round. In November of 2007, he defeated Bo Cantrell 19 seconds into the first round by submission due to strikes. In February of this year, during his fight against MMA veteran David "Tank" Abbott, Ferguson won by knockout 43 seconds into the first round due to strikes.

"Kimbo really likes to fight, and you can tell — it comes naturally for him," said Rutten, Ferguson's sparring partner who spends six days a week honing his punching, kicking and power-training skills, with a main focus on stamina and conditioning.

"There's a lot of eyes on Kimbo," added Rutten, who believes Ferguson will win on May 31. "A lot of people are gonna be watching."

As far as Ferguson's mixed martial arts career is concerned, "if he stays away from injuries, he can go very far," Rutten said. "He's doing everything right."

Ferguson said the edge over his competition lies in his corner.

"I have Bas Rutten," he said.

Outside the fight world, Ferguson is a soft-spoken father of six children — three girls and three boys — who is engaged to his long-time love, Antionette.

"I don't live a thug life," said Ferguson, who is often pegged as such for his tattoos, untamed beard, gold teeth and bald head framed around the edges with an afro. "We go to church on Sundays ... spend family time together. I don't portray a thug image."

Living a disciplined life of non-stop training and proper diet — and no sex, drugs or alcohol — "is a sacrifice for all of us," he said.

As far as his upcoming fight is concerned, "I always look forward to a fight," he said. "I never go into a fight thinking I'm gonna lose. My expectations are based on my training, conditioning, commitment and dedication."