MMA deaths

[GeneChing]

MMA Fighter Commits Suicide After Murdering Girlfriend (http://www.411mania.com/MMA/news/63141/MMA-Fighter-Commits-Suicide-After-Murdering-Girlfriend.htm)
Tragedy strikes the MMA world......
By Tim Bragg / The Fresno Bee
11/09/07 09:23:26

PORTERVILLE -- Police SWAT officers who surrounded a homicide suspect as he sat in a car near a Porterville high school Thursday morning discovered he had shot himself.

The man's mother and brother were arrested by police after officers learned they had allegedly assisted the man in avoiding arrest.

Detectives believe 29-year-old Porterville resident Bobby Joe Suggs is responsible for the Wednesday murder of Amber Nicole Zavala, 23, who was found dead at her apartment on the 300 block of North Capitola Court, said Porterville police Lt. Chris Dempsie.

Police learned of Zavala's killing Wednesday, after people called police to report that Suggs had been talking about murdering someone, Dempsie said. Zavala's body was discovered about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Although an exact cause of death hasn't been determined, trauma to the body indicated she may have been strangled, Dempsie said.

Officers tried calling Suggs on his cell phone throughout the night Wednesday but didn't get a response.

They learned at 8 a.m. Thursday that Suggs was hiding near an orange orchard on the side of a hill near the intersection of Hillcrest Street and Morton Avenue, just north of Granite Hills High School, Dempsie said.

"We got a call that he was hiding near the orange orchard and making suicidal statements," he said.

Granite Hills High School was placed on lockdown for about four hours Thursday as police SWAT officers surrounded the car Suggs was in. A helicopter from the Kern County Sheriff's Department was called in to try to observe Suggs, but the pilots didn't see any movement, Dempsie said.

SWAT officers approached the car and found Suggs inside, dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, Dempsie said.

Officers don't know exactly when Suggs shot himself, but he said others had contact with him up until about 8 a.m. by phone.

Dempsie said Suggs and Zavala had a romantic relationship, but he wasn't sure of the extent of that relationship and whether they were still together at the time of the killing.

Joe Iness, who lives in the same apartment complex as Zavala, said neighbors didn't hear or see anything suspicious Wednesday.

But others who lived in the complex said they had heard Zavala arguing loudly with a man they believed to be Suggs.

Dempsie said they are investigating the relationship between Suggs and Zavala, along with information that Suggs fought professionally in mixed martial arts at a local casino. He said officials may run toxicological tests on Suggs' body.

Police also arrested Suggs' mother, 48-year-old Patsy Suggs, and his brother, 32-year-old Jesse Suggs, on charges of helping Suggs evade arrest after learning they were aware of the killing and provided Bobby Joe Suggs with transportation, Dempsie said. Both were booked into the Tulare County Jail.

He said the two allegedly knew about Zavala's death for at least four hours without reporting it to police. They also gave Suggs a car to drive because police were looking for his, Dempsie said.
Bobby Joe Sugg's Sherdog profile is available here (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=9752).

[MasterKiller]

Talk about misleading titles...:rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

...not misleading. Why would I mislead? ;)

I build my threads to last. This way, we can put all sorts of stuff here later. That's assuming that it doesn't get locked down because it turned into another ****ing match by our ever-present flamers... :rolleyes:

[SifuAbel]

You rang? :rolleyes:

[Vash]

I will personally pistol-whip the next individual that commits shenanigans in this thread.

I'd be interested to see if the fighter in question was prone to violent, anti-social acts, as well as any corresponding drug and/or alcohol problems.

[Mr Punch]

I think he killed himself because he couldn't handle having beaten up on the old Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman.

[1bad65]

I agree with MK. Misleading title. Especially now because a fighter named Sammy Vasquez is still in the hospital over head injuries sustained in a bout here in Texas a few weeks ago. I actually saw the title and thought he had died.

You can read about Sammy at txmma.com btw.

[GeneChing]

...but then I thought that there probably wouldn't be much more to add to this thread once this news has faded. At least, I hope there aren't more. So I chose a more open ended title. Don't get me wrong, I not hoping for a death in the ring at all. There are a lot of ways death and MMA can interact. We'll see if there's more to add to this thread later on.

[MasterKiller]

...but then I thought that there probably wouldn't be much more to add to this thread once this news has faded. At least, I hope there aren't more. So I chose a more open ended title. Don't get me wrong, I not hoping for a death in the ring at all. There are a lot of ways death and MMA can interact. We'll see if there's more to add to this thread later on.

You should have called it "The thread about every criminal in America that also happens to train MMA."

[1bad65]

Bobby Hoffman would be the poster child for that.

[stricker]

I'm being open ended... the way you havent expressed any sadness at what is nothing but a human tragedy says to me means you must have other intentions, so open ended isnt actually so open ended...

what the **** does it matter that the guy also fought mma?

i cant see anything in this thread but sensationalism. putting mma and death in the same sentence... there's a lotta ways ANYTHING and death can interact, and a lotta ways mma can interact with anything.

media exploitation.

disgraceful IMO.


i dont always believe it, but there's a saying if you aint part of the solution youre part of the problem. what are you?

[1bad65]

what the **** does it matter that the guy also fought mma?

I agree 100% Stricker. Look at the 'Busted Instructors' thread. It's not just MMA. And I still say the thread title is totally misleading and not appropriate for this situation.

[Water Dragon]

So what type of conversation does this generate? A MMA fighter killed his girl and shot himself. So have a whole lot of other people. Police, businessmen, retired people, OJ. I don't think this guy training MMA makes this a martial arts related thread. This is a thread about crazy muth****as that commit murder-suicides. Therefore, this thread belongs on tha main board with the rest of the off topic stuff. I demand the moderators move this thread and ban Gene Ching for making off topic posts!

[doug maverick]

we got a gene hatre in our midst. alot of them popping up lately whats up with that!

[Shaolin Wookie]

So what type of conversation does this generate? A MMA fighter killed his girl and shot himself. So have a whole lot of other people. Police, businessmen, retired people, OJ. I don't think this guy training MMA makes this a martial arts related thread. This is a thread about crazy muth****as that commit murder-suicides. Therefore, this thread belongs on tha main board with the rest of the off topic stuff. I demand the moderators move this thread and ban Gene Ching for making off topic posts!

I disagree, in part. MMA doesn't necessarily teach self-control. I know, it does in some ways: IE, when you've got someone in a potentially crippling hold, it's self-control that keeps you from snapping a neck. But if you have a lot of aggression and a certain degenrate psychological bent, MMA could be as damaging as torturing small animals.

I do agree with you that MMA isn't the cause, however.

[1bad65]

I disagree, in part. MMA doesn't necessarily teach self-control. I know, it does in some ways: IE, when you've got someone in a potentially crippling hold, it's self-control that keeps you from snapping a neck. But if you have a lot of aggression and a certain degenrate psychological bent, MMA could be as damaging as torturing small animals.

You don't really know much about MMA do you? It's a fighting style, it's the student's job to have self-control. And to be honest we don't have too many (I'll admit I've never been tought one) neck snapping holds. It's mostly chokes and joint locks. If the student is sadistic, he can use TMA to hurt people too.

[Shaolin Wookie]

You don't really know much about MMA do you? It's a fighting style, it's the student's job to have self-control. And to be honest we don't have too many (I'll admit I've never been tought one) neck snapping holds. It's mostly chokes and joint locks. If the student is sadistic, he can use TMA to hurt people too.

You don't really know much about reading comprehension do you?:p

"But if you have a lot of aggression and a certain degenrate psychological bent, MMA could be as damaging as torturing small animals. But I agree that MMA is not the cause, however."

Yes, you can use TMA to that end. But a more violent person looking to bloody up random people wouldn't join a TMA school, which teaches stricter self-control. You have a freer license to aggression in MMA, b/c the opportunity is there. Look at UFC vs. Sanda. It's a lot different.

[GeneChing]

Sad story. So young.

Rest in peace.


UPEI student collapses and dies after mixed martial arts workout (http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jH3I6mMxO_g1znVldnqxxUW_4IFA)
4 days ago

CHARLOTTETOWN - Prince Edward Island's chief coroner is investigating the sudden death of a university student who collapsed after a mixed martial arts sparring session.

Rene Ayangma, 20, had just finished training Tuesday night for his second professional fight when he collapsed at a gym in Stratford, P.E.I.

He died later in hospital.

His father, Noel Ayangma, said his son "was one of the nicest persons you would ever see."

"He was always happy. He loved everybody. For his age, he was just too much," he said Wednesday night.

Ayangma is the second young athlete to die this week in unexplained circumstances.

Mickey Renaud, captain of the Ontario Hockey League Windsor Spitfires, collapsed on Monday at his home in nearby Tecumseh, Ont. He was 19.

Rene Ayangma was a biology student at the University of Prince Edward and a former member of the school's soccer team.

A Facebook group established in Ayangma's memory attracted more than 1,000 members by midday Wednesday.

"You will be missed man ... you're too young to go," one person posted on the group. "I was looking forward to the next fight. See you someday dude!"

Another person said his favourite memory of Ayangma "would have to be any time I saw him."

"He always had the best smile on his face, a great attitude and was the life of the party. We will miss you so much Rene."

Ayangma won his professional debut in Moncton, N.B., in December. He was training for a March 15 in Halifax when he collapsed and died.

Noel Ayangma described his son as a natural athlete who was good at every sport he played.

"He was always making sure he was the best," he said. "I think that's what killed him because he was trying to be ready.

"He was young, lovely boy."

Ayangma said mixed martial arts wasn't a sport he enjoyed but accepted his son's involvement because "that's what he loved."

"Maybe that's what killed him, I don't know," he said.



P.E.I. MMA fighter dies after sparring (http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/2008/02/20/mma_death/)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Click here to find out more!
THE CANADIAN PRESS

CHARLOTTETOWN -- Noel Ayangma isn't a fan of mixed martial arts but accepted his son's participation "because he loved it so much."

Rene Ayangma, 20, died suddenly Tuesday night, shortly after finishing a sparring session in preparation for his second professional bout.

"He was a young, lovely boy," a sombre father said Wednesday night.

Rene Ayangma was training at Largo Fitness Centre in Stratford, P.E.I., when he collapsed shortly after finishing a light sparring session.

Mike Gallant, a spokesperson with the fight club, said Ayangma had just finished his workout when he dropped suddenly to a knee and fell forward.

Gallant said an instructor and a club member rushed in to perform CPR on Ayangma, who had lost consciousness but still had "shallow breathing."

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The cause of death wasn't immediately known and the province's chief coroner was investigating. An autopsy was to be performed Wednesday.

The death was the second this week involving a young, fit athlete.

Mickey Renaud, captain of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, collapsed at his Tecumseh, Ont., home Monday and died. He was 19.

The cause has yet to be determined.

Noel Ayangma said his son, a biology student at the University of Prince Edward Island, was "one of the nicest persons you would ever see."

"He was always happy. He loved everybody. For his age, he was just too much," he said.

A Facebook group established in Ayangma's memory attracted more than 1,000 members by midday Wednesday.

"You will be missed man ... you're too young to go," one person posted on the group. "I was looking forward to the next fight. See you someday dude!"

Another person said his favourite memory of Ayangma "would have to be any time I saw him."

"He always had the best smile on his face, a great attitude and was the life of the party. We will miss you so much Rene."

Gallant said the tall, muscular Ayangma was in great physical condition and had passed a thorough medical before his first fight in Moncton, N.B., in December, which he won. His second fight was to be held March 15 in Halifax.

"He was fantastic," he said. "He was a natural at it. He was strong and had a very natural, athletic ability."

The club was sombre Wednesday as friends and fellow competitors tried to come to grips with the death.

"There's still a lot of shock and a lot of reminiscing going on," said Gallant. "He's going to be missed for a long time to come."

Lewis Page, coach of the UPEI men's soccer team, was stunned by the news. He coached Ayangma in soccer on and off since the athlete was about 13, including stints with the UPEI Panthers and provincial teams.

"The first reaction is disbelief," said Page. "I mean a young, healthy, strong guy. ... He was just one of those guys that you always wanted on your team because he was so upbeat, so good with the other players, always positive -- a joy to coach."

Ayangma played for the Panthers for three years before choosing to leave the sport in the fall to pursue mixed martial arts.

His father described his son as a natural athlete who was good at every sport he played.

"He was always making sure he was the best," he said. "I think that's what killed him because he was trying to be ready."

Gallant said Ayangma dreamed to make a career out of fighting. "He had lots of aspirations and he seemed well on his way with them."

Mixed martial arts is a full contact combat sport in which a wide variety of fighting techniques are used, including punching and leg strikes.

Larry Hale, chair of the university's biology department, said Ayangma expressed interest in going to medical school, possibly specializing in sport medicine. He was taking both second- and third-year courses at the Charlottetown school.

"He was very engaged in my genetics course," Hale said. "When he asked questions, they were insightful."

[sanjuro_ronin]

Young and in-shape athlete dropping dead after and during workouts and even games, is nothing new.

[martialartspeon]

I read that title and though this was a death in the ring . . . Not really sure what him being an MMA fighter really has to do with his killing. People who are not MMA fighters kill other people all the time.

[Becca]

I read that title and though this was a death in the ring . . . Not really sure what him being an MMA fighter really has to do with his killing. People who are not MMA fighters kill other people all the time.

We're past that story now. This new story was about a fighter dropping dead after a sparring session.

[SAAMAG]

Wow....people are so sensitive.

I think MMArists are among the most disciplined fighters in the world...perhaps moreso than boxers and wrestlers. Only a disciplined individual would be able to go through such training and succeed.

On the other hand, if you're talking about moral discipline, what is thought to be a primary concern in traditional MA's, than no...it's not there. Why? Because MMA is typically practiced for sport--not for character building (though I still think it does that as well).

If someone is a nut-job--they would have been a nut-job regardless of what occupation or hobbies they are into.

Now onto the second subject....

what the heck happened to the kick? What is heart failure? A lot of people train without regard to their heart rates...and don't cool off properly. It's like when you see someone run for a while and then simply stop. Good way to have a heart attack. It's too bad...sounds like the kid was a good person and just truly loved the sport.

[RFM]

I am biased, but the American soldier is the most disciplined.

Vankuen,

I've been waiting for you to rear your ugly head again. Email me.
redsash96@yahoo.com

Bob

[GeneChing]

Kucharzewski wasn't truly an MMA fighter but he was a full contact fighter. Dead at 39. Autopsy presently inconclusive. Another tragedy for sure.


Late fighter was "Happy-go-lucky" (http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=21601e92-c90d-4a13-ab48-79fc1f68e915&k=28380)
Windsor Star
Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Late Windsor karate fighter Tomasz Kucharzewski may have been hard-hitting in the ring, but he was a fun guy outside of it, says his instructor.

"Happy-go-lucky," said Albert Mady of Mady's Karate, where Kucharzewski trained for 16 years. "Around me, he was always very, very nice, friendly, fun."

Kucharzewski was found by family members dead in his downtown apartment on Saturday. He was 39.

A veteran competitor, Kucharzewski took part in numerous full-contact karate events, winning several titles in national and international organizations. He competed five times in K-1, considered by many in the martial arts community as the world's premier kickboxing event.

Mady estimated Kucharzewski had around 300 bouts to his credit, including bare-knuckle knockdown tournaments and Thai-style kickboxing matches.

Despite Kucharzewski's brawny exterior - six feet tall and around 225 pounds at fighting weight - Mady said his fondest memories of the Polish-born black belt concerned his sense of humour.

"Tomasz liked to joke," Mady said. "One time, we were in Las Vegas and we watched George Carlin - hilarious. We'd be sitting there, and Carlin would tell a joke and everybody would be cracking up.... Tomasz had to translate it in his head. Ten seconds after everybody laughed, you'd hear: 'Huh huh huh huh huh huh!' He was killing us."

Mady said Kucharzewski, who worked at Chromeshield, wasn't training as hard in recent years due to a knee injury.

An autopsy has been performed on Kucharzewski's body. "Things are inconclusive right now," Mady said.

Kucharzewski wasn't married and had no children. He is survived by his parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece in Windsor, as well as extended family in Poland.

Visitation will take place 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Windsor Chapel Funeral Home, 1700 Tecumseh Rd. East. A funeral mass will take place 10 a.m. Saturday at Holy Trinity Polish Church, to be followed by cremation.

[MasterKiller]

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. -- A mixed martial arts fighter and his wife were found shot to death in a Laguna Niguel condominium in what authorities said was an apparent murder-suicide.

The bodies of Justin Levens and his wife, Sarah McLean-Levens, were found Wednesday afternoon, Orange County sheriff's officials said. The 28-year-old Levens competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and other organizations.

Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said the couple was found by the woman's mother, who called 911.

Lt. Mike Jansen says further information would be released Thursday.

[GeneChing]

MMA fighter Levens, wife shot to death (http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2008/12/18/MMA_fighter_Levens_wife_shot_to_death/UPI-23991229616017/)
Published: Dec. 18, 2008 at 11:00 AM

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A mixed martial arts fighter and his wife were found shot to death in their Southern California home in an apparent killing-suicide, authorities said Thursday.

Justin Levens, 28, nicknamed "The Executioner," and Sarah McLean-Levens, 25, were found in the couple's bedroom by the woman's mother, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said.

A gun was also found at the scene, CNN reported.

There were no signs of a struggle, Amormino said.

Levens, who fought for the Southern California Condors of the International Fight League (OTCBB:IFLI), was born in Philadelphia and moved to California to pursue a fighting career.

He was black belt trained by Brazilian-born instructor Marco Ruas in a style of submission fighting known as Vale Tudo, which is Portuguese for "Anything Goes."

At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Levens had a 9-8 record fighting in various mixed martial arts federations.

He tested positive for oxymorphone, an opioid analgesic that is six to eight times more potent than morphine, in a drug test just before a July 19 bout, MMAjunkie.com reported.

Levens received a $1,000 fine and a six-month suspension that was set to run through Jan. 15, 2009.


Another MMA Tragedy Unfolds In Los Angeles (http://deadspin.com/5113091/another-mma-tragedy-unfolds-in-los-angeles)
By Rick Chandler, 9:45 AM on Thu Dec 18 2008, 4,306 views

Mixed Martial Arts fighter Justin Levens, shown here on the left, and his wife were found shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide in their Los Angeles-area condominium, say police.

Levens, 28, is an ex- Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting participant, but hadn't fought since 2006. He and and his wife, Sarah McLean-Levens, 25, were found shot to death in their Laguna Niguel condo Wednesday afternoon.

Ironically, one of his last losses was to Evan Tanner, who died of exposure in a remote area of the Palo Verde mountains this past September. From Sherdog.com:

A standout on the central California circuit, Levens found early success in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion and went undefeated in his first seven fights. Levens was scheduled to face Ray Lazama at Affliction "Banned" on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., but the bout was cancelled that night due to time constraints. The California State Athletic Commission later announced that Levens had tested positive for the painkiller oxymorphone during pre-fight testing.

I'm not sure what in Levens' background may have led him to this, but with the MMA we're not exactly dealing with your typical athlete. Another fighter at the Affliction event, Sergei "The Pit Bull" Arlovsky, is featured on his web site with vampire fangs.
There are more articles, but nothing offers anything additional so far...

[Three Harmonies]

I hope I am wrong, but the last thing MMA needs is idiot drug addict's killing loved ones much akin to the WWE and their recent problems with roid rage ****.
I feel for his wife.
Jake

[ngokfei]

What a shame but again they are human and its a dog eat dog world out there.

Drug Abuse is rampant amongst many professional athletes and generally overlooked or ignored by the promotors, etc.

RIPhttp://www.mmazed.com/images/stories/affliction/justin-levens.jpg

[GeneChing]

Was anyone following Levens here as a fan? Anyone see any of his fights?

Thursday, December 18, 2008
Martial arts fighter was to be in court day he was found dead (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/levens-fighting-fight-2260165-martial-guy)
Justin Levens was under suspension from MMA fighting because he had misused powerful painkiller, officials say.
By VIK JOLLY, ALEJANDRA MOLINA, CHRIS CAESAR, and LOIS EVEZICH
The Orange County Register

LAGUNA NIGUEL The mixed martial arts fighter and his wife who were found shot to death Wednesday in their Laguna Niguel condo were scheduled to appear earlier that day in court, where they faced charges of aggravated assault, authorities said.

The deaths of Justin Levens, 28, and his wife, Sara McLean-Levens, 25, are being investigated as a possible murder-suicide.

The couple was found in their bedroom with gunshot wounds and authorities found a handgun near Levens, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Levens was found with a gunshot wound to his head and his wife, a gunshot wound to her chest.

When discovered by a relative who went to do a welfare check, the couple was believed to have been dead for "a couple of days," he said.

Levens was under suspension from mixed martial arts fighting because it had been determined that he had misused medication, Amormino said.

The couple, who had pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor aggravated assault charge on Aug. 27, in Orange County Superior Court, were represented by their attorney at the court hearing Wednesday at which a pretrial date was set for Jan. 21, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

In 2003, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of corporal injury in a domestic violence case, according to court records.

The misdemeanor charge stems from a Dec. 13, 2007, incident in which the couple is accused of picking up a 27-year-old man identified in a criminal complaint as Matthew David G. from a friend’s house in South Orange County after midnight, said Farrah Emami, a District Attorney spokeswoman.

Sara McLean-Levens asked the man for $200 he owed her and he gave her $80, Emami said. When she asked for the rest of the money, he said he didn’t have it and at that point she pulled over, nodding to her husband, Emami said. Justin Levens then got the victim out of the back seat and throwing him to the ground, punched and kicked him until his wife told him it was enough and the couple drove off, Emami said.

The man was treated for cuts and bruises on his face and later filed a police report, she said.

The couple’s Laguna Hills attorney Gary Pohlson says Justin Levens was not even in town at the time of the alleged incident, the details of which he disputed. Further, he said, that the couple was not worried about the outcome of this case, in which a settlement probably would have been worked out and the couple at worst faced a fine or community service.

The deaths stunned Pohlson.

“I was completely shocked when my partner told me this morning. The one time I saw them they were together and they seemed very happy,” he said.

Pohlson said he met Justin Levens only once but had spoken with Sara McLean-Levens about half a dozen times and did not know the couple very well. He had been retained by McLean-Levens, a bartender, who was referred to him by a friend.

“She seemed like a very nice girl,” he said.

Justin Levens was in Big Bear area training for an upcoming bout at the time of the alleged aggravated assault, Pohlson said. The money in question was stolen, he said, from McLean-Levens and on the night of the incident, she got a telephone call from Matthew David G. saying he was going to pay her back, Pohlson said, adding that the man got beaten later by someone else and tried to pin it on the couple.

“They weren’t particularly distressed about the case,” he said. “The case was never going to be a big deal at all.”

Levens’ suspension from fighting had been the subject of a Mixed Martial Arts online story. According to mmaweekly.com, Levens tested positive for oxymorphone, a painkiller given by injection, when he underwent drug testing for a July 2008 fight that was eventually scrapped.

He was subsequently fined and suspended for six months, which would have run through Jan. 15.

Laguna Niguel resident Kimbo Luzano, a close friend of Levens, said he believed Levens was also going through depression - not being able to fight and having marital and money issues.
Luzano said that Levens wasn’t the same after MMA fighter Jeremy Williams, a close friend of Levens, died last year of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot on May 5, 2007.

Levens and his wife had only been married a little over a year, Luzano said, adding that Levens did not have any family in Orange County. His parents live in Colorado, he said.

“He was a tough fighter but inside he was lovable,” Luzano said. “He would do anything for his friends...really sincere and genuine sweet guy.”

“I still can’t believe what happened,” Luzano added.

The couple were found dead Wednesday after McLean-Levens' mother called 911 about 2:30 p.m. to report her discovery.

Homicide investigators were at the couple's condo throughout much of Wednesday night, said sheriff's Lt. Val Wilson.

According to a biography written about Levens on his MySpace page, Levens had a tough childhood and was always picked on and had to use his fighting skills to protect himself from other kids.

In the biography, Levens said that even though he turned professional, he was a laid-back guy.

"I've been in one street fight (since turning pro)," he said in the blog posted last October. "It's not me picking on them; I'm a pretty quiet guy when I go out. I don't say much and I really just talk to my friends. I don't why, but people seem to pick on me. I'm pretty quiet, but sometimes it happens. This one guy: I was just standing there and he just threw water on me and pushed me. From there, it just kind of turned into a fight. A fast one, but it was a fight."

Born in Philadelphia, Levens, who was nicknamed “The Executioner,” moved to Newport Beach to pursue a career in fighting. Levens was a black belt trained by Marco Ruas in a style of fighting known as Vale Tudo.

In a biography posted on the Ultimate Fighting Championship Web site, Levens said fighting in the UFC was “a childhood dream come true.”Levens also previously served in the U.S. Navy, according to the UFC Web site.At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Levens had a 9-8 record fighting in various mixed martial arts federations.

Another MMA fighter recently alleged to have beeb using pain killers is James Irvin, a light heavyweight who tested positive for the non-approved analgesic painkillers methadone and oxymorphone, according to sherdog.com, a Web site dedicated to the sport of MMA.

[GeneChing]

what a way to celebrate xmas...

Police say argument ended in fatal shooting of Boise MMA fighter (http://www.idahostatesman.com/164/story/617347.html)
James Malec faces 2nd degree murder charges in the death of his stepson, mixed martial arts competitor Justin Eilers.

James Malec will be arraigned at the Canyon County Courthouse at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. A preliminary hearing is 8:30 a.m. Jan. 8.

Funeral services for Justin Eilers will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7809 Deer Flat Road, Nampa, with burial to follow at Kohlerlawn Cemetery. Viewing is Thursday at Alsip & Persons Funeral Chapel, 404 10th Ave. S., Nampa.

BY KRISTIN RODINE BY KRISTIN RODINE - krodine@idahostatesman.com krodine@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 12/30/08

Alcohol and anger fueled a Christmas-night family argument in rural Nampa that ended with a professional fighter shot dead and a former jailer behind bars, investigators say.

James Robert Malec, 48, is in the Canyon County jail on $1 million bond, charged with the second-degree murder of his 30-year-old stepson, mixed martial arts fighter Justin Mark Eilers of Boise. Malec was a deputy at the Canyon County jail during the late 1990s.

Both men had been drinking socially during a holiday gathering at the Happy Valley Road home of Malec and his wife, who is Eilers' mother, Sheriff's Lt. Marv Dashiell said Monday. Discord began with a parenting argument between Eilers and the mother of his young son, then escalated with a confrontation between Malec and Eilers over the younger man's "loud and boisterous behavior," Dashiell said.

There is no indication the two men's fight turned physical before Eilers was shot, he said, but Eilers' mother, Gwen Moore, told investigators that her son repeatedly swept items off the kitchen counter, scattering broken glass around. He was upset, she said, about people teasing his son. She "described her son as very violent when he has been drinking," according to the probable cause affidavit for Malec's murder charge.

Here's what Moore said happened next, according to the affidavit:

"Justin got into Gwen's face and she was telling him to be quiet. James told Justin to back down but he wouldn't and challenged James to a fight by saying, 'come on, come on fight me, bring it on, what do you got.'

"She said she was trying to get Justin to back off of James. Justin backed up a little bit but was still loud. Gwen said she didn't see James pull the gun, but assumed he had one with him because he carries one all the time."

The affidavit also includes comments from Eilers' former girlfriend, who said Malec had told her before that he would shoot Eilers if he caused problems in his house.

Someone at the house called 911 at 10:46 p.m. to report a domestic fight, and Eilers was shot while the caller was still on the phone with the dispatcher and deputies were on the way, Dashiell said. One deputy reported that when he got there, Malec was lying face-down on the bottom step of his porch with his hands behind his back.

Eilers suffered a single bullet wound just above his right nipple; the weapon was a large-caliber handgun, Dashiell said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene about 11:36 p.m.

One of the responding deputies knew Malec from his tenure with the sheriff's office and reported Malec "told me that he was sorry we had to meet like this again and to get the medics here to help Justin."

Malec worked as a jail deputy and dog handler for the Canyon County Sheriff's Office from April 1996 to July 2000, Dashiell said. He operated a dog-obedience business with his wife at their home, Dashiell said.

Eilers was a 1996 graduate of Nampa High School and former linebacker for Iowa State University who went on to become a professional mixed martial arts fighter. He appeared in 27 MMA fights, including some with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Kristin Rodine: 377-6447

Canyon County investigators are still trying to piece together how a family argument on Christmas night ended up with a professional fighter shot dead and a former jailer behind bars, Sheriff's Lt. Marv Dashiell said Monday.

Alcohol and anger fueled the dispute, he said.

James Robert Malec, 48, is in the Canyon County jail on $1 million bond, charged with the second-degree murder of his 30-year-old stepson, mixed martial arts fighter Justin Mark Eilers of Boise. Malec was a deputy at the Canyon County jail during the late 1990s, Sheriff's Lt. Marv Dashiell said.

Both men had been drinking socially during a holiday gathering at the Happy Valley Road home of Malec and his wife, who is Eilers' mother, Dashiell said. Discord began with a parenting argument between Eilers and the mother of his young son, then escalated with a confrontation between Malec and Eilers over the younger man's "loud and boisterous behavior," Dashiell said.

There is no indication the two men's fight turned physical before Eilers was shot, he said, but Eilers' mother, Gwen Moore, told investigators that her son repeatedly swept items off the kitchen counter, scattering broken glass around. He was upset, she said, about people teasing his son. She "described her son as very violent when he has been drinking," according to the probable cause affidavit for Malec's murder charge.

Here's what Moore said happened next, according to the affidavit:

"Justin got into Gwen's face and she was telling him to be quiet. James told Justin to back down but he wouldn't and challenged James to a fight by saying, 'come on, come on fight me, bring it on, what do you got.'

"She said she was trying to get Justin to back off of James. Justin backed up a little bit but was still loud. Gwen said she didn't see James pull the gun, but assumed he had one with him because he carries one all the time."

The affidavit also includes comments from Eilers' former girlfriend, who said Malec had told her before that he would shoot Eilers if he caused problems in his house.

According to investigators' reports, Eilers and his former girlfriend got into a heated argument about raising their son, and Malec told them to take it outside. Eilers came back into the house a short time later, "still agitated," Dashiell said, and the argument with Malec followed.

Someone at the house called 911 at 10:46 p.m. to report a domestic fight between the two men, and Eilers was shot while the caller was still on the phone with the dispatcher and deputies were on the way, Dashiell said.

Eilers suffered a single bullet wound just above his right nipple; the weapon was a large-caliber handgun, Dashiell said. Two women at the home administered CPR until paramedics arrived, and paramedics worked on Eilers for about 18 minutes before pronouncing him dead at the scene about 11:36 p.m.

Witnesses told deputies that Malec kept pointing the gun at Eilers after he was down, then removed the bullets from the gun, placed the gun on the kitchen counter and walked outside with his hands up before deputies and paramedics arrived. One deputy reported that when he got there, Malec was lying face-down on the bottom step of his porch with his hands behind his back.

One of the responding deputies knew Malec from his tenure with the sheriff's office and reported Malec "told me that he was sorry we had to meet like this again and to get the medics here to help Justin."

Malec worked as a jail deputy and dog handler for the Canyon County Sheriff's Office from April 1996 to July 2000, Dashiell said. He operated a dog-obedience business with his wife at their home in the 4600 block of South Happy Valley Road, Dashiell said.

According to Idaho court records, his previous criminal record is limited to a 2004 conviction for driving while intoxicated and a 2007 speeding charge.

Eilers was a 1996 graduate of Nampa High School, where he played football and wrestled. He played linebacker for Iowa State University and went on to become a professional mixed martial arts fighter. He appeared in 27 MMA fights, including some with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the highest level of the sport. His last fight was on a national card in July, part of a prime-time doubleheader televised on Showtime and CBS.

[David Jamieson]

sad

...........

[yenhoi]

GeneChing was the cause apparently.

:eek:

[1bad65]

Alcohol and in-laws usually don't mix well.

[Reality_Check]

Alcohol and firearms don't mix very well either.

[SenseiShellie]

It's not a good last few months for MMA fighters...

[GeneChing]

Heartbreaking last words.

Other Eilers threads:
UFC 53 - Saturday June 4th (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37040)
UFC 57: Vera vs. Eilers (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40248)


Nampa mother testifies about the night mixed martial arts fighter Justin Eilers was killed (http://www.idahostatesman.com/235/story/642346.html)
- Idaho Statesman Edition Date: 01/22/09

The mother of mixed martial arts fighter Justin Eilers testified Thursday she thought the worst of an argument was over when she heard a shot from behind her and her husband fatally shot Eilers.

Gwen Moore was the first witness called in a preliminary hearing for her husband, James Malec, who is charged with second-degree murder. She spoke haltingly, frequently wiping away tears and rarely looking toward her husband.

After about two hours of testimony from Moore and another witness, Magistrate Gregory Frates said there is enough evidence to send the case to district court, where felonies are tried. His arraignment on the charge is set for Jan.30.

She said her 30-year-old son was yelling and angry during a family gathering on Christmas night and had swept dishes and other items off her Nampa home‚s breakfast bar, breaking them. She said she had pushed her son away from the kitchen and thought he was going to go outside, so she turned to go back to washing dishes with her husband.

"As soon as I stepped aside from (Justin) I heard a shot from behind me," Moore said. "I felt something go past my ear."

She said her son took a couple of steps into the living room after the shot.

"He had a surprised look on his face and he said, 'I'm dead, I'm dead. I love you mom.' And then he fell."

[GreenCloudCLF]

Man, it sucks having your last fight be a loss to Bigfoot.

[1bad65]

Bottom line is you shouldn't tear up someone else's house while drinking. If he was asked to leave, and did not, I don't think the father-in-law did anything wrong. I have a feeling if this happened in Texas or Florida, there would be no charges filed.

[GeneChing]

There's a mug shot of Malec with this article.

Man to stand trial for shooting death of martial arts fighter (http://www.ktvb.com/news/canyoncounty/ktvbn-jan2309-malec_prelim.21858eff.html)
01/23/2009 12:23 PM MST
KTVB Canyon County Jail

James Malec, 48, is charged with second-degree murder after a Christmas day shooting in Nampa.

CALDWELL -- A Canyon County judge says there's enough evidence to support a murder charge against the man accused in the shooting death of mixed martial arts fighter Justin Eilers.

Nampa Police arrested James Malec, 48, late Christmas night after Eilers, his step-son, was shot and killed during a family party.

Family members say the two men had been arguing prior to the shooting.

At a preliminary hearing Thursday, a judge ordered Malec to appear in District Court on Jan. 30 when he's expected to enter a plea to second-degree murder.

[BoulderDawg]

Bottom line is you shouldn't tear up someone else's house while drinking. If he was asked to leave, and did not, I don't think the father-in-law did anything wrong. I have a feeling if this happened in Texas or Florida, there would be no charges filed.

Wow! You're a person that I'm really glad I don't know. Since when does destruction of property give you the right to kill a man?

By the way try this in Texas and see what happens.

[Vash]

Bottom line is you shouldn't tear up someone else's house while drinking. If he was asked to leave, and did not, I don't think the father-in-law did anything wrong. I have a feeling if this happened in Texas or Florida, there would be no charges filed.

**** right!

I may be in Louisiana, but if I have ANYONE being a drunk ******* in MY house when they have their MOTHER OVER, I'm going to shoot and KILL them so they can die in front of their mother whilst saying "I'm dead, I'm dead, I love you."

That ****er got just what he deserved for breaking **** and being stupid; shot to death in front of his mom.

I'm serious, I'm not even kidding right now.

I'm not spelling out what the quote above my text is saying in a slightly over-dramatic way to show just how in-****ing-human aforementioned quote is.

[BoulderDawg]

I'm not spelling out what the quote above my text is saying in a slightly over-dramatic way to show just how in-****ing-human aforementioned quote is.

No doubt. How much you want to bet this Bad Character is absolutely armed to the teeth 24 hours a day.

God help some drunk guy who might show up at his door one night and started banging on it because he had the wrong address.

Anyway, you know it's a bad situation because the guy wasn't charged with voluntary manslaughter. Which is what he would have been charged with if it was a spur of the moment thing...He is charged with second degree murder. Anyway, from the looks of that picture I saw of this guy I would be willing to guess that he's well aquanted with a jail cell.

[GeneChing]

Let's keep an ear out for the autopsy report.

Martial arts fighter dies after training (http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=A8738C5F-19B9-E2E2-67EA4F40DAFD0D4D)
Liz Engel
Herald-Citizen Staff
Thursday, Jul 23, 2009
SPARTA -- A Cookeville man training in Jiu-Jitsu, a popular form of Japanese martial arts, died Monday after a work out at the Sparta YMCA.

Michael Hickey, 38, of Cookeville, and a close friend were drilling in Jiu-Jitsu, a style of unarmed combat and physical fight training, when Hickey said he was short of breath.

Shortly after Hickey stopped to take a break, he quit breathing.

His friend was able to revive him twice using CPR, but Hickey was later pronounced dead at White County Community Hospital in Sparta.

An autopsy is pending. Results could take several weeks.

"It was nothing he hadn't done a thousand times," a friend, who was not with Hickey that evening, told the Herald-Citizen. He said Hickey had been practicing Jiu-Jitsu for eight years and was a member of Alpha Jiu Jitsu Academy of Cookeville. He said rumors indicating Hickey died after being put in a chokehold were untrue.

"It's no different than if they were taking a cardio or kick boxing class together and he collapsed. I'd be absolutely shocked if anything that they were doing (related to Jiu-Jitsu) could have contributed to what happened to him. Of course we won't know until the autopsy's done, if he had a health problem we didn't know about.

"Right now it's just a tragedy."

Hickey is survived by his wife Jacqueline R. Bilbrey Hickey and two sons, Zachary and Skyler Hickey. His obituary is published in today's Herald-Citizen and funeral services are scheduled for Saturday.

It is unclear if the Sparta Police Department is investigating the incident. Police Chief Jeff Guth did not return a phone message by press time.

[lkfmdc]

While a tragedy for sure, probably not directly martial arts related

a congenital (sp?) heart defect? dehydration? complication with a drug (legal/prescription or otherwise). There are lots of reasons someone exercises and then dies, and the exercise can be something relatively "mild"

[uki]

I bought my first TAP OUT shirt today. With three weeks of sprawl training, I think I should be ready for my first cage match.


I LOVE MMA.

[GeneChing]

...but not much more. I hope the autopsy is newsworthy or we'll never know for sure.

Martial arts trainee dies after workout in Sparta
(http://www.whnt.com/news/sns-ap-tn--trainingdeath,0,780771.story)By Associated Press

3:00 AM CDT, July 27, 2009
SPARTA, Tenn. (AP) — An autopsy is being performed on a martial arts trainee who died after a workout in Sparta.

Michael Hickey, 38, of Cookeville died after training in Jui-Jitsu at the Sparta YMCA.

Witnesses said Hickey became short of breath, stopped to take a break and quit breathing.

According to the Cookeville Herald-Citizen, he was pronounced dead at White County Community Hospital.

[GeneChing]

I'm curious about the details here...

Sep 21 2009 12:57 PM EDT
Grand Master Roc Raida Dead (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621956/20090921/raida_roc.jhtml)
Renowned DJ, who had performed with X-Ecutioners and Busta Rhymes, died Saturday of complications from a mixed-martial-arts accident.
By Shaheem Reid

In another terrible loss for the hip-hop community, Grand Master Roc Raida (real name: Anthony Williams) of the X-Ecutioners passed away on Saturday due to complications from a mixed-martial-arts accident, according to a statement released by his family. Raida had a two-decade career, which skyrocketed in 1995 when he won the DMC World DJ Championship. He released seven solo albums along with several LPs with his famed crew, the X-Ecutioners. Over the last few years, Raida had been Busta Rhymes' live DJ, where his showmanship skills were a perfect marriage for Busta and Spliff Starr's energetic stage antics.

A statement released by Raida's family over the weekend reads: "Anthony Williams [professionally known] to the world as the Legendary Grand Master Roc Raida has passed away unexpectedly today, September 19, 2009. He is survived by his wife, three lovely daughters, mother and friends. Raida was recently in a mixed-martial-arts accident, something that he has been practicing for several years. Although he had undergone two surgeries with great success, was released to an inpatient physical therapy facility and was in great spirits the past few days, this morning he started to have complications and passed. The family asks for privacy at this time."

Busta Rhymes wrote a series of messages about Raida on his Twitter account.

"I am sorry to say that on this day at 2:05, Sept 19th we lost another incredible life ... DJ Roc Raida died today. My personal DJ is gone ..." Rhymes wrote. "I just wanna thank everyone for your love and support and your prayers ... We will never let your name die Roc ... We love u and will forever miss u ... RIP.

"I never met a more humble man in the industry," he continued. "So unbelievably talented and most importantly such beautiful spirit. I love you my brother. I will never let your name die DJ Roc Raida! We love you, we miss you and we'll never stop reppin' you!"

At press time, Busta's most recent tweets, published Monday morning, read: "I woke up this morning and realized how proud of this man's life I really am ... he can continue to smile down on us ... R.I.P. eternally, from your Flipmode Family."

[MasterKiller]

Was he the drunk guy that fell out the window while doing "UFC moves"?

[MasterKiller]

OK, here's the scoop.

He injured his back in a car accident, but recovered. While training, he dislocated two vertebrae. During his recovery process for this injury, he fell into cardiac arrest and passed away.

[B.Tunks]

Roc Raida's death was actually the result of a Krav Maga training accident not MMA

[GeneChing]

Condolences to Kirkham's friends, family and teammates.

Jun 28, 2010
Second man dies in U.S. from injuries sustained in a MMA fight (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/06/second-man-dies-in-us-from-injuries-sustained-in-a-mma-fight/1)
09:58 PM

Michael Kirkham, 30, has become the second man known to have died in the United States from injuries sustained in a mixed martial arts fight.

Kirkham, a lightweight who was nicknamed "Tree" because he stood 6-feet-9 and weighed 155 pounds, was making his pro debut Saturday night in Aiken, S.C., after a handful of amateur fights. He was knocked out in the first round and did not regain consciousness before passing away Monday morning.

South Carolina is relatively new to MMA, sanctioning the sport in May 2009.

As of March, MMA was regulated in all but six states, including two with no athletic commissions. Some states hold unregulated bouts, but major promoters such as the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator refuse to promote fights without a sanctioning body in place. Sanctioning efforts in New York remain in limbo.

As regulation has quickly grown over the past few years, so has the number of MMA fights. Sherdog.com's calendar listed 16 fight cards from Thursday to Sunday, and that listing is incomplete -- the card on which Kirkham was fighting is not listed.

The sport's proponents have long argued that it is safer than boxing. MMA fights are immediately stopped if a fighter cannot intelligently defend himself after being knocked down, while boxers are given time to recover and may face further punishment. Also, MMA bouts include a greater variety of techniques, including grappling holds, that can bring a fight to a finish without seriously injuring an opponent. The American Medical Association opposes both boxing and MMA. (for "long argued":)

The other known MMA fatality in the USA is Sam Vasquez, who died in November 2007, roughly a month after a bout in Houston. Sherdog.com research has found only one other death in the sport, Douglas Dedge's death after a 1998 bout in Kiev, Ukraine, prior to government oversight.

An autopsy on Kirkham will be conducted Tuesday.

By Beau Dure

[SoCo KungFu]

Condolences to Kirkham's friends, family and teammates.

Sad yo, we've seen Michael at a couple of the events here. LOL he submitted 3 guys in a row with a standing guillotine. I don't know him personally but you kinda get acquainted to guys in the locker room. Heart goes out to his family. He leaves behind a lot.

[David Jamieson]

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=mmajunkie-Autopsy_scheduled_South_Carolina


Mixed-martial-arts competitor Michael Kirkham died this morning as a result of injuries sustained from a professional mixed-martial-arts bout this past Saturday at the USC Aiken Convocation Center in South Carolina.

WRDW News in Augusta, S.C., first reported the news.

Kirkham, 30, suffered repeated blows to the head during an MMA event dubbed "Confrontation at Convocation Center" and collapsed afterward.

He was taken unconscious to the Aiken Regional Medical Center, where he died from brain hemorrhaging, a representative of the Aiken County Coroner's office today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

An autopsy on the fighter is expected for Tuesday morning, the ACC representative said.

According to an amateur fighter database hosted on mixedmartialarts.com, Kirkham held a 1-3 record with two losses by way of TKO. The June 26 fight marked his pro debut.

A representative for the South Carolina Athletic Commission directed MMAjunkie.com to an officer for the state's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, who was unavailable for comment.

Kirkham is the second fighter to die as a result of injuries sustained during a professional MMA bout. Houston-based fighter Sam Vasquez lapsed into a coma and died 42 days after a TKO loss to Vince Libari at a "Renegades Extreme Fighting" event in October 2007.

[David Jamieson]

oop sorry, I didn't realize we were having a self contained death in mma thread.

[GeneChing]

Sudden death at 37. Wonder what the autopsy will show...

August 15, 2011, 2:25 AM ET
MMA trainer Shawn Tompkins dies (http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/6862539/canadian-mma-trainer-shawn-tompkins-dies-age-37)
By Josh Gross

Shawn Tompkins, a mixed martial arts trainer known for guiding the careers of several accomplished fighters, passed away Sunday in Canada. The cause of his death is unknown. Tompkins was 37 years old.

Tompkins is survived by his wife, Emilie, who confirmed her husband's death late Sunday night.

"Unfortunately I'm in Las Vegas and he's in Canada," she said. "I'm hearing through my family and his family that he didn't wake up this morning. They're going to do an autopsy tomorrow, so we don't know any of the actual details. But from what we do know, he passed away in his sleep."

Tompkins was known for molding young fighters like Sam Stout, Mark Hominick and Chris Horodecki into crisp, technical strikers. He started with Stout when the lightweight was just 16. Stout became Tompkins' brother-in-law after the trainer married Emilie. The couple moved to Las Vegas from London, Ontario, Canada, in 2007.

Tompkins' mentor Bas Rutten, a former UFC heavyweight champion, told ESPN.com he spoke to his friend on Saturday evening.

"Shawn is one of my best friends, one of the best if not the best striking coaches on the planet, and I mean this," said Rutten, who made the blond-haired Canadian the head coach of an International Fight League team in 2007. "He always put his students and friends before him, would do anything for them."

"He texted me late last night, telling me he loved me," Rutten said, "so thank God I called him to tell him it was mutual."

Beyond Tompkins' roll as a trainer, he established an almost paternal roll with many of his fighters and was fond of calling them "son." After relocating to Las Vegas, Tompkins settled at Xtreme Couture until he moved on to become head coach at the TapouT Research and Development Training Center in 2009.

Earlier this year, Tompkins ran Hominick's corner during a UFC featherweight championship fight in Toronto. This was the closest Tompkins came to earning his stripes as a UFC championship trainer. Hominick fought valiantly but dropped the fight on points to Jose Aldo.

Tompkins fought before excelling as a trainer, losing each of his four bouts in the Montreal-based promotion UCC.

Tompkins was in Canada to help prepare Horodecki for his next bout on Sept. 10.

The trainer's remains were moved to University Hospital in London, Ontario. No funeral plans have been set, said Emilie Tompkins. She will travel to Canada on Monday.

"Obviously I think he was an amazing man," Emilie said, "and I hope everyone shares their good stories about him."

[Brule]

I find it odd that he texted Bas that night to tell him he loved him. Curious about the autoptsy also.

[Dragonzbane76]

yeah a little strange...

[GeneChing]

There's vid if you follow the link. Still awaiting an autopsy report on Shawn Tompkins.

Sudden death of martial arts champ Mark Fowler (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/sudden-death-of-martial-arts-champ-mark-fowler/story-e6freuzi-1226117010723)
Nick Walshaw
From: The Daily Telegraph
August 18, 2011 12:00AM

MARK Fowler spent the final minutes of his life talking up a rematch.

Friends said he was extremely lucid. Confident. Oozing all the belief you'd expect of a tattooed muay thai champion.

Then he collapsed.

The Australian Mixed Martial Arts community has been rocked - and once again thrust into the spotlight - following the death of Fowler, a popular WBC lightweight champion.

A coronial inquiry is under way into how the Kings Cross fighter - an Englishman whose walkout tunes included London Calling - buckled and fell almost an hour after his bout in Liverpool last Saturday.

Fowler, 35, was rushed to hospital, where he died on Monday.

While the muay thai community has closed ranks after the tragedy - which occurred following a Taipan Promotions undercard sanctioned by the NSW Combat Sports Authority - one member of the Sydney fight scene, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Fowler had appeared fine after his fight.

"He was actually talking up a rematch," the insider said.

"Mark and his opponent had now fought twice, with one win each.

"This one had gone five rounds and Mark wanted a third match to decide their rivalry."

Another trainer said: "It's important people know this wasn't some underground match between a couple of mugs - it was a fully sanctioned bout between two professional fighters."

Taipan Promotions boss Tony Favuzzi, a retired super heavyweight and respected member of the Sydney fight scene, declined to comment yesterday out of respect to Fowler's English parents, who were expected to fly into Sydney last night.

The Combat Authority, which sanctioned the bout, offered a brief five-line statement in which it pledged to support the NSW Police and coroner in their investigations.

There was no response from Fowler's Photajaroen Muaythai Gym, which temporarily closed its doors in mourning for the fighter who appeared on the pages of International Kickboxer shortly after winning his WBC state title in March.

WBC Australia chief Pamorn Martdee called on Sports Minister Graham Annesley - who has a ordered an inquiry - to ensure greater control over the sport.

"While this was not one of our events, Mark was one of our champions and his death is a tragedy," Mr Martdee said.

"The WBC is all about safety and we want to ensure standards are upheld right across the board."

[Brule]

http://mmajunkie.com/news/24842/manager-says-heart-issues-ran-in-shawn-tompkins-family.mma

[GeneChing]

Met his sparring partner on the web.

Vancouver police, medical examiner probe death of Chicago man after sparring workout here (http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/22/vacouver-police-medical-examiner-probe-death-chica/)
Salvadore Flamenco, 38, became dizzy and lost consciousness in 2nd day of boxing
By John Branton
Columbian Staff Reporter
Originally published December 22, 2011 at 5:58 p.m., updated December 23, 2011 at 11:21 a.m.

Vancouver police say Salvador Flamenco, 38, a Chicago flight attendant, met a local resident on a fighting website and came here to spar at the Vancouver resident's home.

They boxed on Dec. 15 and also the next day, when Flamenco started becoming dizzy and lost consciousness, said Detective Sgt. Scott Creager.

Folks immediately called 911 and AMR Northwest ambulance paramedics took Flamenco to a local hospital, where he died.

The website where the fighters met is www.allfighters.com

The website features stories and videos about high-ranking fighters from all over the world.

Creager said he had no information that drugs or alcohol were involved.

The Clark County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and referred the case to Creager's Major Crime Unit.

Creager declined to reveal the name of the person who boxed with Flamenco or the place where it happened, saying the case is under active investigation.

Friends and family have created a Facebook page in memory of Flamenco.

John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.


Death won't change mixed martial arts (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Death+change+mixed+martial+arts/5937780/story.html)
Regulation needed, athletics commssioner says
By Lee Greenberg, Ottawa Citizen January 3, 2012

The death of a U.S. man who was training in mixed martial arts will not affect Ontario's decision to legalize that form of fighting.

"At this point, I don't think it will be an issue here," Ontario athletics commissioner Ken Hayashi told the Citizen Monday in an emailed statement.

Salvador Flamenco, 38, died from blunt head trauma after sparring with another man in Vancouver, Washington, in mid-December, according to police.

Flamenco, a Chicago resident, trained in MMA solely for fitness.

An airline flight attendant who travelled for free, he had traversed the country for a two-day sparring session in the basement of an unnamed man's house. The two were training in wrestling and boxing, according to multiple news sources.

At some point during the second day of training, on Dec. 16, Flamenco complained of dizziness, began vomiting and was rushed to hospital.

Police say he died a short time later.

A coroner ruled the death a homicide, prompting a police investigation, said a spokesman for the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office Monday. That probe is ongoing.

A spokesman for the province said Flamenco's death underscored the importance of regulating fights.

"There's certainly no getting around the fact that mixed martial arts is an inherently dangerous sport," said Richard Hustwick.

In order to fight professionally in Ontario, MMA combatants must submit test results for the head, brain, heart and eyes to make sure they are free of heart issues, concussions, brain bleeds and torn retinas, Hustwick said.

The athletics commissioner can also nix any fight deemed to be a mismatch.

Training for the sport is unregulated, however.

"It'd be like me calling you up and saying come over to my place and let's fight," he said. "There's no role for the office of the athletics commissioner in that scenario."

Hustwick says Ontario's ministry of consumer services is aware of at least two deaths that stemmed from MMA fights - one in the U.S. and another in Ukraine. Both deaths occurred "a number of years ago," said Hustwick.

Ontario recently legalized MMA events, becoming one of the last major North American jurisdictions to do so.

At the time, a government official said regulation was the only way authorities could "control the safety of competitors," and added that the fights could also act as an economic stimulant for host communities.

The first legal Ontario fight events took place in April 2011. There have been 14 sanctioned MMA events across the province since then.

Hayashi, who, as the province's athletics commissioner, is responsible for sanctioning MMA events, said he wasn't aware of Flamenco's death until informed by the Citizen.

[GeneChing]

I'll be curious what the autopsy shows, but there's not much news on this, so we'll see if it gets published.

Sturgis man dies after MMA fight in Rapid City (http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/communities/sturgis/sturgis-man-dies-after-mma-fight-in-rapid-city/article_d6bfb780-3c13-5482-84bf-7926f686772d.html)
May 30, 2012 4:00 am • Jeff Budllong Journal staff

Funeral services are scheduled today for a Sturgis man who died one week after competing in a mixed martial arts competition at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

Dustin Jenson, 26, was participating in full-contact fights at a RingWars event May 18 when he tapped out — a signal to end the fight. According to his mother-in-law, Violet Schieman, Jensen then watched the next two fights before going to the locker room area, where he suffered a seizure.

"He laid down to do his stretches, and another fighter heard a moan," Schieman said. "He went over and saw Dustin having a seizure. They called an EMT, which took him to Rapid City Regional Hospital."

Schieman said medical personnel determined that Jenson had increased pressure on his brain and put him in a medically induced coma before surgery was performed to relieve pressure. He was declared dead May 24 and was taken off life support the next day, Schieman said.

"He did not wake up after the surgery and was declared brain dead at 10:23 a.m.,” she said. “He remained on life support until his organs were donated."

Jenson, a husband and a father, was participating in only his fifth fight since taking up the sport less than a year ago.

His funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at First Wesleyan Church in Sturgis. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.

Schieman, who was not at the fight, said her daughter, Jenson’s wife Rebecca Jenson, and several others told her the violence in the fight was "nothing out of the ordinary."

"Doctors have watched the video and said it shouldn't have happened," Schieman said. "They said the fight may have triggered a brain aneurysm, but it was not overly violent."

Civic center general manager Brian Maliske said Tuesday that he knew that one of the fighters had become ill after tapping out of his fight, but that was the extent of his knowledge of what happened.

Maliske said he was unsure how or if the death would affect the scheduling of future MMA events at the civic center.

"Obviously, if it is connected to the injury here, then we will have to look at and see how it would affect us and what we want to do into the future," he said.

Maliske said this is the first significant incident outside of a broken arm he was aware that occurred at a RingWars event at the civic center.

"We have had to have a couple of people transported to the hospital before, but to my knowledge, we have not had any serious injuries," he said.

MMA is a full-contact combat sport that allows the use of striking and grappling techniques, standing as well as on the ground. It can take place in a ring or a cage that is often eight-sided. Victory in a match is usually gained either by the judges' decision after time expires, a stoppage by the referee or fight doctor, a submission or by knockout.

Maliske said the event was promoted by Matt DeWolfe, who did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment. RingWars formerly was a regular event at the civic center but has become less frequent in recent years.

"Matt used to be here on a monthly basis several years ago, and right now, he does approximately one to two RingWars events here a year," Maliske said. "This is the first time he has been in in nine or 10 months. The sport itself is not as popular as it used to be."

South Dakota has no governing body to oversee or regulate the sport, unlike other states, according to Josh Usera, the lead MMA trainer at Dynamic Martial Arts in Rapid City.

"In most states there is usually some kind of governing body, like the athletic commission or the boxing commission for that state, and what I understand is its job is to oversee the operations of the event from the ground all the way up," said Usera, who has trained MMA fighters. "Safety of the fighter is the No. 1 concern, so most states that have some kind of governing body require some kind of blood work or something that shows the individual is healthy."

[CFT]

I'd say fighters should have CT scans of their heads to see if their are any obvious abnormalities.

5 fights within one year of taking up a sport seems exccessive though?

[Frost]

I'd say fighters should have CT scans of their heads to see if their are any obvious abnormalities.

5 fights within one year of taking up a sport seems exccessive though?

i agree its a lot for his first year, but doesnt say how many were amateur rules and if he had a back ground in combat sports, if he came in with a wrestling background its not that many fights especailly if alot were with AM and not pro rules

[CFT]

I didn't think anyone, even AM, fought with that much regularity? Roughly every 10 weeks - just enough to recover and peak, IMO.

[Brule]

I wonder if he had a condition that lead to this...

A thirty-five-year-old Ontario resident died after competing in his first amateur mixed martial arts bout in Port Huran, Mich., on Friday.

Nigerian-born Pablo Elochukwu, who recently moved to Ontario in 2012, was apparently very excited to compete in his first MMA bout. Unfortunately, it would be his last.

The heavyweight, who sources say weighed 265 pounds for his MMA debut on Friday and was also a three-time gold-medal winner on the local grappling circuit, was competing in an unsanctioned event in Port Huron, Mich. According to sources, neither he nor his opponent was required to undergo pre-fight medicals for their bout.

The first two rounds were said to have been mostly grappling, but the inexperienced fighters both began showcasing signs of fatigue, especially in between rounds two and three.

Sometime in the third round, Elochukwu was mounted and was not intelligently defending what were deemed to be soft hammer fists. The referee made the decision to halt the bout, potentially believing that Pablo was not going to be able to improve the position he was in.

Elochukwu appeared to be fine during the announcement of the final decision and walked away on his own accord, albeit, with some assistance to ensure the fatigued fighter could make it to a seat.

When he did sit down, those around him noticed something was wrong and offered him some orange juice, believing his blood sugar may have dropped significantly. He then fell off the chair, where paramedics were called in to assist.

They showed up within minutes and apparently revived him, but took him away to be safe, likely to the nearest hospital. Shortly thereafter, Elochukwu passed away, and it is currently unknown if he did so en route to the hospital, or at the medical facility.

An autopsy was expected to be performed Monday to determine the cause of death.

Source: http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/ufc/ontario-man-dies-after-competing-in-amateur-mma-bout/

[GeneChing]

Good find, Brule. The webnews on my newsfeed this morning didn't have a name released yet. We'll have to stay tuned for the autopsy report.

[GeneChing]

There has been a call for regulation in Michigan.


Tests continue after autopsy on city MMA fighter finds no trauma (http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/916169--tests-continue-after-autopsy-on-city-mma-fighter-finds-no-trauma)

http://media.thespec.com/images/a8/f1/66285e1c457584587025a01dfdd6.jpg
Photo courtesy of LeAnn Kobe Hamilton's Felix Pablo Elochukwu in Port Huron, Mich., on Saturday, just before his first mixed martial arts bout. The 35-year-old died not long after the fight.

Sidebar

THE RULES HERE AND THERE

Until Wednesday, when a new law was passed by the state house of representatives, amateur MMA was legal but not regulated in Michigan. This meant extensive pre-fight medical exams — blood tests, CT scans and other checks — were not required for amateurs as they would be for professionals, who are regulated in the state.

It also meant there were no official checks of fighters’ hand wraps, weigh-ins and opponents to prevent potentially dangerous mismatches. That has now been changed.

Ontario, on the other hand, is widely considered to have the most-stringent licensing criteria anywhere and has since MMA was legalized here in 2010. In fact, fighters and promoters often complain the requirements are too harsh.

Both professionals and amateurs must undergo thorough medical examinations to ensure there are no pre-existing health concerns before getting a licence to fight. In many cases, fighters must also be checked by doctors after a fight.



PORT HURON, MICH. It will be six to eight weeks before investigators know why a 35-year-old mixed martial artist from Hamilton died shortly after finishing his first fight on the weekend.

The chief forensic investigator for the St. Clair County Medical Examiner in Port Huron, Mich., says Felix Pablo Elochukwu didn’t sustain any fatal injuries during the fight. Mary Palmateer says no signs of trauma were discovered during an autopy performed Sunday.

That preliminary finding would seem to support the stories told by Elochukwu’s coach Jeff Joslin — a former UFC fighter and longtime instructor at his family’s gym on Concession Street — and numerous others that the bout was far from a war and the fighter hadn’t taken anything close to a pounding.

Joslin, who was at the fight held in a faded, orange-brick American Legion hall just off the main drag and near the Black River, 10 minutes from the Canadian border, says it was a relatively tame contest.

Most of the time, both of the 260-pound heavyweights were grappling and wrestling.

“There were no strikes on the feet hardly at all,” Joslin said.

Port Huron Detective-Lieutenant Duane Loxton, who oversees the department’s detective bureau and has witnessed other MMA fights in the area, told The Spectator a similar story. He viewed a tape of the fight and said Elochukwu’s opponent seemingly inflicted no serious damage.

“It wasn’t a brutal fight. They both looked exhausted at the end of it.”

He said both fighters were of similar size, but Elochukwu was far more muscular.

In the third round the two tired fighters went to the mat, where Elochukwu ended up on the bottom and was hit with a number of hammer fists — a downward punch with the baby-finger side of the fist — to the head.

As Elochukwu was unable to defend himself because of fatigue, the referee stepped in and stopped the bout.

The defeated fighter was not knocked out, and was coherent after the fight.

Others who were there tell a similar story.

“It’s kind of funny but the first two rounds, there wasn’t much going on at all,” said LeAnne Kobe, who was ringside.

Kobe, a photographer who regularly shoots for the Amateur Fighting Club which staged the event, added: “I didn’t even think he got hit that hard. I’ve seen much worse.”

Elochukwu stood on his own steam in the cage during the announcement of the winner and then started walking back to the dressing room. Part way there, he stopped and sat down for a rest, citing exhaustion.

Moments after paramedics helped him onto a chair, he fell from it.

Joslin — and a report from the Detroit News — say the medical team gave him CPR, and an ambulance was dispatched at 9:31 p.m.

Elochukwu was treated and pronounced dead at 10:12 p.m.

By the time Joslin arrived at hospital, he was told Elochukwu had passed away.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

Kobe said few people at the fight realized they had witnessed a tragedy, as no announcement was made.

“I don’t think anyone knew what was going on,” said Kobe. “They didn’t want to make an announcement if they hadn’t notified the family.”

The legion has hosted an MMA card in the past, but not for at least a year. Fights have, on occasion, been staged at other venues in the town.

Perhaps as many as 200 people packed the hall on Saturday night.

“There were a lot of young people there, they really believe in that stuff,” said Tom Shay, a 72-year-old legion member who is a veteran and retired police officer.

Shay did not view the fight but he saw Elochukwu warming up before the match from another area of the legion. He saw the huge fighter stretching for about 20 minutes in the low light of the lounge area, where old firearms hang from the wall and Pabst Blue Ribbon is served on tap.

Detective-Lieutenant Loxton witnessed the autopsy and met with two female members of Elochukwu’s family, who came to Port Huron from Chicago to identify the body. Detectives also contacted family members in Newfoundland, England, Nigeria, Ontario and New York.

He said the investigation is essentially finished, pending the final autopsy report. Nothing of a criminal nature is being investigated.

Elochukwu began training at Joslin’s club a year or so ago.

Joslin said he walked in the door one day and said he wanted to be a fighter. He had a white belt in jiu jitsu but had won gold medals in all three competitions he’d entered.

His death has had an instant impact on the lax rules governing amateur MMA fighting in the state of Michigan. The Detroit Free Press reported that the state legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill Wednesday that will regulate the industry.

The bill will require promoters and fighters to be licensed, that they must be at least 18 years old, and that they receive a series of medical tests before competing.

Loxton said he has personally witnessed MMA fights in the area in which 13-year-old boys have competed.

[sanjuro_ronin]

This may be a case in which the after fight medical examination was not adequate to find the damage that may have result in his death.

[Jimbo]

Many people assume that because a fight doesn't appear particularly damaging, that damage isn't occurring, or that a pre-existing medical condition wasn't being exacerbated by it. Particularly if the one who passes away looks strong and fit.

Although a completely different scenario, I remember many years ago, a boxer died following a bout against an opponent who was described as a 'light hitter'. There were no knockdowns, and no stoppage. Yet it was later explained that most likely the man who passed away had been suffering from an accumulation of head trauma over his career, and that this last bout was simply the straw that broke the camel's back.

The only comparison I make here is that sometimes, bouts that prove fatal to one of the fighters can appear relatively undramatic.

[David Jamieson]

Sadly, the greatest cause of death among mma practitioners is suicide.

If you are getting hit and hit hard, you are taking damage, period.
Human bodies are fairly fragile after all. Even the hardest among us
is not that physically powerful compared to even the least of animals.

So, if you are mixing it up, expect and accept that you will be hurt at some point.
If you really practice martial arts with vigour, you will be hurt at some point.

[ShaolinDan]

Human bodies are fairly fragile after all. Even the hardest among us
is not that physically powerful compared to even the least of animals.


This just isn't true. Sorry, personal pet peeve. But the basic human body developed before the brain got big. Actually humans are bad*ss. We are not the best at anything maybe except long distance running, but we're better at climbing than the best swimmers, and better at swimming than the best climbers, and better at kicking than the best punchers, and better at punching than the best kickers, and so on... We bad. :)

[GeneChing]

...but it would be foolish to speculate at this point.

Death can come from all sorts of unexpected trauma. Freak accidents can happen on the baseball diamond as well as in the cage. Check out the story below:

8-year-old cheats death after baseball pitch to chest stops heart (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/8-year-old-saved-baseball-pitch-chest-stops-heart-article-1.1317887)
The lucky Calif. boy was saved by a pair of off-duty paramedics who were watching his game and rushed to his aid.
By Lee Moran / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 7:41 AM

An 8-year-old Rohnert Park, Calif., boy nearly died of cardiac arrest after being struck by a baseball pitch Sunday.
abcnews.go.com

A young batter whose heart stopped after he was hit in the chest by a baseball pitch was saved by a pair of hero off-duty paramedics.

The eight-year-old, who has not been named, was left fighting for his life after suffering cardiac arrest during a little league match in Rohnert Park, Northern California, on Sunday.

Shocked friends could only watch as he tried to run towards first base, but stumbled and came crashing to the ground.

Luckily a pair of off-duty paramedics - Dan and Susan Farren - were watching the game, and immediately sprang into action.

"I was right behind the plate and this kid got hit in the heart with the ball," 14-year-old umpire Trenton Starrett, told ABC's affiliate KGO. "He went to first, like he tripped once, and he got back up, and then fell again, and then he didn't get back up."

They performed CPR on the boy until other paramedics could arrive with a defibrillator to kick-start his heart back into a normal rhythm.

He was then taken to Oakland Children's Hospital for treatment, where he is expected to remain until Tuesday.

"God had his hand on this kid's heart," Aaron Johnson, director for Cal Ripken Baseball in Rohnert Park, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Johnson also revealed that league officials were now thinking about keeping defibrillators on the grounds at all times.

Of course, in the cage, where the intention of the game is to cause damage to your opponent, the probability is much more likely.


Sadly, the greatest cause of death among mma practitioners is suicide. Woah, where did you come across that?

[David Jamieson]

Woah, where did you come across that?

Sherdog is where I first learned that.
8 recorded deaths, 50% of which were murders, murder/suicides and suicides.
But this is actually about combat sports in general.

here's (i'm really sorry it was first grab) a short write up from yahoo about it: http://voices.yahoo.com/death-rates-combat-sports-5462889.html

[GeneChing]

That's a pretty small sample size, so I must question its statistical validity. But it is intriguing. I hope there are additional studies along these lines in the future.

Meanwhile, back on topic:

Michigan Moves to Regulate Mixed Martial Arts (http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-michigan-moves-to-regulate-mixed-martial-arts.html)
Posted By Dylan Scott | April 16, 2013

On April 9, 35-year-old Felix Elochukwu Nchikwo, a Nigerian who had crossed into the United States from Canada, died after a bloody amateur mixed martial arts fight in Port Huron, Mich. As a result, the world of amateur MMA might never be the same.

The day after Nchikwo died, the Michigan House passed a bill that would for the first time place statewide requirements on fighting competitions between non-professionals. With Nchikwo’s death still fresh in their minds, legislators overwhelmingly approved the measure, 106-3. The legislation would require, among other things, promoters to hire an ambulance to be at the scene of a fight, to take out $10,000 in health insurance for each fight and to test participants for HIV and hepatitis.

State Rep. Harvey Santana has been the lead force behind the bill’s passage in the House. It has become a bit of a personal passion: Santana is a major boxing fan and recently attended an amateur MMA fight that opened his eyes to the need for greater regulation. He recalls watching a fighter get knocked in one fight, come back to fight again later that night and get knocked out again. It took two minutes to revive that fighter after the second knockout, Santana says. So he introduced a bill this session; Nchikwo’s death accelerated its passage in the House.

“It’s the wild, wild West out there. Anything goes. When you’re putting two human beings in a cage and they’re fighting, anything can happen,” Santana says. “I believe that Felix’s death was a sign, as sad and as ill-timed as it is. People understand what it’s all about.”

Michigan is just the latest state to confront the brutal reality of amateur mixed martial arts. Almost every state, with the notable exception of New York, allows and regulates professional MMA, but state oversight of amateur bouts is much more haphazard. According to the Association of Boxing Commissions, amateur MMA is either illegal or legal but without any regulation in 16 states, including Michigan. Nchikwo wasn’t the first amateur to die in a fight, though exact numbers are hard to confirm.

Most other states have decided to regulate amateur fights through their state boxing commission. But Wyoming stepped out on its own in 2012 to become the first state with a commission devoted specifically to MMA. It was partly out of a necessity—Wyoming doesn’t have a boxing commission—but it has set the new standard for how states oversee what is often characterized as “the fastest-growing sport in America.”

The Wyoming State Board of Mixed Martial Arts is overseen by Michael Hresko, a 20-something former fighter from Hawaii. He has authority over amateur and professional fights, and he's been tasked with implementing regulations that include some of the same provisions that Santana has proposed in Michigan—most importantly, ensuring medical assistance for fighters. In the process, he and Gov. Matt Mead are hoping to prop up a budding industry for the state. An estimated 20 MMA events will take place in the first fully sanctioned year, and officials hope that number might grow in coming years.

It is a delicate balance, Hresko says: Too little regulation could lead to more injuries or deaths. Too much could put a financial burden on promoters and fighters, encouraging them to skirt the rules or operate outside the system altogether. But it’s a balance that states, including Michigan, have increasingly decided they must learn to find.

“The bottom line is that there is no consistency. It’s definitely a challenge,” Hresko says. “There’s a ton of room to improve.”

The map below is courtesy of the Association of Boxing Commissions.

http://media.navigatored.com/images/Amateur+MMA+Regulations1.jpg Informative map, yes?

[GeneChing]

But it the dubious death of an MMA champ apparently.

Martial Arts Club Chief Killed In Daghestan (http://www.rferl.org/content/daghestan-martial-arts-killed/25040712.html)
July 09, 2013
The head coach of the Gorets (Highlander) martial arts club in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Daghestan has been shot dead.

The Daghestan branch of the federal Investigative Committee said on July 9 that Musail Alaudinov's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds late on July 8 in his car on the Makhachkala-Kaspiisk highway.

His rifle and a Kalashnikov were found at the scene.

Alaudinov was a two-time winner of the World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts.

The club Alaudinov ran is Russia's leading center for training fighters in mixed martial arts.

Investigative Committee officials said Alaudinov was a close associate of former Makhachkala Mayor Said Amirov, who was arrested recently for allegedly ordering a murder.

Daghestan, along with other republics in Russia's North Caucasus, continues to experience violence linked to Islamic extremists and organized criminal groups.

[sanjuro_ronin]

MA involved in organized crime?

That's just crazy I tell you, CRAZY !!
:D

[lkfmdc]

the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research reported 1,006 direct and 683 indirect fatalities resulting from participation in all organized football (professional, college, high school, and sandlot) in the US.

just saying

[GeneChing]

And what is the population of football players vs. MMA players?

[sanjuro_ronin]

And what is the population of football players vs. MMA players?

A valid point because:
100,000 players with 2000 injuries is 2%
1000 players with 20 injuries is 2%

[Syn7]

I'm not opposed to people beating themselves up for a sport they love. I do have some issue with full contact sports with young people who are still developing though. There is a right way and there is a wrong way. And full contact for 12 year olds is the wrong way, whether it MMA or football. That isn't to say they shouldn't have any contact, it's just that it needs to be tailored to their stage in life.

Mostly, I just wish that people had access to the real numbers w/o being subjected to mountains of misinformation and disinformation. It can be really hard for a parent to make the right decision given the sheer amount of false data that needs to be weeded out to find some truth. Unfortunately, as we see all too often in the sciences, community review is treated as valid as peer review. ****in bloggers ay!!! ;)

[Syn7]

A valid point because:
100,000 players with 2000 injuries is 2%
1000 players with 20 injuries is 2%

It's unfortunate when people throw out numbers w/o any context. This speaks directly to my above post. It's embarrassing, we should be better than this by now. We have the tools, we just don't use them. :o

[GeneChing]

lkfmdc does have a point about the scandalous number of fatalities in Football. It's an often hidden stat (cheerleading fatalities are even more disturbing). But there's magnitude and proportion. How many football stadiums are there in the U.S? And how many MMA stadiums are there?

MMA tends to get full of itself. I mean, we all were chatting about Silva's KO (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66243), but I didn't see any reports in the newspaper on or TV. Not a one. :(

[Syn7]

Too many people are writing it off as just a dumb mistake. Weidman can beat him again. He may not, but he can beat a non clowning Silva. He's no joke, and he's still improving, whereas Silva has peaked and will be relying on experience and finesse from now on. Still, he is the GOAT! For now, anyways.

I don't know the numbers, but I would bet the percentages of serious injury are significantly higher in football. Pro and otherwise.

If anyone does have any legit stats, toss em up. I know we have many years of data on football. The stats will be juked, but it will give us an idea, anyways. MMA is young, this may take some time. But I bet the risk of head injury is greater in both football and boxing.

[lkfmdc]

In the 20 years since the UFC appeared, I know of 4 deaths associated with "MMA"... while every death is a tragedy, people do LOTS of dangerous activites in which there are death statistics

After the first MMA death, I know people who ranted and raved that that was the reason MMA should be banned. One death? Well then ban football, boxing, NASCAR.....

[lkfmdc]

MMA tends to get full of itself. I mean, we all were chatting about Silva's KO (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66243), but I didn't see any reports in the newspaper on or TV. Not a one. :(

The WSJ has a piece on how the FBI is investigating the possiblity of fixed betting associated with MMA and the Anderson Silva fight in particular, that is pretty mainstream

[MasterKiller]

MMA tends to get full of itself. I mean, we all were chatting about Silva's KO (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66243), but I didn't see any reports in the newspaper on or TV. Not a one. :(

When was the last time you saw anyone talking about boxing besides ESPN? Like it or not, MMA is professional fighting now.

[Syn7]

Boxing is cool, but MMA deserves to be in the lead. It may be young as a mainstream westernized sport, but it has much more to offer in the long run. It will continue to grow and be refined. We haven't seen the half of it.

I will always love boxing. It will always be the sweet science, but MMA is just... more. Ya know!

[GeneChing]

You guys are all coming out defensive on this thread again. I'm just playing Devil's Advocate here. I'm totally in support of MMA. In fact, I've been thinking lately that it's been way too long since I've been to a fight. The buy-out of Strikeforce drastically affected my local connections.

But back on topic, I think this thread is vital to documenting the state of MMA, as the injurious nature of the sport is a major criticism. The busted thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52219) is important for the same reasons.


In the 20 years since the UFC appeared, I know of 4 deaths associated with "MMA"... There are more than four on this thread alone.


The WSJ has a piece on how the FBI is investigating the possiblity of fixed betting associated with MMA and the Anderson Silva fight in particular, that is pretty mainstream True, but not quite the coverage we'd like to see. I'd like to see standings published just like NFL or NBA. Or at as much coverage as boxing.


When was the last time you saw anyone talking about boxing besides ESPN? Like it or not, MMA is professional fighting now. I still see boxing coverage in the sports sections of newspapers. I don't see MMA coverage unless it is a local fighter, or with controversy like the fixing issue (note that all sports get negative coverage like this - I just wish MMA had more positive coverage to balance out).

Where MMA does excel in coverage is the web.

[Syn7]

Where MMA does excel in coverage is the web.

New sport, new media. Makes sense. Our generations are what is keeping the old guard alive. Most kids I know don't even have cable and most certainly don't read the news paper. Granted, you can't keep their attention for longer than ten seconds before they break out in cold sweat smart phone withdrawal. But hey, I remember my parents thought I moved too fast. That's just how it is.

We gettin old, Gene!

[lkfmdc]

Gene

Mixed martial arts (MMA) in the United States was sanctioned under Unified Rules in the states of New Jersey and Nevada in 2001. By May 4, 2012, 46 US states had regulated the sport. As of September 2012, there have been three recorded deaths resulting from sanctioned contests, Sam Vasquez in Texas on November 30, 2007 and Michael Kirkham in South Carolina on June 28, 2010 both died of cerebral hemorrhage and Tyrone Mimms in South Carolina on August 11, 2012 due to an unknown cause.

UNSANCTIONED

31-year-old Douglas Dedge was an American mixed martial artist who was the first known American competitor to be fatally injured in an MMA fight and the first death in the modern era of MMA. On March 16, 1998 Dedge competed at an unsanctioned "World Super Challenge" event in Kiev, Ukraine

[David Jamieson]

meh, you pay your nickle and you take your chances.

fact of the matter is that in contact sports you risk injury and death. period.

For one thing, I don't think a whole lot of people are any good at risk mitigation.
That is apparent with all the car accidents causing death, drug overdoses, murders, and so on and so forth.

Unfortunately, many of us believe that that sort of thing happens to other people and not to us. Because we are so smart right? :rolleyes:

when it comes to violence, the only way to win is to not play. Especially when it's a choice of leisure.

lol

[Syn7]

meh, you pay your nickle and you take your chances.

fact of the matter is that in contact sports you risk injury and death. period.

For one thing, I don't think a whole lot of people are any good at risk mitigation.
That is apparent with all the car accidents causing death, drug overdoses, murders, and so on and so forth.

Unfortunately, many of us believe that that sort of thing happens to other people and not to us. Because we are so smart right? :rolleyes:

when it comes to violence, the only way to win is to not play. Especially when it's a choice of leisure.

lol

I'm sure every sport has at least one death. I mean, even a beach volleyball player can drop under the sun, given the right conditions, no?

When they gather their numbers do they distinguish between deaths caused by trauma directly and only related to that sport and the ones that had other contributing factors? Like if you had a pre-existing condition that just went unnoticed and eventually the sport pushed you over the edge. Know what I mean?

[David Jamieson]

I'm sure every sport has at least one death. I mean, even a beach volleyball player can drop under the sun, given the right conditions, no?

When they gather their numbers do they distinguish between deaths caused by trauma directly and only related to that sport and the ones that had other contributing factors? Like if you had a pre-existing condition that just went unnoticed and eventually the sport pushed you over the edge. Know what I mean?

Multiple concussions might not lead to death but it appears that it leads to very poor quality of life in your later years.

Your chances go up with higher risks. Pre-existing conditions aside, pugilism has a better chance of killing you than tennis. American football has a better chance of killing you than rhythmic gymnastics etc etc.

One could engage in what you are suggesting, but not all boats are made equal.
Some sports are more dangerous than others and they generally involve high risk.

That's life.

[GeneChing]

We all know the significance of sanctioned fights, however the media won't focus on that. As a media person myself, we go for those headlines. Just look at the history of this thread. If a reporter can tie MMA to death, that's good copy.

That's partially the point here. Sure, there are plenty of deaths in all sports. MMA critics argue that MMA is more injurious. It's not far from the old boxing criticism - when the object of the game is to deliver maximum impact to the opponent's skull, there must be some repercussion. Many MMA advocates argue that boxing is more injurious because that's the main point of the game, while in MMA, there are other means to achieve a win. A quick submission hold might happen without a single blow to the noggin. Then again, when you can knee someone in the head, that might have more impact than a fist. MMA is under scrutiny due to the vary nature of the game. I feel that it has withstood that scrutiny so far, else it wouldn't be gaining in legalization.

I think what is inhibiting the progress now is that it's hard to establish some personable champs. Perhaps that is in part due to the nature of the game - so many leagues, quick turnover. MMA needs an Ali or even a Tyson. We've had many MMA champs skirt fame - there are plenty of great characters, but no one has emerged with that kind of pop traction...not yet at least.

[Syn7]

Multiple concussions might not lead to death but it appears that it leads to very poor quality of life in your later years.

Your chances go up with higher risks. Pre-existing conditions aside, pugilism has a better chance of killing you than tennis. American football has a better chance of killing you than rhythmic gymnastics etc etc.

One could engage in what you are suggesting, but not all boats are made equal.
Some sports are more dangerous than others and they generally involve high risk.

That's life.

Oh, for sure. I'm not trying to deny the risks. I'm just curious about the process used to collect the statistics. Context matters. Saying that tennis has an injury rate of x and NASCAR has an injury rate of y doesn't really tell you very much.

Like Feynman said: knowing the name of a bird doesn't really tell you anything about the bird.

[sanjuro_ronin]

When I fought "mma" it was unsanctioned and man where there a lot of F'ed up injuries BUT I never recalled a death.
That said I am surprised there wasn't any at some of the 'events" I attended.

[GeneChing]

In regards to injuries in other sports, SA just put this out. I was surprised to find TKD outnumbers Boxing, but consider that Olympic Boxing rules are different than pro. The comment about fencing made me chuckle.


Leg and Head Injuries Are Frequent at the Olympics (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=leg-head-injuries-frequent-at-olympics)
Athletes are injured frequently—badminton players more so than ski jumpers
By Mark Fischetti | July 25, 2012

We rarely see it happen on television, but one in 10 Olympians will get hurt during the games, if the past is any guide (left). About three quarters of the injuries occur during some phase of competition and one quarter during warm-ups or on-site training, according to Lars Engebretsen of the University of Oslo in Norway, who compiled the data. Summer athletes tend to ruin their legs; winter athletes bang their heads (below). The causes vary greatly: collisions (soccer), stick strikes (field hockey), high-speed wipeouts (bobsledding). The damage leader—snowboard cross—involves frequent contact between boarders in a free-for-all downhill race. Sailing is nearly harm-free. Engebretsen says injury rates in most professional sports, such as football and soccer, are higher, although data are inconsistent.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/leg-head-injuries-frequent-at-olympics_2.jpg

Graphic by Jen Christiansen, Illustrations by MCKIBILLO; Source: Lars Engebretsen, University of Oslo

[Syn7]

Ah.... Ice and snow. Takin' out heads and knees.

[David Jamieson]

Oh, for sure. I'm not trying to deny the risks. I'm just curious about the process used to collect the statistics. Context matters. Saying that tennis has an injury rate of x and NASCAR has an injury rate of y doesn't really tell you very much.

Like Feynman said: knowing the name of a bird doesn't really tell you anything about the bird.

I think the process is statistics and it's methods.
Say sports organizations have governing bodies that are legally sanctioned. they collect records on each athlete and that info is available.

For those guys out there that create their own thing at the local pub or something and get a town permit but not necessarily a sanctioning body, well that's where a lot of the chaos happens and it's simply because of sheer ignorance in organization, reffing, the contestants themselves being morons and having no place in a violent physical contest and I've even seen guys get into the rings at tough-mans drunk! Drunk! Venue let's them, refs (or whatever) let them.
Can't leave fast enough when that happens and it happens regularly. Still.

It's retarded for the most part in many respects. Bunch of tv watching experts.

[Syn7]

Yeah, but shouldn't stats only be collected on sanctioned matches, whether pro or otherwise? Huge diff between a municipal permit and being sanctioned by a recognized athletic body. You shouldn't be able to get a permit w/o insurance. Shouldn't be able to get insurance w/o sanctioning. Anything less is just amatuer hour(no pun intended).

I mean, do we collect kimbo slice type fights for boxing stats too? Or do we add what happened to lil Johnny at the ice pond to pee wee hockey stats? Or how bout a race car driver who get's into a street accident?

Using data from what basically amounts to bar room brawls in to MMA stats is just stupid.... no? Does anyone actually do that? Maybe I'm naive, but I just assumed that the stats would be from legit organizations only. And actual matches w/ real refs and a ringside doctor etc etc...

One thing is clear... There needs to be a universal standard for any sport that crosses geographical boundaries. A fight in T.O. should be no different than a fight in Brazil, if they wanna call themselves "professional".

[David Jamieson]

There's levity in brevity: http://youtu.be/Rp_j3ZirLjM

[Syn7]

There's levity in brevity: http://youtu.be/Rp_j3ZirLjM

Yeah. That bout sums it up, doesn't it...

[GeneChing]

So far, there has been no implication this was MMA related. Sounds like it was a congenital condition. Such a loss.


Shane Del Rosario dies at 30 (http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/10111985/ufc-heavyweight-shane-del-rosario-dies-two-weeks-cardiac-arrest)
Updated: December 10, 2013, 4:04 AM ET
ESPN.com news services

UFC heavyweight Shane Del Rosario died on Monday, nearly two weeks after being hospitalized after suffering sudden cardiac arrest in his home.

"It has been truly amazing to realize just how many lives Shane touched in such a positive way," Del Rosario's family said in a statement released to The Associated Press.

"As always, Shane fought hard, but it was his time to go in peace. We will miss his huge smile, his huge bear hugs, his gift of giving to others, and his Aloha spirit. He was larger than life."

Del Rosario, 30, was admitted to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif., on Nov. 26 and put on life support. Doctors were able to resuscitate him in the emergency room, but he showed no sign of brain activity once admitted to the hospital's coronary care unit. Doctors modulated his body near 90 degrees in an effort to induce therapeutic hypothermia before jump-starting body and brain functions.

Del Rosario's family is interested in starting a charitable foundation to aid research on long QT syndrome, the heart condition that may have contributed to the fighter's sudden cardiac arrest last month.

On Monday, teammates of Del Rosario posted news of the fighter's passing on Twitter. The UFC released an official statement, but did not cite the time of death.

"The Ultimate Fighting Championship mourns the tragic loss of heavyweight competitor Shane del Rosario, who has passed away at the age of 30," the statement read.

"Del Rosario suffered a heart attack on Tuesday, No. 26 as a result of what doctors believe to be a congenital heart disorder, according to his manager Jason House. The entire organization sends its deepest condolences to Shane's family and friends."

Del Rosario's roommate, UFC flyweight Ian McCall, found him lying unconscious on the morning of the incident, according to his trainer Colin Oyama.

"RIP to one of the best people I've ever had the honor to have in my life and call my best friend," McCall posted on his Twitter account Monday.

The heavyweight fighter had been scheduled to compete at UFC 168 in December in Las Vegas, but withdrew from that bout recently due injured cartilage between his ribs. He hadn't fought since a knockout loss to Pat Barry last December.

Del Rosario had been a professional mixed martial artist since 2006, also competing in kickboxing and muay thai competitions. He was the first American winner of the WBC world heavyweight muay thai championship in 2007.

He won his first 11 pro MMA bouts while competing in Strikeforce, M-1 Global and other promotions before moving last year to the UFC, where he lost his first two fights. He was stopped by Stipe Miocic and again by Pat Barry, his final opponent in December 2012.

Del Rosario trained with Team Oyama in Irvine, Calif., and spent most of his summers with his grandparents in Lanai City, Hawaii. In April 2011, Del Rosario was involved in a car accident when a drunk driver collided with him after driving into a roadside barrier. Herniated disks kept him out of action until May 2012.

The family said it will honor the fighter's desire to be an organ donor.

"He was passionate about helping others and was always there to offer a helping hand, a smile, and encouragement to anyone, not only family and friends, but also to strangers," Del Rosario's family said in its statement.

"He always put others before himself and would give the shirt off his back. He brought genuine joy and happiness to everyone he touched."

ESPN.com MMA columnist Brett Okamoto contributed to this report.

[GeneChing]

Another MMA proponent who died way too young.


MMA fighter, jiujitsu instructor Joe Camacho dies in West Covina (http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-joe-camacho-dies-20131216,0,6251187.story#axzz2nkZXF6UG)
By Kate Mather
December 16, 2013, 2:00 p.m.

Veteran mixed-martial arts fighter and jiujitsu instructor Joe Camacho died Monday morning at a West Covina hospital, police said.

Paramedics took Camacho, 41, from his girlfriend's home in West Covina to Queen of the Valley Hospital early Monday after he had "difficultly breathing," according to the West Covina Police Department.

Though paramedics performed CPR, Camacho was pronounced dead at the hospital, police spokesman Rudy Lopez said.

Lopez said police were waiting for coroner's officials to determine a cause of death, but noted there were no obvious signs of foul play. He declined to comment on tweets from those who knew Camacho who said he died of a heart attack.

"We're not going to speculate," Lopez said. "There will be lots of speculation, especially with him just coming off a competition."

Camacho, a Los Angeles native, held a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu and participated in numerous competitions spanning roughly 15 years. He most recently fought with Bellator MMA and was a former "King of the Cage" lightweight world champion and California Combat Champion, according to a Facebook page for his academy.

Dozens of people have offered condolences on social media, including the academy's Facebook page. One person called Camacho's death a "very sad day for the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world."

[GeneChing]

But there might be some intrigue here if the backstory is ever revealed.


Burned vehicle victim is former martial arts fighter (http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/fighter-46379-arts-martial.html)
April 24, 2014 5:23 PM
ANNELI FOGT, STAFF WRITER

http://images.onset.freedom.com/vvdailypress/gallery/n4juds-n4jubn20140422justin02.jpg
PHOTO COURTESY OF OAKLAND COUNTY ONE FIFTEEN
Justin “Bully” Schalk
The man whose remains were found in a burned vehicle near Stoddard Wells Road on April 14 has been identified as a former mixed martial arts fighter.

Local Michigan news website Oakland County One Fifteen said Justin Schalk, known in the MMA world as Justin “Bully” Schalk, grew up in Ferndale, Mich., a small city just outside Detroit, and he graduated from Ferndale High School. Before his death, he had been living in Los Angeles, competing in MMA matches. He last competed in June 2013.

Oakland County One Fifteen reports Schalk had two children. An online fundraiser has been set up to help pay for his memorial service.

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder. On April 19, Major Allen, 31, and Sean Allen Briskey, 30, were arrested in Montclair on allegations of murder. Both were arraigned Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Briskey may be a former actor with roles in “American Pie Presents: Band Camp” and “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” and the TV show “Judging Amy.” The actor’s IMDb.com profile shares the same birthday and description as Briskey, but the connection has not yet been confirmed by officials.

Briskey and Allen are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 6 in Victorville.

[GeneChing]

Not MMA, but BJJ. Not dead, but paralyzed.

So tragic.


'Brotherhood' supports Firefighter's family (http://www.wach.com/news/photos.aspx?id=1119713#.VF0Bn8moexM)
by Dana Fulton
Posted: 11.06.2014 at 7:41 PM

http://www.wach.com/uploadedImages/wach/News/Stories/adam1.jpg?w=440&h=330&aspect=nostretch
Adam Bacon is a firefighter with Lexington County Fire Department. / Dana Fulton
Photo
Lexington, SC --

Adam Bacon wore many hats: husband, father, firefighter, and extreme athlete.

Battalion Chief Martin Friar says Bacon was the kind of guy you would look for when you were on the scene of a fire, because he did the work of 2 or 3 firemen. Fellow firefighter Nathan Brunson says, “(Adam) was always just happy and joking. Around here, it was always just a good time.”

Adam’s wife of 12 years, Maureen Bacon, says he visited the gym several times a week and competed in several races. On the final Sunday of October, he completed the ‘Tough Mudder.’

“He completed his Tough Mudder and he wanted to do more,” says Maureen. “He was always pushing himself to do more.

Adam decided to take up Jujutsu, a Brazilian form of martial arts. During his second day of training, he fell on his neck. Maureen says her husband’s leadership showed- even though he was the one injured. Adam instructed those around him to call 911 and his wife. Though Adam stayed calm, he was still aware something bad had happened.

“It was funny because in the E.R. he said, I will never do that again,” says Maureen. “That was totally my fault. I’ll never do that again.”

Doctors told Maureen her husband broke 3 vertebrae in his neck. C5 was completely shattered and replaced. C4 and C6 were able to be repaired. There was no cord damage, but there was significant swelling. They said, Adam had an ‘incomplete’ spinal cord injury; he still has feeling but very minimal movement.

Maureen is still in high spirits as she prepares to travel to Atlanta with Adam for three months of physical therapy. Her optimism is fueled by all the support from friends and family.

Facebook comment, praying for Adam, have been nonstop on the 'Prayer for Adam Bacon' Facebook page.

And the 'family' support, isn't just from immediate family.

“As a family, as brothers, you always have to watch each other’s backs,” said Joe Leeks, a fellow LCFD Firefighter. “Whether you’re on the clock or off the clock.

“It doesn’t matter what shift you’re on or what station you’re at. There’s a brotherhood throughout the department,” adds Brunson.

The 'Brotherhood' has already started fundraising for the family. If you’re interested in donating, please visit the Go Fund Me page they have set up for Adam.

[GeneChing]

I'm posting it here strictly for archival sake.



A look at deaths in mixed martial arts and kickboxing since '07 (http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/a-look-at-deaths-in-mixed-martial-arts-and-kickboxing-since-07-b99385809z1-282478941.html)
Dozen have died competing, in training
By John Diedrich of the Journal Sentinel staff
Nov. 15, 2014 6:30 p.m.

At least 12 mixed martial arts fighters and kickboxers have died worldwide since 2007, competing in bouts or preparing for them, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review. Here is a look at the deaths.

October 2007: Mixed martial arts fighter Sam Vasquez is knocked out in the third round of a regulated fight in Houston, later dying of a subdural hemorrhage due to blunt trauma of the head.

June 2010: Michael Kirkham dies following a regulated MMA bout in South Carolina. The cause of death was subarachnoid hemorrhage of the brain.

July 2010: Kickboxer Adrienne Simmons dies after she was knocked out in a three-round bout in Orlando. A doctor was at the event, sponsored by the International Kickboxing Federation, but no ambulance. Simmons was wearing headgear. Reports did not list the cause of death.

August 2011: British kickboxer Mark Fowler dies in Australia. He collapsed after fighting five rounds and failed to regain consciousness. He died of head injuries.

December 2011: Mixed martial arts fighter Salvador Flamenco dies in Vancouver, Wash., from head injuries suffered in training bouts there.

April 2012: Mixed martial arts fighter Mike Mittelmeier dies in Bolivia in an unregulated bout. The cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage.

May 2012: Mixed martial arts fighter Dustin Jenson dies following an unregulated bout in South Dakota. Jenson watched the next fights before suffering a seizure. He died of subdural hemorrhage resulting from blunt force trauma to the head, related to an injury suffered a week earlier.

August 2012: Mixed martial arts fighter Tyrone Mimms dies following a regulated bout in South Carolina. Autopsy results were inconclusive.

April 2013: Mixed martial arts fighter Felix Elochukwu Nchikwo dies in Port Huron, Mich., in an unregulated bout. He had a cardiac arrhythmic disorder that caused his sudden death.

September 2013: Mixed martial arts fighter Leandro Souza of Brazil dies just before a weigh- in. He died in a sauna as he tried to cut 33 pounds in a week.

March 2014: Mixed martial arts fighter Booto Guylain dies in South Africa following complications resulting from a head injury experienced during a bout.

March 2014: Dennis Munson Jr. collapses and dies following his first kickboxing bout, which was unregulated, at the Eagles Club in Milwaukee. His brain was damaged, leading to organ failure, according to the autopsy.

twitter.com/john_diedrich jdiedrich@journalsentinel.com

[sanjuro_ronin]

What most of these deaths continue to show us is that blunt force trauma to the head is still THE number one killer in martial sports.

That said, I also found this out in regards to Judo deaths in Japan ( typically due to falls):
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/sports/japan-confronts-hazards-of-judo.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


Over the past 30 years, 118 have died, and nearly 300 have ended up disabled or comatose.

The statistics have no parallel in other developed nations where the sport is popular. Officials at judo federations in both the United States and France said that while concussions had been common, there had been no known reports of deaths or traumatic brain injuries for young practitioners in recent decades.

The frequency of judo deaths in Japan concerned Ryo Uchida, an assistant professor at Nagoya University, who studies school safety. He was the first to compile the figures, based on school accident records from the Japan Sport Council.

Uchida’s study, published in 2009, tracked 108 deaths since 1983, the earliest data available, but did not include nonscholastic judo centers, whose injury rates were unknown.

Still, in pro fighting sports, death tends to be as a result of cumulative blunt force trauma to the head.

[GeneChing]

Why Did A Tajik Student & Mixed Martial-Arts Champ Die For IS in Iraq? (http://www.voanews.com/content/rferl-why-did-a-tajik-student-and-mixed-martial-arts-champ-die-for-is-in-iraq/2656421.html)

http://gdb.voanews.com/2B512293-DAA9-4A56-872B-291CE0E4BD4D_w640_r1_s_cx0_cy16_cw0.jpg
A man identified as Tajik Alan Chekranov holding a pistol and extending one finger -- a common sign used by Islamist militants to mean "one," an attestation of belief in tawhid, or monotheism -- at Red Square in Moscow, possibly in 2012.

February 24, 2015 8:40 AM

The photograph shared on social media shows a fresh-faced, clean-shaven young man. He is smiling. Three gold medals hang around his neck. A second photograph shows a bearded militant clad in military fatigues. He is carrying a gun.

The man in the first photograph is named Alan Chekranov, and he is (or, more accurately, was) Tajikistan's three-time national champion in mixed martial arts and a university student. The man in the second picture is Abu Muhammad al-Tajiki, a Tajik Islamic State militant who was recently killed in a U.S.-led air strike near Kirkuk in Iraq.

It is hard to believe, but Alan Chekranov and Abu Muhammad al-Tajiki are the same person. How did a promising young martial artist and student transform into an Islamic State (IS) militant in such a short time?

From Chekranov to Al-Tajiki

Reports that a notorious Tajik militant had been killed in Iraq emerged on social media earlier this month, after a series U.S.-led air strikes against IS hit near Kirkuk. Four Tajiks were killed, but the one who gained most attention was 21-year-old Abu Muhammad al-Tajiki, or al-Tochiki, who had become known after appearing in videos where he talked about "jihad" in Syria.

Russian-language social media came alive with speculation about the transformation of Chekranov to al-Tajiki.

According to RFE/RL's Tajik service, Radio Ozodi, Chekranov was born in 1993 in the Shahrtuz region in southwestern Tajikistan. His mother, Maria Chekranova, was an Ossetian and his father was a Tajik named Umar. Chekranov had been registered in official documents under his mother's maiden name.

In 2010, Chekranov graduated from School No. 4 in the Shahrtuz district and went on to study at the Tajik-Russian Slavic University.

Things seemed to go wrong for Chekranov, however; in 2012, he was expelled from the university for absenteeism and he went to Russia to work.

Radicalized in Russia?

A photograph purportedly of Chekranov shows the young man posing in Moscow's Red Square, his left index finger raised, a common sign used by militants to mean "one," an attestation of belief in tawhid, or monotheism. In his right hand, Chekranov holds what appears to be a pistol. The photograph is undated, but if it is indeed of Chekranov, then it must have been taken in 2012, since according to Radio Ozodi the young man spent just one year in Russia. During his time in that country, Chekranov fell in with a group of young men from the North Caucasus and through them, according to Radio Ozodi, he went to Iraq in 2013.

It is not clear when Chekranov -- who renamed and reinvented himself as Abu Muhammad al-Tajiki -- joined IS, but his comrades reported that before his death he was fighting against the Kurdish Peshmerga near Kirkuk in Iraq.

Was Chekranov radicalized in Russia -- as has been the case with other young men and women from Central Asia who have gone to that country as foreign labor migrants -- or was he already interested in radical Islam before he was thrown out of his university?

There are no clear answers to that question, but Radio Ozodi's interviews with the young Tajik's former associates in Tajikistan suggest that Chekranov might have been radicalized in Moscow.

Radio Ozodi spoke by telephone with Chekranov's friend, Sharfor Tagoev, who said that he last saw the young man at the start of 2013, when he returned to Tajikistan after a year in Russia.

"Before, he used to go to training all the time and he only talked about mixed martial arts. But when he came back from Russia, he had a little beard, and he used different words. He looked disappointed and said that he wasn't going to go back to being a [labor] migrant and he was going back to the Slavic University to continue his studies. But later we found out he'd left for Russia," Tagoev said.

Why would a university student join IS?

In his native Shahrutz region, Chekranov was known as a sportsman and as the son of "Umar the Bearded," Radio Ozodi discovered.

There appeared to be widespread disbelief among those who had known the successful young man that he would join IS.

Those who knew Chekranov said that they could not imagine why a student of the prestigious Tajik-Russian Slavic University would end up going to Iraq with an extremist group.

Local representatives of the Religious Affairs Department, whose duties involve working with young people to prevent radicalization, said they had not even been aware Chekranov was in Iraq until news of his death there emerged.

A local journalist, Adolat Saifulloeva, visited Chekranov's parents and reported that the family had learned -- either via the Internet or from the authorities -- that the young man had been killed. The family was in mourning and did not want to speak to reporters.

When Saifulloeva visited the family home, Chekranov's sister Sabina emerged and refused the journalist entry, saying that her parents did not want to see anyone.

Chekranov's second sister, Shahnoza, told the reporter that her brother was still alive and was in Iran.

The principal of Chekranov's former high school said that the authorities had taken all of the school's files relating to the former student, but said that she did not know the young man personally.

Tajiks in Syria and Iraq

It is not known how many Tajik nationals are fighting in Syria and Iraq. Official figures, according to Radio Ozodi, put the number at 300. According to Edward Lemon, who tracks Tajik fighters in Syria, there is online evidence of just 67 fighters, though there are likely to be more unreported Tajiks in Syria and Iraq.

According to Radio Ozodi, many of the Tajik militants fighting in the Middle East traveled to Syria and Iraq via Russia, where they had been working as labor migrants. As in Chekranov's case, the authorities only find out that these labor migrants had gone to Syria or Iraq after news of their deaths is reported on social media.

The director of the Shahrutz region's Religious Affairs Department, Alikhon Mulloev, told Radio Ozodi that there are several young men from the region in Syria but he was not authorized to disclose their names.

-- Joanna Paraszczuk
There was no 'second picture' in the article at the time of posting.

[sanjuro_ronin]

There was no 'second picture' in the article at the time of posting.

Seems like extremism is becoming a disease of sorts.

[GeneChing]

Mixed martial arts fighter dies after Aberdeen bout (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Mixed-martial-arts-fighter-dies-after-Aberdeen-bout-301548091.html)
By Associated Press Published: Apr 28, 2015 at 7:07 AM PDT

ABERDEEN, Wash. (AP) - A mixed martial arts fighter who collapsed after an amateur bout in Aberdeen on Saturday has died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

KBKW-AM radio in Aberdeen reports the fighter passed away Monday evening after suffering kidney failure.

He had finished his match during an event at the SouthShore Mall and had returned to the dressing room when he collapsed. Fight promoter Scott Bean says the man, who is from Aberdeen, initially seemed OK after his fight, other than being exhausted. But he collapsed, wasn't breathing and had no pulse when Bean and a nurse started CPR.

He was brought to a local emergency room before being transferred to Harborview.

His identity has not been released.
I imagine his name will be released soon. Death is hard to cover up.

[boxerbilly]

This was sad to watch as he got progressively worse and no one stops the fight. WTF ? Makes me cringe when I see dumb asses on youtube backyard fighting and stuff. Yeah, you guys are prepared should something really go wrong. Not that I was not dumb once before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaK-rBBMd6Q

[sanjuro_ronin]

This was sad to watch as he got progressively worse and no one stops the fight. WTF ? Makes me cringe when I see dumb asses on youtube backyard fighting and stuff. Yeah, you guys are prepared should something really go wrong. Not that I was not dumb once before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaK-rBBMd6Q

I have been involved in many full contact fights in my time ( boxing, karate, judo, vale tudo, MT, sick) and all the ones in which trained personal were involved they always acted very well.
This was a horrific display of incompetence on all sides, perhaps the worse was the fighters actual trainer.
The ref did NOT follow protocol and neither did the ring side physician.
Lawsuit is in order IMO.

[mig]

Seems like extremism is becoming a disease of sorts.

It is hard to understand when you stand in one side of the opinion and don't want to understand the other side. If you have seen poverty, inequality and disparity at all levels then people will do things we consider extremist. Living in a world of relative peace and enjoying the benefits of what big countries do to small countries, where organized corruption and disorganized corruption are rampant more than ever, of course, all those communist, terrorist and extremists are wrong. Don't think when they take the power they will do the same. A vicious circle.

[sanjuro_ronin]

It is hard to understand when you stand in one side of the opinion and don't want to understand the other side. If you have seen poverty, inequality and disparity at all levels then people will do things we consider extremist. Living in a world of relative peace and enjoying the benefits of what big countries do to small countries, where organized corruption and disorganized corruption are rampant more than ever, of course, all those communist, terrorist and extremists are wrong. Don't think when they take the power they will do the same. A vicious circle.

Perhaps, but since I have never been an "ends justifies the means" type of person AND I have served and seen first hand what extremism does to ALL involved, my perspective maybe a bit different.
Extremism has never worked of course, simply because it is always in the minority, BUT if does make its mark simply because the majority try, all too often to no avail, to meet them "half way": without understanding that there is no hal way with extremism.

[GeneChing]

Medical examiner’s office attributes MMA fighter’s death to kidney failure (http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/medical-examiners-office-attributes-mma-fighters-death-to-kidney-failure/)
Originally published April 30, 2015 at 3:14 pm
By Jake Schild
The Daily World, Aberdeen, Wash. (TNS)

An Aberdeen kick boxer, Jameston Lee-Yaw, 47, died following a mixed martial arts fight Saturday night at the SouthShore Mall. He was initially taken to Grays Harbor Community Hospital after the fight then transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he died Monday.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office reported the cause of death as renal failure.

He was competing at an event billed as the “Brawl at the Mall” when he collapsed in the ring and was carried by teammates to a dressing room, said Jameston’s ex-wife Linda Lee-Yaw, who was at the fight.

She said that during the match a referee twice asked Jameston if he was going to “tap out,” meaning to tap the mat or the opponent to signal he was conceding defeat, and each time Jameston responded by waving his arm in the air. After being taken to the dressing room by teammates, it was discovered that the fighter was having trouble breathing. Aberdeen Fire Department paramedics were called and he was taken to Community Hospital before being transferred to Harborview Medical center, where he died Monday night.

Twin Dragons Center Mixed Martial Arts, which has training facilities at the mall, put on the event. Head instructor Scott Bean said Lee-Yaw “passed his pre-fight check with flying colors,” adding that any kidney problems prior to the fight were undetectable.

Jerome Lee-Yaw, Jameston’s brother, said he did not believe Jameston’s death was a result of the fight, but as far as he knew, his brother was healthy. “It’s a shock to everybody; we never saw this coming,” he said. “We’re trying to come to terms to it.”

Yee-Law’s ex-wife said a doctor at Harborview told her Jameston’s death was caused by kidney failure. She said she was never aware of Jameston having problems with his kidneys in the past.

“When I’ve taken him to the hospital before, they’ve never said anything about kidney conditions,” she said. “… It happened so fast. Nothing was wrong before (the fight).”

A doctor at Harborview said it was “hard to say” what caused Jameston’s kidney failure in the first place, said Linda.

Jerome and his brother moved to the United States from Trinidad more than 20 years ago. Linda Yee-Law, who had been married to Jameston for 17 years before they divorced last September, said the couple has two children together.

Twin Dragons is located in the mall and has a training facility license from the state in order to host MMA events.

Amateur bouts that take place with a training facility license are not required to have medical staff on hand at the events and leave the training facility and its staff responsible for the health and safety of participants.

Brad Benfield of the Washington Department of Licensing said that as a matter of protocol, someone from the department will meet with Twin Dragon employees in the near future to inquire about the incident.
Sounds like there's still a lot of ambiguity. Sounds very tragic.

[GeneChing]

Jiu-jitsu Instructor Killed Trying To Disarm A Robber On A Bus (http://www.jiujitsutimes.com/jiu-jitsu-instructor-killed-trying-to-disarm-a-robber-on-a-bus/)
by kitt canaria - Jun 23, 2015

http://timeshome-19881.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Bruno-Inacio-Nunes.jpg

A news from odia Violence in Rio de Janeiro has claimed another victim on the 20th of June. The jiu-Jitsu instructor at the academy of Ipanema Fight, Bruno Inacio Nunes, aged 37, was recently killed in an attempted robbery that occurred on a bus. The powerful black belt tried to disarm the robber but was shot in the head and reported to be dead.

At the time, the bus was not very full of people, and when the single gunman came and started to take the belongings of his victims, Bruno thought that he would be able to disarm him and get away. He took his opportunity but was later shot in the head, right above his left eyebrow, killing him instantly.

The master, who has been involved as a victim of a robbery twice, is survived by his three children. In the interview, one of the onlookers described what had happened in frightening detail. They were all perplexed because none of them could understand what had happened. For his bravery, the entire community recognized his abilities and the legacy that he lets live on in his students. He was an honorable man who always tried to do the right thing, instilling a sense of pride and friendship in his students. His death was not in vain, and more people than ever are now interested in learning the martial art in order to continue on his legacy.

how very tragic.

[curenado]

Indeed. The article makes it sound almost like he had tried, missed and then after that executed - not like it happened all at one skirmish. They had a detailed account but didn't give a lot, which sounds like "they were mean about it too". They've been having problems down there awhile that keep getting worse.

[GeneChing]

Making weight. Such a pointless tragedy in the big scheme of things.... :(


ONE Championship’s Yang Jian Bing Pronounced Dead After Issues With Weight Cut (http://entimports.com/2015/12/one-championships-yang-jian-bing-pronounced-dead-after-issues-with-weight-cut/)
December 11, 2015 Ent Imports Staff

http://entimports.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/asdf-1-752x440.jpg

Yang Jian Bing, who was scheduled to fight at Friday’s ONE Championship: ‘Spirit Of Champions’, has been pronounced dead at San Juan De Dios Hospital, Pasay City.

Bing was set to fight at Friday’s event, against Geje Eustaquio, before being pulled from the card before the official weigh-ins went down on Thursday, due to complications with his weight cut.

According to a report from dojodrifter.com, Bing arrived at the hospital at 2:43PM Thursday afternoon and was “unconscious and non-responsive.” At 12:06PM Friday he was pronounced dead.

The report also states that hospital staff said the cause of death was Rhabdomyolysis:

which is the breakdown of muscle tissue that leads to the release of muscle fiber contents into the blood, which is speculated as a result of the weight cut.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui, issues this statement:

“There is nothing more profoundly tragic and sad than when a member of the ONE Championship family, current or past, passes away. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Yang Jian Bing. We will work closely with the family and offer all the support they need in any way we can during this very difficult time. Yang passed away this afternoon. The cause of death is still being determined.”

ENTImports.com would like to extend out condolences and will keep you updated on any further details.

[GeneChing]

Sounds like they couldn't keep it in the cage. So tragic.


Fatal shooting at mixed-martial arts studio in Tustin leads to arrest (http://mynewsla.com/orange-county/2016/03/25/fatal-shooting-at-mixed-martial-arts-studio-in-tustin-leads-to-arrest/)
POSTED BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR ON MARCH 25, 2016 IN OC

http://2gn058m8vqz358inn1lanr2o.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/osv-3-24-16-Tustin-Homicide_thumb39.jpg
A 44-year-old man shot to death at a Tustin mixed-martial arts and boxing training center was identified today by the Orange County coroner's office, as police tried to figure how why he was killed. Photo via OnScene.TV.

A Santa Ana man was arrested Friday on suspicion of fatally shooting the owner of a Tustin mixed-martial arts and boxing training center, a shooting witnesses said was the culmination of a protracted dispute between teacher and former student.

Kirk Vernell Price, 53, was arrested about 1 a.m. and booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder in the death of Tustin resident Fahness Lutalo, 44, according to Tustin police Lt. Bob Wright. He was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Price was arrested near the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana when Tustin police were notified by sheriff’s deputies that the suspect was in their sights, Wright said. Investigators suspect Price was trying to turn himself in, Wright said.

The shooting occurred about 12:10 p.m. Thursday at the OC Boxing & MMA Academy, in a strip mall at 14051 Newport Ave. Police were called to the gym in response to a “shots fired” call, according to Wright.

Wright said investigators were working to determine a motive for the shooting. Gym workers told reporters at the scene that Price was a former student of Lutalo’s but the two had a parting of the ways.

Price was allegedly thrown out of a previous gym Lutalo operated, but he showed up at OC Boxing & MMA Academy over the weekend and was told to leave, according to media reports from the scene.

Although Price was arrested, police were still asking for the public’s help tracking down the suspect’s vehicle and murder weapon, Wright said.

The vehicle was described as a black 2013 Chevrolet Spark with tinted windows, license number 7BMS565. Anyone with information on the case was urged to call police at (714) 573-3250.

Price has a lengthy criminal history for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and various parole violations, Wright said.

Lutalo’s father, Jerry Wilson, told reporters outside the gym today that his son “exceeded any expectations or dreams or hopes that I could ever have for him.”

“He was absolutely my hero, my man, my boy,” Wilson said. “This (gym) was his dream. This was his dream and he made it happen. And he paid the price for it. I mean, he worked, he sacrificed, he did everything he needed to do to get here, and he finally got here.”

According to the gym’s website, Lutalo had more than 30 years experience in martial arts and was a former wrestling coach at Valencia High School.

Supporters have established a crowd-funding site for the father of three to help defray bills.

Price walked into the gym, asked Lutalo a question and is accused of opening fire on Lutalo at least a dozen times, Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons said.

Simmons plans to go over evidence with police on Monday and decide then on the filing of charges, he said.

— City News Service

[Brule]

Associated Press April 12, 2016, 10:41 AM


DUBLIN — A mixed martial arts body says a 28-year-old Portuguese fighter has died after receiving emergency treatment following a fight in Dublin.

Total Extreme Fighting said Tuesday that Joao Carvalho died after two days of treatment. He was hospitalized after being knocked out in the third round of a welterweight fight against Charlie Ward at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday.

Cesar Silva, CEO of TEF, said the organization extends its "most sincere condolences to the family of Joao Carvalho and his teammates in Team Nobrega. Our thoughts and prayers are with them."

TEF said in the statement that Carvalho was assessed by doctors and medical staff at the onsite medical office "as per normal procedure" after the fight, and then sent to hospital.


Link: http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/mma-fighter-dies-ko-dublin-bout/

[GeneChing]

Here's more...there's a vid of Carvalho's last fight if you follow the link.


How many people have died in Mixed Martial Arts after Joao Carvalho death in Dublin? (http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/ufc/how-many-people-died-mixed-7739242)
17:05, 12 APR 2016 UPDATED 18:19, 12 APR 2016
BY COLIN BRENNAN
Carvalho, nicknamed 'The Mongrel', tragically passed away after injuries sustained during his loss to Charlie Ward

http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7737836.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Joao-Carvalho-before-his-fight-in-Dublin.jpg
Facebook/Nóbrega team Joao Carvalho before his fight in Dublin

Mixed Martial Arts is undoubtedly a violent sport and has drawn much criticism in recent years as its popularity has grown.

Its defenders have claimed that the sport itself isn't dangerous, but in the wake of Joao Carvalho's shocking death last night, we decided to look at the figures.

At least 13 martial arts fighters and kickboxers have died either competing in MMA fights or getting ready for them since 2007.

April 2016: Joao Carvalho, nicknamed 'The Mongrel', has become the sport's latest fatality after he tragically passed away following injuries sustained during his loss to Charlie Ward on Saturday.

The Portuguese fighter complained that he was feeling ill after losing by TKO at the National Stadium in Dublin and was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where he passed away on Monday night.

Speaking before Carvalho's passing, Ward's stable-mate McGregor hinted that he felt the fight should have been ended sooner.

"My teammate Charlie had a good win just there. Hell of a fight," the Irishman said.

"Your man took some big shots. Thought it could have been stopped a little earlier.

http://i4.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7738189.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Conor-McGregor-Joao-Carvalho.jpg
McGregor says the Carvalho bout 'could have been stopped earlier'

"I feel these referees need to be on the ball a little bit."

McGregor did, however, pay tribute to the medical staff at the scene: “To see the way it’s all progressed, the regulations and everything, all the medical staff and everything. It’s proper now. To see this is great.”

http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7737918.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Joao-Carvalho.jpg
YouTube/IPC MMA Joao Carvalho

March 2014: Dennis Munson Jr. collapsed and died after his first kickboxing fight at the Eagles Club in Milwaukee.

His autopsy revealed his brain was damaged which led to organ failure.

March 2014: Mixed martial arts fighter Booto Guylain died in South Africa.

It came after complications which occurred after a head injury inflicted during the fight.

September 2013: Brazilian Leandro Souza of Brazil died just before a weigh-in.

He died in a sauna as he tried to cut 33 pounds in a week.

April 2013: Felix Elochukwu Nchikwo died in Port Huron, Michigan, in an unregulated bout.

Nchikwo had a cardiac arrhythmic disorder which resulted in his sudden death.

August 2012: Tyrone Mimms died after a regulated fight in South Carolina.

His autopsy results were inconclusive.

May 2012: Dustin Jenson died after a fight in South Dakota. He watched the fights after his own before getting a seizure.

He died of a hemorrhage resulting from trauma to the head, related to an injury he got a week before.

April 2012: Mike Mittelmeier died in Bolivia in a fight.

December 2011: Salvador Flamenco died in Vancouver, Washington from head injuries that he got while training there.

August 2011: British Mark Fowler died in Sydney, Australia.

Mark collapsed after five rounds and didn't regain consciousness before dying of head injuries.

July 2010: Kickboxer Adrienne Simmons died after she was knocked out in a three-round fight in Orlando, Florida.

June 2010: Michael Kirkham died after an MMA fight in South Carolina.

The cause of death was hemorrhage of the brain.

October 2007: Mixed martial arts fighter Sam Vasquez was knocked out in the third round of his fight in Heuston, America.

He later died of a hemorrhage due to blunt trauma of the head.

[GeneChing]

Not in the cage. On the street.

What a tragic loss. :(


5 May 2016 at 1:54am

http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/971600/stream_img.jpg
Jordan Parsons was pronounced dead in hospital on Wednesday. Credit: Instagram


A professional mixed martial arts fighter has died after being involved in a hit-and-run incident in Florida. (http://www.itv.com/news/2016-05-05/professional-mixed-martial-arts-fighter-jordan-parsons-dies-after-hit-and-run/)

Jordan Parsons was pronounced dead in hospital on Wednesday, three days after being hit by a 4x4.

The 25 year old was walking along the street in Delray early on Sunday morning when he was hit by the vehicle, which did not stop at the scene.

Police are trying to trace a silver Range Rover Sport in connection with the fatal incident.

Parsons was a Featherweight prospect who spent his last three fights competing for Bellator MMA.

Bellator president Scott Coker said: "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a dear member of the Bellator family, Jordan Parsons.

"Jordan was an exceptional athlete and a rising star in the sport. But more importantly, he was an exceptional young man. Jordan was hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, and a pleasure to be around. He represented all the reasons we love this sport.

"It is a terribly tragic loss and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates."

http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/971601/stream_img.jpg
Police are trying to find a vehicle similar to this Range Rover Sport. Credit: Delray Beach Police/Twitter

Last updated Thu 5 May 2016

[GeneChing]

MMA fighter Ivan 'JP' Cole shot dead in Dallas during 'gun play' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36516036/mma-fighter-ivan-jp-cole-shot-dead-in-dallas-during-gun-play)
1 day ago

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/13489/production/_89958987_jpcole.jpg
Ivan JP Cole

Former Bellator MMA fighter Ivan Cole has died, with reports suggesting he was shot while playing Russian Roulette.
Dallas Police have confirmed that the 25-year-old was found dead on Saturday morning.
A fundraising website, apparently set up by his wife Kymberli Cole, says her husband died while involved in "gun play".
"He made a bad decision that cost him his life," she writes.
Local news station CBS DWF reports on its Facebook page: "Mixed Martial Arts fighter Ivan 'JP' Cole killed himself while reportedly playing roulette with gun in Dallas apartment.
"CBS 11 has reached out to the Dallas Police Dept for further details and has a crew heading to the scene."
Dallas Police continue to investigate the events surrounding the fighter's death.
"The death of Mr Cole will be classified as an unexplained death pending the results of the autopsy," they've written in a statement on their website.

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/4E11/production/_89958991_colefamily.jpg

Mr Cole last participated in Bellator 135 in March 2015 losing to George Pacurariu in the first round via submission.
He leaves behind his wife and a four-year-old daughter.
The world of MMA has said goodbye to a number of key figures in 2016.
Last week Kimbo Slice died at the age of 42, while former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman died "unexpectedly" in February, aged 44.
In May, Jordan Parsons died after being hit by car in Florida. He was 25.

Russian Roulette has got to be one of the dumbest ways to check out. :o

[GeneChing]

Again, not in the cage, but on the street. It's the 3rd shooting tragedy in a row for this thread. :(


Mixed martial arts fighter killed in Englewood: 'He used fighting to better himself' (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-mixed-martial-arts-fighter-killed-in-englewood-he-used-fighting-to-better-himself-20160824-story.html)

http://www.trbimg.com/img-57be0e3b/turbine/ct-travis-allen-fatally-shot-20160824/750/750x422
Travis Allen, fatally shot on Aug. 24, 2016, at 5700 S. Emerald Avenue in Chicago. Permission granted by victim's friend, Mike Davis, promoter for the United Combat League mixed martial arts club. (United Combat League)
Rosemary Regina Sobol

An aspiring mixed marital arts fighter was fatally shot Wednesday morning in Englewood as he sat with his friends in his new car, according to police and friends.

Travis Allen, 28, was shot shortly before 11 a.m. in the 5700 block of South Emerald Avenue, authorities said. Police had few details, but friends said he was with two other people when someone opened fire at his car.

Allen and his friends got out and began running away, but the shooter followed Allen into an alley and shot him several times, they said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

No one was reported in custody.

"He was a great guy," said Mike Davis, who promotes fights in the United Combat League and has known Allen for the past three years. "He was incredibly athletic, he had a hot name."

Allen was a light heavyweight known for his powerful right punch, Davis said. He fought in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, and was training for a fight at the Hammond Civic Center on Sept. 24.

Davis said he was struggling to understand what happened.

"He wasn’t on the corner selling drugs, he wasn’t creating conflict in the neighborhood," Davis said. "He was just a guy going through life with a smile. He literally worked out and went home. He didn’t hang out on the street. He used the gym and fighting to better himself as well as to stay out of trouble and get off the street."

He said Allen worked various warehouse jobs, but was serious about fighting and was "still honing" his craft.

Allen lost his mother a few months ago to cancer and took the death hard, Davis said.

"You run into people who try to give examples, and this guy is the example you want to use," Davis said. "He gave back, he talked to people, he walked down the street with his head up. He literally was a great guy.

"When someone like him gets taken, it's in direct relation to how chaotic the inner city is," he said.

[GeneChing]

UFC'S JOSH SAMMAN
DIES AFTER MYSTERIOUS COMA
... Coroner Confirms
(http://www.tmz.com/2016/10/05/ufcs-josh-samman-dead-dies-coma/)212
36 10/5/2016 7:27 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
BREAKING NEWS

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2016/10/05/1005-mma-josh-samman-getty-3.jpg
8:59 AM PT -- The Broward County Coroner has now confirmed Samman passed away at 7:20 AM on Wednesday.
As for cause of death, the coroner told us, "It would be hard to suggest anything other than drugs" based on the conditions in which Samman and Kirkingburg were found.
An autopsy is scheduled -- but there could be delays due to the hurricane in the region. update-grey-gray-barUFC middleweight Josh Samman -- who appeared on "The Ultimate Fighter" -- has died after spending several days in a coma ... this according to his 'Ultimate Fighter' castmate Gilbert Jamal Smith.
Samman was found unresponsive early Friday morning at an apartment in South Florida. His roommate, Troy Kirkingburg -- an MMA announcer -- was pronounced dead at the scene.
It's unclear how the two men died.
There were rumblings that heroin played a role -- but Samman's mother came out and said doctors found no traces of the drug in his system. There were also no signs of foul play according to reports.
Samman was 28.


Suspicious. As of now, the media is leaning towards drug o.d.

[GeneChing]

More on Carvalho above (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48919-MMA-deaths&p=1292738#post1292738).


MMA fighter Joao Carvalho died due to blunt force trauma (http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/coroner-s-court/mma-fighter-joao-carvalho-died-due-to-blunt-force-trauma-1.2907231)
Gardaí ‘contemplating’ criminal proceedings over sudden death following Dublin fight

about 6 hours ago Updated: about 5 hours ago
Louise Roseingrave

http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2907230.1481807275!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg
A Portuguese mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter died due to blunt force trauma to the head following a fight in Dublin, an inquest has heard.

Joao Carvalho (28) developed an acute subdural haemorrhage due to blunt force trauma to the head, a postmortem examination carried out by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy found. .
He died at Beaumont Hospital on April 11th last after he was knocked out in the third round of a ‘Total Extreme Fighting; contest at the National Boxing Stadium.
The welterweight fighter became unwell following a fight against Irish UFC fighter Charlie Ward on April 9th. He was taken hospital where he was pronounced dead two days later.
The MMA fighter’s sudden death was the subject of two investigations by gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority.
A Garda file has been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and “criminal proceedings are being contemplated”, Detective Inspector Paul Cleary of Kevin Street Garda Station told the court. He applied for an adjournmentto allow time for a decision to be made.
Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest until June 2017 and extended her sympathies to the Carvalho family in Portugal. The family was not present in court but had been made aware of proceedings, the court heard.
Mr Carvalho reportedly began to feel unwell about 20 minutes after a technical knock out in the third round of his fight . He was representing the Portuguese club Team Nobrega.
The team released a statement following Carvalho’s death thanking Total Extreme Fighting medical staff at the venue and hospital staff for efforts to save his life. The statement said Mr Carvalho had “gained notoriety nationwide and internationally” during his career and his death left the team and his family “heartbroken.”

[GeneChing]

This is slightly OT as it is actually a boxing death with MMA roots.


Tim Hague, UFC fighter turned boxer, dies at 33 after match (http://www.syracuse.com/sports/index.ssf/2017/06/tim_hague_ufc_fighter_turned_boxer_dies_at_33.html )

http://image.syracuse.com/home/syr-media/width620/img/sports_multiblog/photo/22944157-mmmain.jpg
Tim Hague, seen here during a UFC heavyweight mixed martial art match Saturday, May 23, 2009 at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, has died. He was 33. (AP)
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Tim Hague, the former UFC fighter known as "The Thrashing Machine," died Sunday, two days after he was critically injured when he was knocked out in a boxing match against former Edmonton Eskimos defensive end Adam Braidwood.

Hague's sister, Jackie Neil, announced the death in a family statement.

"It is with incredible sadness, sorrow and heartbreak to report that Tim has passed away today," the statement said. "He was surrounded by family, listening to his favorite songs. We will miss him with so greatly."

The match Friday night at the Shaw Conference Centre was promoted by KO Boxing.

The 33-year-old Hague, who grew up on a farm in Boyle, Alberta, was a heavyweight trained in jiu-jitsu. He was 21-13 as an MMA fighter before switching to boxing last summer.


June 20, 2017 12:13 am
Opponent speaks out after boxer Tim Hague dies following weekend fight (http://globalnews.ca/news/3541100/opponent-speaks-out-after-boxer-tim-hague-dies-following-weekend-fight/)
By Phil Heidenreich
Online journalist Global News

Three days after knocking out a fellow boxer who later died in hospital, Adam Braidwood posted a video to Twitter about what happened to his opponent Tim Hague, whom he called his friend.

“Everybody saw me celebrating but nobody saw me pick up Tim, carry him to the corner and tell him that I love him,” a clearly emotional Braidwood said in a video Monday evening. “I haven’t made a statement because I didn’t know what I could say or do that would help in any way.”


Follow
Adam Braidwood @BraidwoodBoxing (https://twitter.com/BraidwoodBoxing/status/876941897381494784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F354110 0%2Fopponent-speaks-out-after-boxer-tim-hague-dies-following-weekend-fight%2F)
Rip brother you will live in my heart forever. I will fight for us both now, I know that's what you would have wanted.
4:16 PM - 19 Jun 2017
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Hague died Sunday afternoon after two days in hospital in critical condition surrounded by family. He lost the KO Boxing bout against Braidwood at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre by a knockout.



“Tim and I were friends,” Braidwood said. “We spoke beforehand. We just wanted to make a beautiful fight for everyone and that’s what this was all about.”

The City of Edmonton has said it will commission a third-party review looking into the match between Hague, an elementary school teacher and former UFC fighter, and Braidwood, a former football player with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Watch below: Tim Hague died in hospital Sunday after a knockout blow during a boxing match Friday in Edmonton. Now, the city says a third-party review will take place. Tom Vernon reports.

In his video, Braidwood said he had already spoken to Hague’s family to offer his condolences and also offered gratitiude for people who have sent him messages of support following the tragic aftermath of Friday’s fight.

“I just want everybody to help Tim’s family, that’s what this should really be about,” Braidwood said. “Instead of leaving a comment, contact his family. I know they set up an account. Help them any way that you can and… try to leave it at that.”

Hague’s family has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for funeral expenses and other related costs. As of 10 p.m. on Monday, more than $26,000 had been donated.

Hague, who was 34, leaves behind a nine-year-old son, Brady, who friends say was a huge source of motivation for him. Hague, who was originally from Boyle, Alta., was also a coach at the UFC Gym in Sherwood Park.

Braidwood played in the Canadian Football League from 2006 to 2010. The Edmonton Eskimos released him in the spring of 2011.

-With files from Emily Mertz

[GeneChing]

Another shooting death of an MMA fighter. :(


Orthodox Pro Martial Arts Fighter Shot Dead In Florida Home (http://forward.com/fast-forward/376224/orthodox-pro-martial-arts-fighter-shot-dead-in-florida-home/)
July 5, 2017 By JTA

https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.forward.com/images/300x225/22017118-14992061532158-1499252611.jpg

(JTA) — An Orthodox Jewish professional mixed martial arts fighter was shot and killed in his Florida home.

Aaron Rajman, 25, was killed Monday evening when several men entered his home in West Boca Raton, Florida. They reportedly argued with Rajman, shot him and then left, the Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported, citing the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

It is not known what they argued about.

Rajman won several MMA titles as an amateur; he turned professional in 2014 and held a 2-2 record at the time of his death. He is believed to be the only Orthodox Jewish MMA fighter, according to reports.

Rabbi Zalman Bukiet, director of the Chabad of West Boca Raton, told local television news station WPTV-Ch. 5: “This was a special young man who had a heart of gold. It’s a tragedy.”

Rajman reportedly studied Torah at the Chabad, and taught children at a local Jewish school, as well as self defense classes for children and Krav Maga techniques to local police.

Read more: http://forward.com/fast-forward/376224/orthodox-pro-martial-arts-fighter-shot-dead-in-florida-home/

[GeneChing]

MMA fighter dead after collapsing post-fight (http://nypost.com/2017/07/16/mma-fighter-dead-after-collapsing-post-fight/)
By John Hutchinson, The Sun July 16, 2017 | 4:11pm


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy0-JST8dvk

A heavyweight MMA fighter has died after collapsing following his first bout in more than a year.

Donshay White was competing in Hardrock MMA 90 in Kentucky, where he lost in his clash against Ricky Muse.

Referee Gary Copeland stepped in to stop the fight two minutes and 22 seconds into the second round after White failed to halt a number of heavy blows.

The 37-year-old was responsive in the immediate aftermath of the stoppage, but took a turn for the worse and required medical attention in the ring.

He made his own way backstage but “collapsed and became unresponsive,” according to martial arts news-site Bluegrass MMA.

After receiving CPR, he was transported to KentuckyOne Health Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, where he later died.

The cause of death is not known at this time.

It was his first fight back since November 2015, when he knocked out Joe Johnson Jr. in one round at Hardrock MMA 76.

How tragic. Sorry to hear.

[GeneChing]

MMA fighter dies three days after getting TKO’d (http://nypost.com/2017/08/15/mma-fighter-dies-three-days-after-getting-tkod/)
By Michael Blaustein August 15, 2017 | 3:39pm

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/170815-mma-fighter-dies-in-fight-feature.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=664&h=441&crop=1
Rondel Clark Facebook

A 26-year-old amateur MMA fighter died three days after he was knocked out during a fight in Massachusetts.

Rondel Clark was TKO’d by Ryan Dunn in the third round of their fight in Plymouth, Mass. The fight was part of Cage Titans XXXV, a regional MMA promotion.

Following the fight, Clark was transported to a local hospital but then was transferred to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston where he died early Tuesday morning.

The Massachusetts State Police, Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Plymouth Police, and the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission are now investigating the death.

Clark’s fight was on the preliminary card of the event which featured 20 matches.

Clark won his only previous fight via a 25-second TKO stoppage in June. This was Dunn’s third fight.

I wonder how many fighters have died now after an MMA bout. Seems to be a lot more lately.

[GeneChing]

This is so messed up.


16-year-old girl charged in shooting death of MMA fighter (https://www.mmamania.com/2017/9/1/16243902/16-year-old-girl-charged-shooting-death-mma-fighter)
by Jesse Holland Sep 1, 2017, 4:11pm EDT


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD2iqd0tjMI

16-year-old Summer Church has been charged in the shooting death of professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Aaron Rajman, alongside accomplices Roberto Ortiz, 19, and Jace Swinton, 18, following last July’s home invasion in West Palm Beach, Florida.

All three are expected to be hit with charges of first-degree murder and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Church will be tried as an adult.

“This was no random act of violence,” said State Attorney Dave Aronberg. “Mr. Rajman was targeted by these defendants, and we intend to seek justice for the victim and his family.”

Following his 8-1 run on the amateur circuit, Rajman, 25, turned pro and compiled a 2-2 record while training out of the famed American Top Team (ATT) fight camp in Coconut Creek.

He last competed at House of Fame 5: “Resurrection Day” back in May 2016.

In addition to murder-one, the trio will also be charged with two counts of armed home invasion with a firearm.

[GeneChing]

Thank goodness he survived. Cutting weight sucks.


MMA fighter Clovis Hancock, who 'died' in the cage,' recovering (http://www.espn.com/ufc/story/_/id/21311876/mma-fighter-clovis-hancock-recovering-heart-stopped-fight)
Nov 6, 2017
ESPN staff

MMA fighter Clovis "CJ" Hancock is recovering after he "died" when his heart stopped during a fight in Houston on Friday.

The Arizona-born Hancock needed to be revived after receiving a kick from Charlie Ontiveros in the Legacy Fighting Alliance fight. He posted on his Facebook page: "I cut too much weight my kidneys failed and my heart stopped I'm okay now, still at the hospital" in response to a fan's comment.

Cj Hancock (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1681095931943138&set=a.142445195808227.41422.100001282414880&type=3)
on Friday
https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/23167945_1681095931943138_8918983111512079676_n.jp g?oh=97c69f17f4788a8f29dfaf1df91c0b55&oe=5AA2DFD9
Well I died tonight in the cage.... I'm okay. Thanks everyone. I'll reply when I can. My heart stopped, and I had kidney failure , they did cpr and hit me with the defibrillator twice and brought me back. Still unsure why it happened. I had a hard weight cut. Doc says I shouldn't fight again.... I'm broken , I guess I'll just be a coach from now on.... I still plan on competing in Brazilian Jiu jitsu and BJJ superfights , when I get better. Thanks to everyone that supported me!

He later posted: "I died tonight in the cage. My heart stopped, and I had kidney failure, they did CPR and hit me with the defibrillator twice and brought me back. Still unsure why it happened. I had a hard weight cut.

"Doctor says I shouldn't fight again ... I'm broken, I guess I'll just be a coach from now on ... I still plan on competing in Brazilian Jiu jitsu and BJJ superfights, when I get better. Thanks to everyone that supported me."


Cj Hancock (https://www.facebook.com/cj.hancock2/posts/1682058131846918)
on Sunday
Big thanks to my brother and best friend Dallas Paskell for the shirt and reading material that he just so happen to write himself! Also thanks to all my students and friends that visited me and brought me goodies! Oscar Abdu Michael Carlos and the rest thanks fellas means a lot!!! After 8 bags of saline I'm back up to 206. Feeling much better just got home from the hospital. Feeling a little sick and out of it from the medications.

https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/23172538_1682058055180259_7197613821322124382_n.jp g?oh=633c8943f13a4e04b031b44e6f7cf691&oe=5A65E90F
https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/23231550_1682058098513588_2820051737673123901_n.jp g?oh=2dca1be14e1fdeedbe71bf031422660c&oe=5A63993C


He wrote on social media Sunday night to reassure fans that after eight bags of saline, he was recovering at home.

[GeneChing]

MMA coach Robert Follis dies at age 48; coroner rules death suicide (http://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/21806940/mma-coach-robert-follis-dies-age-48-coroner-rules-death-suicide)
12:54 PM PT
Brett Okamoto
ESPN Staff Writer

Renowned mixed martial arts coach Robert Follis died Friday from a gunshot to the head, Las Vegas authorities confirmed to ESPN.

The Clark County coroner's office has ruled the death a suicide. Follis was 48 years old.

Follis was a head coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas for four years, and he was a key piece of former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate's camp.

Last month, Follis parted ways with Xtreme Couture, ending a run that began in 2014. He told ESPN at that time he intended to stay in Las Vegas and continue coaching.

The place of his death is listed as Nevada State Route 160, which runs west out of Las Vegas through Red Rock Canyon National Park.

Before his time in Nevada, Follis was a longtime coach at Team Quest in Gresham, Oregon, which housed the likes of former UFC champion Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland.

In a social media post on Sunday, Follis' girlfriend, Myra Fukuno, called him "an incredible teacher, who opened our minds and created a space where we knew learning was possible."

UFC lightweight Kevin Lee, who trained under Follis at Xtreme Couture, wrote on Instagram, "I thank you for everything and apologize for everything more. The next gold belt is for you."

Self-inflicted gun shot. Tragic.

[GeneChing]

10:11 / 27.02.2019
MMA fighter killed in Ivanovo region (https://en.crimerussia.com/gromkie-dela/mma-fighter-killed-in-ivanovo-region/)

https://en.crimerussia.com/upload/iblock/202/gasanov.jpg
Ahmed Hasanov

The athlete received multiple gunshot wounds during a conflict at one of the city cafes on the evening of February 23.

In one of the cafes of the city of Teikovo, Ivanovo region, Ahmed Hasanov, an MMA fighter and an athlete from the Fightmafia MMA (SBE) Teikovo club, working for the Russian MMA Federation, was killed.

The murder occurred on February 23, but it was revealed the day before. It is known that the conflict between the two companies of young people broke up in the kebab house during the celebration of Defender of the Fatherland Day.

According to eyewitnesses, several people took part in the fray on both sides. One of them pulled out a pistol and opened fire on the opponents. As a result, the 30-year-old Ahmed Hasanov received gunshot wounds, which became fatal for him. Eyewitnesses say another person was wounded during the conflict. The other victims are not reported.

The shooter fled by car. Currently, his identity is being established, a search is ongoing. In connection with the death of the athlete, a criminal case on Murder (part 1 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was launched by the territorial investigating authorities of the ICR of the Ivanovo region.

The fight club, in which Akhmedov was engaged, honored his memory.

“Remember him as a fearless and good-natured guy. I want to add: you have to avoid all sorts of adventures, they lead to bad consequences that are not worth it! Take care of yourself,” a representative of the club in Teikovo, Ivanovo region, wrote.

This thread has evolved to be more about MMA fighter deaths on the street than deaths in the cage. Should I split these?

[GeneChing]

Ex-MMA fighter Katy Collins dead at 32 after brain aneurysm (https://nypost.com/2019/09/25/ex-mma-fighter-katy-collins-dead-at-32-after-brain-aneurysm/)
By Tamar Lapin September 25, 2019 | 8:57pm | Updated

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/katy-collins.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all&w=618&h=410&crop=1
Katy Collins

Former mixed martial arts fighter Katy Collins has died at the age of 32 after suffering a brain aneurysm, her coach said on Wednesday.

The mother of two sons fought for several MMA promotions, including Bellator and Invicta, over her three-year career, which ended in June 2018.

“The fight is over,” her coach, JT Tilley, wrote on Facebook. “You never stopped fighting and we never gave up on you. Just wasn’t in the cards.”

“I’ve always been so proud of you Kate,” Tilley wrote. “I was honored to be able to live your dream with you… I will miss you more than the world will ever know.”

Nicknamed “The Red Dragon,” Collins racked up dozens of fights on the amateur circuit before amassing a 7-5 record in professional cage fighting.

She suffered a brain aneurysm on Sept. 20, which caused a stroke and several seizures, according to a GoFundMe page set up to pay for medical and funeral expenses.

“Katy was young and strong and full of life and love,” wrote Sarah Jones, who organized the fundraiser. “She leaves behind so many loved ones, family and friends who care so much for her… [and] two young sons, who will struggle to understand this, like many of us.”
Same thing that killed Bruce. Whenever it's a brain-related cause for a full contact fighter, it gives you pause. :(

[GeneChing]

FEMALE MMA FIGHTER DIES AFTER COLLAPSING IN RING
... Cops Investigating (https://www.tmz.com/2019/11/18/female-mma-fighter-dies-saeideh-aletaha-cops-investigating/)
11/18/2019 1:42 PM PT
BREAKING NEWS

https://imagez.tmz.com/image/ec/4by3/2019/11/18/ec99b2b64ccb4338b645ff81bd386714_md.jpg
Stonehenge Crossfit

A 26-year-old female amateur MMA fighter died Sunday morning ... just one day after collapsing in the ring following a brutal loss at an event in England.

The Hampshire Police Dept. confirmed they were called to Southampton General Hospital around 1 AM on Sunday to respond to a woman who suffered a life-threatening brain injury.

The woman, Saeideh Aletaha, had competed at the Fast & Furious Fight series event at Central Hall in Southampton, England on Saturday ... and reportedly collapsed in the ring.

https://imagez.tmz.com/image/39/4by3/2019/11/18/39e329a933614de9b32dfb13cc271386_md.jpg

According to local reports, an ambulance was called to the venue around 9 PM and Aletaha was rushed to the hospital in "a serious and life-threatening condition."

Cops say Aletaha died at the hospital Sunday morning -- and they're now investigating her death.

Organizers behind the F&FFS event posted a statement early Monday morning essentially saying Aletaha knew what she signed up for ...

"All competitors get in [the ring] prepared that they may be injured and this is something not expected to happen 99.9% of the time."

FFS organizers say they had a full medical team on-site -- with doctors, paramedics and an ambulance -- along with an "experienced team of staff with numerous first aiders."

Exile Gym, where Aletaha trained, posted a tribute to the fighter ... saying, "Saeideh Aletaha was a lovely character with a beautiful soul. Her dedication to the sport was 110% travelling miles every day just to train."

"She found her place with us just a few months ago but has become apart of the family and will be sorely missed." As morbid as this sounds, I'd like to see footage, just to judge the fight and its safety.

[GeneChing]

Saul Soliz, legendary coach and MMA pioneer, dies of COVID-19 complications (https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/32052371/saul-soliz-legendary-coach-mma-pioneer-dies-covid-19-complications)
Aug 19, 2021
Marc Raimondi
ESPN Staff Writer

Saul Soliz, a mixed martial arts pioneer who trained some of the biggest names in the history of MMA and helped get the sport off the ground in Texas, died Tuesday morning due to complications from COVID-19, according to his wife, Toi. He was 55.

Soliz, whom many have dubbed "The Godfather of Texas MMA," was in the hospital for "several weeks" because of the coronavirus, she said.

"He had a long battle," Toi told ESPN. "He fought really hard."

Soliz was most recently the head coach at Houston Metro Fight Club, but his influence on MMA goes back more than 20 years. He coached all-time great UFC champions such as Tito Ortiz, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Michael Bisping and Ricco Rodriguez, who was one of his closest friends. Soliz coached with Ortiz on The Ultimate Fighter and had also worked with iconic women's MMA fighter Cris Cyborg.

"The legacy you left will live on through the lives of all the students, family, and friends you have touched along the way," Cyborg wrote on Facebook.

Added Bisping in a tweet: "A great man and truly one of the best coaches I've worked with."

In addition, Soliz was instrumental in helping MMA get off the ground more than 20 years ago, working with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to develop the rules for the sport in the state.

"The ties between us in Texas MMA are completely intertwined as it is for the entire Texas MMA community," UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, who once promoted shows in Texas, wrote on Facebook. "No one can say they weren't influenced directly or indirectly by Saul including commission, promoters, fighters and coaches."

Soliz's Renegades Extreme Fighting promotion in Houston made its debut in 2000, one year before Dana White and the Fertitta brothers bought the UFC. Toi said Soliz was the first person in Texas to put together a show with "that production value that really you're accustomed to seeing today."

"Mixed martial arts is definitely his legacy," Toi said. "It's kind of the vehicle for pretty much everything else that he did. In that world and through the lives that he touched in that world, he's very loved. He's very respected. And truly missed by so many people. He touched a lot of lives. I know that he touched a lot of lives, but at this point I think it would even surprise him how many lives he touched."

In recent years, Soliz had been focusing on developing a younger generation of talent in MMA. Adrian Yanez, Soliz's star pupil, is one of the best up-and-coming bantamweight fighters in the UFC. Bantamweight prospect Mana Martinez, another Soliz student, will make his UFC debut Aug. 28.

Yanez said that Soliz became a father figure to him when Yanez's father died in 2016. Soliz hired him as a coach at Metro Fight Club and took him under his wing. Soliz's death, Yanez said, is not just a blow for his family and students but also the Texas MMA scene and beyond.

On Aug. 4, Yanez said he was able to have one last conversation with his beloved coach before things took a turn for the worse. A few days earlier, Yanez was charged with cornering his teammates at a Fury FC show with Soliz in the hospital. The results were not what Yanez was hoping for, and he apologized to Soliz on the phone. Soliz told him it wasn't his fault and not to worry about it.

"Toward the end of the conversation he just started telling me how proud he was of me, how far I've come, how I never gave up and consistently always just stayed true to who I am," Yanez said. "He was just proud of the man I became. He kept giving me my praises. ... I was just super happy to be able to tell him if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I'm at. I've always tried to express that to him at every turn, every corner. Because you just never know."

threads
MMA-deaths (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48919-MMA-deaths)
covid (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71666)

[GeneChing]

It's a repost that popped up in my newsfeed this morning. Maybe there's more to the series.


Death in the Ring: A look at deaths in mixed martial arts and kickboxing since '07 (https://www.jsonline.com/story/archives/2021/08/22/death-in-the-ring-look-deaths-mixed-martial-arts-and-kickboxing-since-07/7728437002/)
John Diedrich
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This report was originally published Nov. 15, 2014. It is part of the series "Death in the Ring."

At least 12 mixed martial arts fighters and kickboxers have died worldwide since 2007, competing in bouts or preparing for them, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review. Here is a look at the deaths.

October 2007: Mixed martial arts fighter Sam Vasquez is knocked out in the third round of a regulated fight in Houston, later dying of a subdural hemorrhage due to blunt trauma of the head.

June 2010: Michael Kirkham dies following a regulated MMA bout in South Carolina. The cause of death was subarachnoid hemorrhage of the brain.

July 2010: Kickboxer Adrienne Simmons dies after she was knocked out in a three-round bout in Orlando. A doctor was at the event, sponsored by the International Kickboxing Federation, but no ambulance. Simmons was wearing headgear. Reports did not list the cause of death.

August 2011: British kickboxer Mark Fowler dies in Australia. He collapsed after fighting five rounds and failed to regain consciousness. He died of head injuries.

December 2011: Mixed martial arts fighter Salvador Flamenco dies in Vancouver, Wash., from head injuries suffered in training bouts there.

April 2012: Mixed martial arts fighter Mike Mittelmeier dies in Bolivia in an unregulated bout. The cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage.

May 2012: Mixed martial arts fighter Dustin Jenson dies following an unregulated bout in South Dakota. Jenson watched the next fights before suffering a seizure. He died of subdural hemorrhage resulting from blunt force trauma to the head, related to an injury suffered a week earlier.

August 2012: Mixed martial arts fighter Tyrone Mimms dies following a regulated bout in South Carolina. Autopsy results were inconclusive.

April 2013: Mixed martial arts fighter Felix Elochukwu Nchikwo dies in Port Huron, Mich., in an unregulated bout. He had a cardiac arrhythmic disorder that caused his sudden death.

September 2013: Mixed martial arts fighter Leandro Souza of Brazil dies just before a weigh- in. He died in a sauna as he tried to cut 33 pounds in a week.

March 2014: Mixed martial arts fighter Booto Guylain dies in South Africa following complications resulting from a head injury experienced during a bout.

March 2014: Dennis Munson Jr. collapses and dies following his first kickboxing bout, which was unregulated, at the Eagles Club in Milwaukee. His brain was damaged, leading to organ failure, according to the autopsy.

[GeneChing]

Justin Thornton: MMA fighter dies following 19-second knockout (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/justin-thornton-mma-death-knockout-b1932917.html)
Boxing experts have questioned how Thornton was allowed to go on fighting after suffering six straight first-round KOs

Bevan Hurley
21 hours ago

MMA fighter Justin Thornton has died aged 38, several months after he suffered a 19-second knockout in bare-knuckled boxing bout.

The fighter was taken to hospital following a heavyweight fight with Dillon Cleckler in Mississippi, in which he was knocked unconscious.

Announcing his death, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship president David Feldman said: “This morning we were very saddened to be notified of the passing of one of our fighters, Justin Thornton, who competed at BKFC-20 on August 20, 2021.

https://static.independent.co.uk/2021/10/05/19/Screen%20Shot%202021-10-05%20at%202.15.36%20PM.png?width=640&auto=webp&quality=75
Justin Thornton died after being knocked out in a bare-knuckle fight
(Facebook)

“We join the rest of the combat sports community in sending our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”

No cause of death has been officially released, although his opponent Dillon Cleckler said it was from pneumonia.

On 23 September, a woman named Amber Willard who identified herself as Mr Thornton’s “on-off partner” of seven years posted an update on his condition on his personal Facebook page.

Ms Willard said he’d been left paralysed after the fight, and was on a ventilator, an IV for a lung infection and medication for an injury to his spinal cord.

Mr Thornton was a veteran of 24 MMA fights, and had an 6-18 win-loss record.

He had previously fought UFC heavyweights Chase Sherman and Walt Harris, and last won a fight in 2016, suffering five straight first-round defeats since then.

International Boxing Hall of Fame 2020 inductee Lou DiBella questioned how he could have been allowed to continue to fight.

“This fatal night was his sixth consecutive first round stoppage,” Mr DiBella wrote on Twitter.

“The 38 year old survived the first five. The state of combat sports regulation in America is atrocious.”

On Instagram, Mr Thornton’s final opponent Dillon Cleckler wrote that “nothing could prepare you” for losing a fellow fighter.

“Justin is a warrior. It’s in his blood to fight. He loved it. He fought anyone, anytime and anywhere and when I didn’t have an opponent, he still jumped at the opportunity to get in there with me again,” Mr Cleckler wrote.

“I can’t help but feel absolutely devastated about this because I’ve known Justin for years.”
How tragic. Can't really call it pneumonia however. That sounds like it was a consequence of the coma.

[GeneChing]

MMA fighter Christian Lubenga dies after debuting in West Springfield (https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/mma-fighter-christian-lubenga-dies-after-debuting-in-west-springfield/)
by: Ashley Shook

Posted: Mar 15, 2022 / 04:36 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 15, 2022 / 05:10 PM EDT

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – An amateur MMA fighter died after performing in a fight held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

According to a post on the New England Mixed Martial Arts website, Christian Lubenga passed away after he competed in an amateur MMA fight on Saturday, March 12 at the AMMO Fight League: Battle of St. Patrick’s event held inside the Mallary Complex. Lubenga was against another debuting fighter, Cody McCracken.

Hampden County District Attorney Spokesman Jim Leydon confirmed with 22News Lubenga’s death. The DA is investigating the incident.

McCracken won again Lubenga by KO/TKO (knockout/techinical knockout) at 2:38 of Round 3.

New England MMA says the fight at the end didn’t seem very violent, and there is no word on what caused his death at this time. The post concluded by saying they will update the post as soon as more information is released and “please keep Christian’s friends and family in your thoughts tonight during this difficult time, and hug your loved ones a little bit tighter.”

Lubenga was a student at Black Wolf MMA in Orange, Connecticut. The facility shared their thoughts on social media Monday night describing Lubenga as family who was polite, professional, humble, always kind to everyone. He spent many hours training as a martial artist. “Christian was a true martial artist in every aspect of the word and a true warrior. We love you Christian. We all love you,” said Black Wolf MMA.

The “Battle of Saint Patrick’s” event showcased mixed martial arts fights between some of the best MMA fighters from New England.

The cause of Lubenga’s death has not been announced. 22News is following this story and will provide updates as soon as they become available. Hope the cause wasn't the fight...if it was, what a tragic way to go...

[GeneChing]

Wife of CT MMA fighter who died after first bout searches for answers: ‘We had planned the next steps of our life together’ (https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/Wife-of-CT-MMA-fighter-who-died-after-first-bout-17415209.php)
Lisa Backus
Sep. 6, 2022
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/27/22/76/22884263/3/rawImage.jpg
New Haven resident Christian Lubenga died after participating in his first mixed martial arts fight on March 12 in Massachusetts.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The wife of New Haven mixed martial arts fighter Christian Lubenga who died after his first bout in March continues to seek answers following her husband’s death.

“There is no reason that someone 25 goes in healthy and doesn’t come out the other side,” Margaret Anderson said this week.

Lubenga was injured during a sanctioned MMA St. Patrick’s fight at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on March 12. He died two days later of complications from blunt force trauma to the head, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security which conducted an autopsy. His death was ruled an accident, authorities said. He was 25.

His widow is considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit, papers filed in Connecticut Probate Court said. But any potential litigation will take time, said attorney Cullen Guilmartin, who is on the team representing Anderson in the probate case.

“We’re investigating the cause of his death,” Guilmartin said Tuesday. “We’re in the preliminary stages of gathering medical records and trying to figure out what happened.”

Amateur MMA fighters wear wraps, not boxing gloves, and have no head protection, Anderson said. But the goal of the fight is to knock the opponent out. “That’s a brain event,” she said. “That’s why you need trained professionals doing examinations before, during and after the rounds.”

“These are grown men hitting each other at full force,” she said.

According to Massachusetts MMA regulations, fighters must be weighed and examined by a physician before a fight to certify that they are healthy enough to participate. Fighters must also be examined “as soon as possible” after a bout and given medical treatment if needed by a ringside physician. The physician is required to report any injuries to the Massachusetts State Athletics Commission which regulates MMA fighting in the state, the regulations state.

A few weeks after her husband’s death, the commission which also regulates boxing and other fighting sports, met to discuss the match between Lubenga and Cody McCracken. At least one MMA fight promoter called on the group to be as transparent as possible about Lubenga’s death.

A commissioner responded that the body was interested in the safety of the sport and would use whatever information it acquires to work with the fighting community. But the commission has not spoken publicly about Lubenga’s death since - other than to approve $9,178 in funeral expenses for his burial from the Boxer’s Fund, according to the minutes of several subsequent meetings that have taken place since March 21.

Lubenga was a semester away from earning a master’s degree in business analytics and spoke six languages when he died, Anderson told Hearst Connecticut Media Group in March.

He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the two met, Anderson said. The couple moved to Rwanda, then California, then New Haven, as they started their future together and raised their son, Gabby.

Lubenga was quiet by nature, reserved and thoughtful, and cared deeply for his family, particularly their son, Anderson said. In his spare time, he trained as an athlete, lifting weights and boxing, and always had some sort of side project going as he pursued his studies.

He was awarded his graduate degree posthumously, said officials at Bridgeport University where he studied.

After he received his degree the couple had planned to move to Washington D.C. where she would start her doctorate, she said. She made the move alone a short while ago with her son who started kindergarten Monday.

“It’s been a lot of life transition without that key person,” she said. “I’m really feeling the void. We had planned the next steps of our life together. It’s really hard.”

Gabby, who is 5, is also struggling with grief, she said. At night he’ll ask her to tell a story about him and “Baba” what he called his father, when he was young, Anderson said. “He misses him,” she said.

Based on studies she’s read, head trauma is fairly prevalent in MMA fighters, Anderson said. “There’s a high risk of traumatic brain injury,” she said.

But she believes that officials aren’t making the risks clear to fighters. “One of the things that isn’t so apparent is that it’s dangerous,” she said. “I don’t think they are telling the fighters.”

Referees and other fight officials need to be well trained in recognizing the signs of brain trauma to stop the fight before it’s too late, she said.

She started classes for her doctoral degree in Public Health a few weeks ago, she said. “We had high hopes for what this move would bring to our family,” she said. “Now I’m doing it alone.”

William Lambert contributed to this story. So very tragic...

[SteveLau]

Very unfortunate outcome. I have seen professional heavy weight boxing tournament with a fighter being knocked out dead, caused by having received punches to his head. And amateur MMA fighters wear wraps, not boxing gloves ?! One thing that I am sure is to go for changing the tournament rule, improve its safety level.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[GeneChing]

ONE Championship rising star Victoria Lee dead at 18 (https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2023/01/mma-news-victoria-lee-one-championship-star-dies)
https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2021/02/victoria-lee-sunisa-srisen-one-championship-129-36.jpg?w=1000&h=600&crop=1
Nolan King
January 7, 2023 5:11 pm ET
Rising mixed martial arts phenom Victoria Lee has died. She was 18.

Lee’s death occurred Dec. 26, according to an Instagram post Saturday by her older sister, ONE Championship atomweight title holder Angela Lee. A cause of death has not been shared.

“She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” Angela Lee wrote. “We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.”

The surname “Lee” bears much weight in the history of ONE. Angela and brother Christian Lee have held titles as two of the promotion’s biggest stars. Victoria was pegged as the next sibling to follow their path.

Scheduled to compete in her fourth MMA bout Jan. 14 at ONE on Prime Video 6, Lee had a 3-0 record in MMA. Lee debuted in February 2021 with a rear-naked choke submission of Sunisa Srisen. After a first-round armbar win over Luping Wang in July 2021, Lee picked up her first TKO against previously undefeated Victoria Souza in September 2021.

Prior to her pro MMA debut, Lee impressed at the junior level across multiple combat sports. She was two-time Hawaiian pankration junior world champion, a Hawaii state wrestling champion, and an IMMAF junior world champion.

According to an obituary posted on Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and Funeral Home (Kanahe, Hawaii), a celebration of life has been scheduled for Jan. 22 before her burial.

ONE-Championship (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71006-ONE-Championship)
MMA-deaths (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48919-MMA-deaths)

[GeneChing]

Martial Arts / Mixed Martial Arts
ONE Championship: Angela Lee says ‘stop hiring private investigators, stop the conspiracy theories’ after sister Victoria’s death (https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3207873/one-championship-angela-lee-says-stop-hiring-private-investigators-stop-conspiracy-theories-after)
Victoria Lee’s celebration of life in Hawaii switched to closed event by family because of ‘media outbreak’ surrounding 18-year-old’s death
‘Stop contacting us,’ ONE’s atomweight MMA champion adds – ‘I ask you respect our wishes to not give any further public statements’

Nicolas Atkin
Published: 6:23pm, 24 Jan, 2023

https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1098,format=auto/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/01/24/63b069c4-a792-4c06-8045-365cf5f2c7bb_6a92dc83.jpg?itok=lYI2yRN3&v=1674555816
ONE Championship’s Angela Lee (right) with her younger sister Victoria Lee at their family’s United MMA gym in Hawaii. Photo: Instagram

Victoria Lee’s celebration of life, which was expected to be held in Hawaii last Sunday, was changed to a closed event for her immediate family only.

Rising MMA atomweight Lee, who went 3-0 during a brief career in ONE Championship where her elder siblings Angela and Christian Lee are both champions, died aged 18 on Boxing Day.

The ceremony was set for the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and Funeral Homes in Kaneohe, before her burial. The funeral home had publicly announced her death this month, before Lee’s 26-year-old sister confirmed the news.

Angela Lee revealed the celebration of life “unfortunately” had to be closed off from the public, despite an outpouring of support for the family from fans and figures in the MMA community, because of the “media outbreak” after her younger sister’s death.

“We have decided as a family to make Victoria’s celebration of life a closed event, for immediate family only. We greatly appreciate your understanding,” ONE’s atomweight MMA champion wrote in an Instagram post last week.

“To our community and close friends, thank you for your kind words and prayers for our family during this time. This has been, and continues to be, an extremely difficult time for our family.
“I would also like to address the media and news outlets that have tried to contact myself, my parents and any other members of my family during this time.
“I ask you respect our wishes to not give any further public statements. Stop contacting us, stop hiring private investigators, stop with the conspiracy theories. Please show some respect and give us our time and space to grieve.”
Victoria Sun-hei Lee was born on May 17, 2004 in Wahiawa, Hawaii, to Chinese-Singaporean father Ken Lee, who would later become her coach, and South-Korean-born Canadian mother Jewelz Lee.
She lived with her family in Mililani, Hawaii, including Angela and 24-year-old Christian, and their respective spouses Bruno Pucci and Katie Lee, as well as her younger brother Adrian, 17, who won an amateur MMA title just days before her death.
The cause of Lee’s death has not been publicly released.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/01/24/afde834d-397a-4317-9a84-60ada598a927_3c29b697.jpg
Victoria Lee walks to the ONE Championship Circle for a fight with Victoria Souza. Photo: ONE Championship.

Angela Lee also thanked ONE for their “beautiful” video tribute honouring Victoria, which was played to the crowd at Impact Arena during the ONE Fight Night 6 in Bangkok on January 14.
“I miss you so much sis,” she wrote.
“This video is just a short clip of the beautiful, brilliant, kind and hardworking person Victoria was. She was down to earth, with unshakeable determination and a heart of gold.”



Nicolas Atkin

Nico is a production editor on the South China Morning Post’s sport desk, where he covers mixed martial arts (MMA) in Asia, as well as local sport in Hong Kong. He was previously a sports writer and editor for ESPN.

Sad that outsiders are meddling in the mourning.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDHfG-KODbY

[GeneChing]

Another car crash victim. So tragic.


CRASH TRAGEDY Cage fighter and martial arts champion, 41, killed in horror crash as her car plunges off a cliff in Brazil (https://www.the-sun.com/sport/9959902/mum-of-four-cage-fighter-41-killed-in-crash/)
She was found trapped in the wreckage of her car
William McGeeAiya Zhussupova
Published: 10:09 ET, Dec 28 2023Updated: 10:46 ET, Dec 28 2023

A FORMER cage fighter and martial arts champion has died in a horror accident when her car plunged off a cliff.

Renata Corrêa Baldan, 41, was killed in the accident yesterday morning.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/renata-corr-baldan-mum-of-868629960-1.jpg?w=620
Mum-of-four dies aged 41 in a horror car accidentCredit: Jam Press

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/renata-corr-baldan-mum-of-868629991-1.jpg?w=620
Baldan was a former MMA, Muay Thai, and Jiu-jitsu fighterCredit: Jam Press
Officials believe she lost control of her car as she took a curve on the motorway.

The vehicle overturned, hit a tree, and fell down a 33ft drop, according to local media.

The mother-of-four, 41, was alone in the car at the time.

Firemen and paramedics were called to the scene in Ubatuba, Brazil.

They found her trapped in the wreckage of her car, but she didn’t survive her injuries.

Baldan was a former MMA, Muay Thai, and Jiu-jitsu fighter.

She racked up four pro wins in MMA Super Heroes 3, 4, and 8 in 2014.

And she won two championship belts in Muay Thai, according to reports.

In 2015, she had a career change and started working as a personal trainer.

She qualified as a firefighter in July 2022.

And in early 2023, she began working as a beautician and massage therapist.

She ran a clinic in Ubatuba.

Baldan was in a relationship with a businessman.

She leaves behind three sons and a daughter.

One of her boys wrote on social media: “Thank you all for the messages. They’ve been a great help.

“This time is incredibly delicate for me, but I appreciate everyone who’s by my side. I love you, Mum.”

[GeneChing]

Canadian MMA star Ashley Nichols tragically passes away just three weeks before next scheduled fight (https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-canadian-mma-star-ashley-nichols-tragically-passes-away-just-three-weeks-next-scheduled-fight)
By Ricardo Viagem
Modified Feb 16, 2024 07:04 GMT

https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/02/d96c7-17078991165207-1920.jpg
Ashley Nichols, an indigenous Canadian MMA star, has just passed away [Image Courtesy: @InvictaFights via X/Twitter]

Ashley Nichols, a surging mixed martial artist and Muay Thai fighter, has just passed away, leaving the Canadian MMA scene grief-stricken. The Cambridge, Ontario native was scheduled to take part in a March 9 bout at PAWFC, an all-women's MMA promotion. She was 28 years old at the time of her death.

Prior to her passing, she was at the helm of a three-fight win streak. While the cause of her death is yet to be identified on social media, the combat sports achievements that defined her all-around talent are also deserving of attention.

Nichols competed in several notable organizations, like all-women's MMA promotion Invicta FC, which has played host to several legendary names in women's MMA. She also competed in the LFA, where she locked horns with future UFC women's strawweight Jaqueline Amorim.

Furthermore, she held several championship honors, having captured the TKO MMA strawweight title as well as the interim WPMF Featherweight Muay Thai world title. However, Nichols was more than just a fighter; she was also a coach and referee.

As one of the few representatives of indigenous Canadians in combat sports, Nichols was a pioneer for her people and a trailblazer who will hopefully break down doors for more indigenous people to venture into MMA, where they are grossly underrepresented.

Her passing leaves behind a deep hole in the Canadian combat sports world, which is currently mourning the death of one of its brightest stars.

Ashley Nichols was one of the few fighters to become a referee in her prime

Most referees in MMA who were once fighters only become fight officials well past their physical prime when they can no longer compete as fighters. The likes of Herb Dean, Marc Goddard, and Frank Trigg come to mind. Ashley Nichols, however, is distinguished for becoming a referee while still in her physical prime.
How tragic. Wonder what took her at such a young age...