Page 2 of 10 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 148

Thread: MMA deaths

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    7,501
    Quote Originally Posted by Shaolin Wookie View Post
    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.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Permanent state of Denial
    Posts
    2,272
    Quote Originally Posted by 1bad65 View Post
    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?

    "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.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Rene Ayangma

    Sad story. So young.

    Rest in peace.

    UPEI student collapses and dies after mixed martial arts workout
    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
    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."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    22,250
    Young and in-shape athlete dropping dead after and during workouts and even games, is nothing new.
    Psalms 144:1
    Praise be my Lord my Rock,
    He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !

  5. 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.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Commerce City, Colorado
    Posts
    2,823
    Quote Originally Posted by martialartspeon View Post
    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.
    Quote Originally Posted by Oso View Post
    you're kidding? i would love to drink that beer just BECAUSE it's in a dead animal...i may even pick up the next dead squirrel i see and stuff a budweiser in it

  7. #22
    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.
    "I don't know if anyone is known with the art of "sitting on your couch" here, but in my eyes it is also to be a martial art.

    It is the art of avoiding dangerous situations. It helps you to avoid a dangerous situation by not actually being there. So lets say there is a dangerous situation going on somewhere other than your couch. You are safely seated on your couch so you have in a nutshell "difused" the situation."

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Wakefield, Kansas
    Posts
    60
    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
    From One Thing, Know Ten Thousand.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Slightly OT

    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"
    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    36th Chamber
    Posts
    12,423

    Mixed martial arts fighter, wife found dead

    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.
    He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher. -- Walt Whitman

    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    As a mod, I don't have to explain myself to you.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    All over the newsfeeds

    MMA fighter Levens, wife shot to death
    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
    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...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Seattle, WA.
    Posts
    1,754
    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
    "Gravity doesn't lie, and the ground never misses."
    Jake Burroughs
    Three Harmonies Chinese Martial Arts Center
    Seattle, WA.
    www.threeharmonies.com
    three_harmonies@hotmail.com
    www.threeharmonies.blogspot.com

  13. #28
    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

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    More on Levens

    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
    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    bad step dad

    what a way to celebrate xmas...
    Police say argument ended in fatal shooting of Boise MMA fighter
    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •