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MMA can be a brutal sport, given the amount of damage fighters can take during their careers or even a single fight. The combination of strikes, submissions, wrestling, and continuous offense often lands fighters in the hospital for weeks. Sometimes, a fighter may take up to a year to recover from injuries.
However, it's more shocking when fighters who make a living through the hurt business pass away for completely unrelated reasons. From assaults to heat strokes and car accidents, some talented fighters have departed far too soon from unexpected causes.
Here are five MMA fighters who left the world too soon:
1) Fau Vake
Kiwi up-and-comer Fau Vake passed away after fighting for his life this past week at Auckland City Hospital. The young fighter was brutally assaulted by four men on May 16th and eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Vake was a friend and teammate of UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya from their gym City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand. The 25-year-old fighter was also father to a 3-year-old girl. Vake was a celebrated kickboxer who transitioned to MMA and was 2-0 in his pro-MMA career.
His death has come as a shock to the MMA world, which wholeheartedly extends its sympathies to Vake's family and friends. Israel Adesanya shared pictures of his friend and explained how well-wishers can contribute to Fau Vake's family. The young fighter will be dearly missed, having gone far too soon.
2) Jordan Parsons
Jordan Parsons was a talented American mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight and featherweight divisions. After becoming the lightweight champion at Championship Fighting Alliance (CFA), Parsons would eventually sign with Bellator MMA.
'Pretty Boy' was set for big things, having amassed an MMA record of 11-2. He was scheduled to fight on May 14th, 2016. Unfortunately, Parsons was involved in an accident on May 1st.
Jordan Parsons was crossing the street from his Florida apartment when he was violently struck by a Range Rover driven by a reckless 28-year-old named Dennis Wright. Parsons suffered a severed leg, and multiple injuries owing to the accident and was rushed to hospital. Unfortunately, the fighter succumbed to his injuries and lost his life. He was 26 years old.
3) Evan Tanner
Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner was a highly gifted martial artist. Having been a wrestler in high school, Tanner taught himself MMA primarily through instructional videos.
After competing as a light heavyweight, Evan Tanner moved down to middleweight and found a lot of success. He beat Robbie Lawler at UFC 50 and then won the middleweight championship at UFC 51 in 2005.
In 2008, Tanner proclaimed he was taking a solo trip to the Imperial County, California desert. Many supporters advised him against it, saying it was a dangerous undertaking. Tanner, however, wouldn't be deterred from his plans of biking and camping in the Californian desert.
After venturing out on a new dirt bike, Tanner called his manager John Hayner to say that he was out of gas and would walk back to his campsite. Tanner messaged his friends to say he could probably make it back to camp, but they should call the authorities if they didn't hear from him the next day.
Evan Tanner's body was discovered near Clapp Spring by a Marine helicopter on September 8, 2008, with empty water bottles by his side. The official cause of death was listed as heat exposure. To this day, the MMA community mourns his unfortunate demise.
4) Kevin Randleman
![Kevin Randleman [Image Courtesy: ufc.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/05/29102-16219424016414-800.jpg)
Kevin Randleman remains one of the most iconic figures in all of mixed martial arts. The stone-cut physique with highlighted hair will always be synonymous with the MMA legend.
A former NCAA Division One wrestler, Randleman competed in the world's biggest MMA promotions: Vale Tudo, World Victory Road, Strikeforce, PRIDE FC, and the UFC. Randleman competed in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, even becoming the UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 23 in November 1999.
Kevin Randleman narrowly escaped death in 2007 when a staph infection leaked into his bloodstream, shut down his liver and kidney, and nearly killed him. The heavyweight managed to fight through and overcome the fatal illness.
Unfortunately, Randleman contracted pneumonia in 2016 and subsequently succumbed to complications arising from the same. He was 44 years old, and his untimely passing shocked the entire MMA community.
5) Kimbo Slice
Kevin Ferguson was a Bahamian mixed martial artist better known to the world as Kimbo Slice. The menacing brawler gained notoriety for participating in and hosting street fights. The same street fights also gave UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal his recognition in Miami's bare-knuckle fight scene.
Kimbo Slice was a brawler through and through. Having competed as a street fighter, Slice made his way into MMA with EliteXC. After the company shut its operations, Slice was given an opportunity by Dana White to fight in the UFC.
After a win and two losses in the UFC, Slice tried his hand at professional boxing, racking up a 7-0 record. He would eventually make his way back to MMA through Bellator, where he beat Ken Shamrock and then Dada 5000, but his win against the latter was turned into a no-contest owing to a failed drug test. Even so, Slice had massive success in the organization and amongst their fans.
Rather suddenly, Kimbo Slice was admitted to a hospital in Florida on June 5, 2016. He passed away due to heart failure the next day. The fighting icon was 42 years old, and his sudden death came as a shock to the MMA community all over the world.
