#6 Casey Suire
Casey Suire personified the expression “it’s never too late to follow your dreams”. A country boy from Louisiana, Suire worked in the oil business, a trade which took him all over the world. While on an assignment in Indonesia, he was introduced to the sport by an Australian kickboxer.
The fuse lit at 32, Suire started training in BJJ but honed his striking enough to win both his professional boxing tilts. Suire proved to be a natural, winning his first five fights before being submitted by Mark Striegl, who is one of the hottest prospects in Asian MMA, not to mention 16 years younger than him.
Another stoppage loss ensued, but Suire regrouped and ground out a decision win in August 2016. This February, just a month after celebrating his 40th birthday, Suire died after his motorcycle was hit by a car.
The universe’s twisted sense of irony was evident, because, in Suire’s own words, it was his sister’s death in a similar accident that was the impetus for him to live life to the fullest.
