Shane del Rosario passed away late Sunday evening in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 30 years old.
The UFC heavyweight was hospitalized Nov. 26 after suffering a “catastrophic cardiac collapse.” He was resuscitated but taken off life support on Nov. 29.
Miraculously, del Rosario survived 10 days off life support, even showing brief flashes of improvement, before succumbing to the complications sustained from the heart attack.
Del Rosario’s friend and teammate, UFC flyweight Ian McCall, posted the following to Instagram Monday:
RIP to one of the best people I’ve ever had the honor to have in my life and call my best friend.@shanedelrosario helped me threw the toughest time in my life and helped me raise my daughter. Love you big fella. #ohana
McCall was the one who discovered del Rosario shortly after the initial bout of cardiac arrest on November 26.
MMAJunkie.com has an official statement from the UFC along with some additional details.
“The Ultimate Fighting Championship mourns the tragic loss of heavyweight competitor Shane Del Rosario, who has passed away at the age of 30,” the UFC said in a statement. “Del Rosario suffered a heart attack on Tuesday, Nov. 26 as a result of what doctors believe to a congenital heart disorder, according to his manager Jason House. The entire organization sends its deepest condolences to Shane’s family and friends.”
The UFC did not disclose the time of death. A request for comment from Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., where del Rosario was admitted after the heart attack, was not immediately returned on Monday.
Prior to his heart troubles, del Rosario battled back from a serious car accident in April 2011, extending his career for two fights inside the UFC Octagon. He lost to Stipe Miocic and Pat Barry via knockout in each of those two 2012 bouts.
Before landing in the UFC, the powerful kickboxer posted an outstanding 11-0 record in professional competition, including a three-fight winning streak in Strikeforce that was highlighted by a victory over former UFC fighter Lavar Johnson in February 2011.
All of his 11 victories in this stretch came via knockout or submission, which earned him a reputation as one of the most dangerous finishers in the heavyweight division.
Del Rosario was recently scheduled to face Guto Inocente at UFC 168 before both men were forced to pull out with injures.
Bleacher Report would like to extend condolences to all those affected in this trying time.
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