Bellator fighter Jordan Parsons has died at the age of 25, three days after he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Florida.
Bellator President Scott Coker confirmed Parsons’ death Wednesday in a statement emailed to Bleacher Report:
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.
Glenn Robinson, who runs the Blackzilians camp where Parsons trained, told Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com after the incident that Parsons had to have his full right leg amputated.
Robinson also told Helwani that Parsons’ “heart was only working at 20 percent. He’s currently having heart surgery and that should last another hour.”
UFC fighter Rashad Evans, who also trains at the camp run by Robinson, said Parsons was in a coma and fighting for his life in an Instagram post released Sunday.
The Delray Beach Police Department released a statement Monday on Facebook describing Parsons’ accident:
Parsons was on the south side of the intersection, walking in the crosswalk. The vehicle hit Parsons and fled, leaving him lying in the roadway. A nearby DBPD officer, Derek Chahine, arrived on scene very quickly and applied pressure to Parsons’ severe leg wound until Delray Beach Fire Rescue responded and transported Parsons to Delray Medical Center where he remains in critical condition.
Parsons had been scheduled to fight Adam Piccolotti on the main card of Bellator’s May 14 event before the accident.
A North Dakota native, Parsons began his professional mixed martial arts career in 2010. He won his first seven fights and had an 11-2 career record, winning the CFA featherweight championship and Driller Promotions lightweight championship.
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