Canadian and world-renowned mixed martial arts trainer Shawn Tompkins died in his sleep on Sunday according to this report by MMAJunkie.com. The report has also been confirmed by several sources close to the MMA icon.
Tompkins was the original head trainer at Adrenaline Training and Fitness Center in London, Ontario were he taught and guided the careers of UFC veterans Sam Stout and Mark Hominick, as well as young up-and-comer Chris Horodecki.
Tompkins then emerged on the national MMA scene as an assistant coach in the now defunct IFL (International Fight League) under Bas Rutten. Tompkins later took over as head coach from Rutten as he stepped down to do commentary.
Tompkins then migrated to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas where he was a coach before he split with that gym and joining the Tapout Training Facility. He had moved to Las Vegas with his wife Emilie, but was home in Canada helping Horodecki train for his next fight on Sept 10.
Tompkins was 37 years old and a father figure to many of the fighters he guided and trained.
I was at a UFC function yesterday, golfing all day with Tompkins’ prized pupil and UFC fighter Mark Hominick. He golfed and spoke to fans and golfers all day and then was sitting across from me at dinner. He was gracious and cordial and no one knew anything about his coach and mentor.
As the evening rolled on, you could tell something was going on as he had to keep getting up to talk on his cell phone. Everyone at the event was set to watch the UFC Live fights with him when he suddenly had to leave the event. It is at that time, around 9 p.m. ET that we began to hear the news.
In a shocking twist, and absolute testament to Tompkins and the way he taught his fighters, I heard the news this morning that Hominick knew from early afternoon that his coach and mentor had passed, yet he didn’t tell a soul and he completed his appearance.
That is unbelievable to me and a true show of Tompkins’ fighters’ toughness that we all must admire and respect.
R.I.P. Shawn Tompkins.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Feature Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA (also a correspondent for MMACanada.net).
Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma.
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