Former world champion mixed martial artist and UFC fighter Shane Del Rosario died at a California hospital Monday after going into cardiac arrest almost two weeks ago. He was 30 years old.
Del Rosario had been a professional mixed martial artist since 2006, competing in kickboxing and muay thai competitions early in his career,
according to the Associated Press. He was the first American winner of the WBC world heavyweight muay thai championship in 2007.
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ESPN noted that Del Rosario suffered a catastrophic cardiovascular collapse on Nov. 27 and was in full cardiac arrest when he arrived to the hospital. Del Rosario was resuscitated in the emergency room but remained in the hospital's coronary care unit and was initially listed in critical condition.
Colin Oyama, Del Rosario's trainer, said in November that the fighter had planned on participating in a UFC 168 event in Las Vegas in December. This was a week before he was hospitalized. Subsequently, the UFC announced that he could not fight Carlos Augusto Filho because of an injury.
Oyama told ESPN that Del Rosario had injured cartilage between his ribs and would not have been recovered enough to fight on Dec. 28.
Del Rosario, an Orange County, Calif., native, took up fighting after graduating from University of California, Irvine. He started his career with an 11-fight winning streak before a drunk driver struck him in an April 2011 car accident, sidelining him for 14 months.
He joined the UFC in May 2012, but lost to Stipe Miocic and again last December to Pat Barry.
Del Rosario's family told the Associated Press that the fighter wanted to be an organ donor.
"He was passionate about helping others and was always there to offer a helping hand, a smile, and encouragement to anyone, not only family and friends, but also to strangers," Del Rosario's family said.
"He always put others before himself and would give the shirt off his back. He brought genuine joy and happiness to everyone he touched," the family's statement continued.
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