Friday, December 26, 2008

Another MMA fighter dead


Multiple media sources are reporting the death of former UFC and EliteXC fighter Justin Eilers. Eilers was shot on Christmas Day during a domestic dispute.

According to Sherdog.com's Loretta Hunt, Eilers was celebrating Christmas in Canyon County, Idaho with relatives and friends, including his ex-girlfriend. There was an ensuing argument and Eilers was asked to leave the residence. He reportedly refused and began throwing objects, including dishes.

James Robert Malec, 48, believed to be Eiler's mother's boyfriend, then pulled a gun and shot Eilers in the chest.

Monty Cox, Eiler's long-time manager, told Hunt that the bullet entered Eiler's lung and exited his body.

Malec has reportedly been charged with second-degree murder.

Eilers career MMA record was 19-7-1. He was last seen in July on SHOWTIME losing the EliteXC heavyweight title match in Stockton, Calif. to Antonio "Giant" Silva. The Boise native had four UFC fights from 2004-2006. He debuted by beating Mike Kyle at UFC 49 but then suffered three straight losses, to Paul Buentello, Andrei Arlovski and Brandon Vera.

On Wednesday Dec. 17, former UFC fighter Justin Levens, who was also a member of the Southern California Condors of the International Fight League in 2007, was found dead along with his wife, Sara, from gunshot wounds at a condo in Laguna Niguel, California on Wednesday.

Local police called it a murder/suicide. Both were found by Sara's mother on the bed.

Levens, 28, a protege of Marco Ruas, the coach of the Condors, had a 9-8 pro MMA record including UFC losses to Evan Tanner, who died earlier this year after getting lost in the California desert, and Jorge Santiago in 2006.

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