- Admin
- #1
The UFC put on one of its most exciting fight cards of the year with UFC on Versus 5 tonight in Milwaukee, but the event was overshadowed by the sad news that renowned mixed martial arts trainer Shawn Tompkins passed away earlier today. Tompkins was just 37.
Multiple fighters confirmed the passing and the UFC made an announcement concerning Tompkins' death during the live show on Versus.
The reaction from fighters has slowly begun to trickle out:
MMA fighter John Gunderson today told MMAjunkie.com that Tompkins "didn't wake up," but he was still unclear on the details surrounding his passing.
A native of Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, Tompkins (pictured on right) spent many of his recent years in Las Vegas as the head coach at Xtreme Couture. He worked with former UFC light heavyweight champion and heavyweight Randy Couture. In recent years, Tompkins also worked the corner of fighters like Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffin and Vitor Belfort.
In 2009, Tompkins left Xtreme Couture to move his team just a few miles away in Las Vegas to the TapouT Training Center. He was currently working with UFC fighters Mark Hominick, Chris Horodecki and Sam Stout (pictured on left). Tompkins was married to Stout's sister Emelie.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• Will Power flips off IndyCar officials after crash
• Are Haynesworth and Ochocinco not long for the Patriots?
• Five truths about Dennis Rodman