A memorial service for UFC veteran Josh Samman is planned for Friday.
Samman’s “Celebration of Life” will be held at The Moon in Tallahassee, Fla., where the fighter grew up and spent his formative years.
A fund, via crowdfunding site YouCaring.com, has also been set up with the aim of helping young MMA fighters train as professionals. At the time of this writing, the Josh Samman MMA Foundation has reached $1,352 of a $5,000 goal.
“Our goal is to one day have a sponsored athlete pass on the good deed to others in need,” states a description on the fund’s website. The fund was started in part by Samman’s mother, Cheryl Phoenix.
Samman died on Oct. 5 after spending six days in a coma at a hospital in south Florida. Samman, who trained at MMA Masters in Miami, was rushed to the hospital after a friend called 911 and police found him unresponsive.
Samman’s roommate and friend, Troy Jeffery Kirkingburg, was found dead in their apartment. There were no signs of foul play. A cause of death has not been officially declared, but police were called to the apartment on a suspected drug overdose.
Samman and Kirkingburg were 28.
At this past Saturday’s UFC 204 event, Samman’s promoter paid tribute to the fighter and dedicated the pay-per-view card to his memory. A veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 17,” Samman (12-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) made five appearances in the octagon and had signed a contract to fight Oluwale Bamgbose at UFC Fight Night 102 after feuding with him on social media (via Instagram):
Samman was a writer and promoter, as well as a fighter. He wrote an autobiography, which detailed his struggles with substance addiction, and penned several articles for the MMA website BloodyElbow.com and UFC.com. He was the CEO of the Combat Night MMA promotion, where Kirkingburg served as an announcer.
The MMA community was shocked by Samman’s death, with several fighters expressing their grief on social media.
“My time with you will always be cherished,” wrote UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa (via Twitter). “May you rest in peace my friend.”
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