Josh Samman dies at 28
UFC middleweight Josh Samman died on Wednesday at a hospital in Hollywood, Fla.
The news was confirmed by the promotion.
A native of Kissimmee, Fla., Samman and roommate Troy Kirkingburg were found unresponsive in their south Florida residence last Thursday. Both were taken to the hospital, with Kirkingburg being declared dead on arrival and Samman remaining in a coma up until his death.
Samman was 28 years old.
The cause of death is still under investigation, but authorities have ruled out foul play. On Monday, Samman's mother refuted rumors that her son's condition was due to a heroin overdose.
Samman first came to the attention of MMA fans as a contestant on "The Ultimate Fighter 17." He made it to the semifinals of that season's middleweight tournament before being submitted by eventual winner Kelvin Gastelum.
The UFC signed him fresh off of the show and Samman rewarded them by winning his first three fights, all by knockout or submission. He would go on to lose his next two bouts, and was next booked to face Oluwale Bamgbose at UFC Fight Night 92 on Dec. 9.
Samman gained further notoriety in the MMA community as a contributor to Bloody Elbow, UFC.com, and FloCombat. This past April, he published a memoir entitled "The Housekeeper: Love, Death, and Prizefighting", which detailed his struggles with addiction, his fighting career, and the death of his girlfriend.