Ex-UFC Fighter Rodrigo de Lima Dies at Age 26
Rodrigo de Lima, a former fighter in the UFC, died Sunday after being involved in an argument with a rideshare driver in Brazil.
An altercation took place in Belem, according to ESPN Brazil. It ended with a driver later identified as Jefferson Roger Maciel striking de Lima from behind.
De Lima compiled a 9-3-1 record during his professional MMA career.
UFC welterweight Michael Prazeres said de Lima, who was 26, was accosted by Maciel at a petrol station, per Tom Towers of the Daily Star. De Lima was with friends at the time, and Maciel is said to have initially driven away before returning to fatally hit de Lima while his back was turned.
Police are now searching for Maciel.
De Lima, who is survived by his wife and two children, won the Jungle Fight by making Gabriel Toussaint submit back in 2013. The victory earned him a spot with UFC, where he competed in the welterweight division briefly from 2014 to 2015, losing to Neil Magny and Efrain Escudero.
He last competed back in June of last year, losing to Luiz Fabiano.
