Bellator and Legacy FC bantamweight Ivan “JP” Cole died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head. He was 25 years old.
Young fighter was reportedly playing russian roulette with a gun in a Dallas apartment. While the police still hasn’t confirmed the details surrounding his death it is now classified as an “unexplained death pending the results of the autopsy”.
This is not the first case of a MMA fighter indulging in this dangerous game. Reportedly Andrei Arlovski, former UFC HEavyweight champion, also tried his luck after suffering losses from Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers. He admitted to it in an interview with Fighters.com.
This is another mixed martial arts fighter in a long list of deceased in 2016. Just last week Kimbo Slice died from heart issues, and sometime before that Jordan Parsons (25) died in an hit-and-run accident.
Ivan Cole’s club made a statement:
Ivan was born on 30th November 1990, he fought in Bantamweight class and his MMA record stands at 2 wins and 3 losses.
Ivan last competed at Bellator 135, losing to George Pacurariu in the very first round via submission. Cole is survived by his wife of two years and a a four-year old daughter.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
