MMA fighter Rondel Clark’s death being investigated in Massachusetts
The death of Rondel Clark three days after a TKO loss is being investigated in Massachusetts.
Clark, an amateur competitor, died Tuesday after being hospitalized following a third-round TKO loss to Ryan Dunn on Saturday night in Plymouth, Mass., per multiple reports. The bout took place at the Cage Titans 35 event, which aired on FloCombat. Clark was 26 years old.
Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz announced Tuesday that an investigation -- which includes the Massachusetts state police, the Plymouth Police Department, the DA’s office and the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission (MSAC) — has been launched in the wake of Clark’s death.
The release stated that Clark was rushed to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth after his post-fight medical examination. He was then transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he died early Tuesday morning.
The Office of the State Medical Examiner in Massachusetts will “determine the cause and manner of Mr. Clark’s death,” per the DA’s release.
In the third round of the fight, both Clark and Dunn appeared to be exhausted. The bout ended in TKO with Dunn on top of Clark, landing what seemed to be relatively weak punches.
Cage Titans issued a statement that said Clark was a “cherished soul throughout his athletic career, known for his utter tenacity on the grid iron, grappling mats, and inside the MMA cage.”
“We at Cage Titans extend our deepest condolences to the Clark family, who request no outside communications at this time,” the statement read.
A post shared by Cage Titans (@cagetitans) on Aug 15, 2017 at 11:42am PDT
Clark, a former football player, was 1-1 as an amateur in MMA, winning his debut via 25-second knockout in June. He competed as a welterweight in both bouts.
