Kevin Randleman Passes Away At Age 44. It is a sad day for fans of old–school MMA. The UFC legend was one of the pioneers of the early Ultimate Fighting Championship. A former two–time NCAA champion wrestler and UFC heavyweight champion, Kevin had gone to a San Diego hospital with pneumonia. He later suffered heart failure and passed away at a too young age. Members of his family confirmed his passing on Facebook.
Long before Kevin was one of the most terrifying fighters in the Octagon, he was already a legend due to his exploits at Ohio State, following in the footsteps of Mark Coleman, another UFC icon. Kevin was a fierce wrestler and a three–time all–American. After completing college, he joined the UFC where he soon gained a reputation as one of the most explosive and powerful fighters in the history of UFC. He won the sport’s world heavyweight title in 1999 at UFC23. For many years, Kevin Randleman was a staple of UFC, having also fought for Strikeforce, Sengoku and PRIDE.
In a 2004, Kevin experienced one of his biggest moments in a battle against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. Kevin floored the massive favorite in the first round with a huge punch before finishing him off a few moments later with some brutal ground and pound. That was one of the most shocking fights in the history of the sport. Numerous friends, personalities, and fighters from around the MMA community are saddened by his passing and have sent out condolences to Kevin’s family.
