Charleston, SC (MMAjunkie.com/USA Today) -- Amateur MMA fighter Tyrone "Teesta" Mims died Saturday night soon after a loss
at a regional event in South Carolina.
According to the Post and Courier, Mims suffered problems backstage after his loss to Blake Poore and was taken by
paramedics to Medical University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon
after.
The event, "Conflict MMA
Promotions: Fight Night at the Point 6," took place at Omar Shrine Center
at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
The cause of death is unknown,
and an autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
MMAjunkie.com confirmed Mims'
death but couldn't immediately reach event officials or South Carolina State
Athletic Commissions representatives for comment.
According to messages on the fight
promotion's Facebook page, the event featured more than a dozen bouts. The
event was halted and the online stream ended soon after the Georgia-based Mims
became unresponsive after his bout, which was the second matchup of the night.
"The promoters and the
South Carolina Fight Commission consulted with the fighters and all involved
and decided as a result of the death of one of their own we should call off the
rest of the fights," the event's streaming partner, Georgia Boy's
Grits-n-Glory, stated in a release earlier today. "The promoters and the
Athletic Commission did everything in their power according to protocol, and
this accident was beyond their control. We apologize for the inconvenience and
hope you'll understand as we deal with the gravity of the situation. Our
thoughts and prayers are with 'Teesta' and his immediate family, which include
his five children."
This isn't the first time the
South Carolina fight scene has experienced tragedy. Amateur fighter Michael Kirkham died of a brain hemorrhage following a
knockout loss at a 2010 event in Aiken. It was his second KO loss in 32 days.
It's also the second known MMA
death of 2012. South Dakota fighter Dustin Jenson died
after an amateur fight in May, though a coroner said a head injury he suffered
a week prior to the bout was the primary culprit.
MMAjunkie.com is part of
the USA TODAY Sports Media Group