Tributes have been pouring in for MMA fighter Jordan Young after his death at the age of 27 was confirmed by his gym and the Professional Fighters League (PFL) – the promotion he competed in just weeks before his passing.
“It’s with a heavy heart, we have learned about the passing of our teammate Jordan Young,” wrote the American Top Team gym on Twitter.
“Our team is shocked and deeply saddened by this news. A great teammate, he will be deeply missed by all of us. Thoughts and prayers to his family. RIP to this warrior.”
The PFL also tweeted their condolences, writing: “PFL is saddened to learn about the passing of Jordan Young. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family during this tragic time. May he Rest In Peace.”
The cause of death is not yet clear, but boxing coach Derik Santos shared an Instagram post on Saturday in which he had discussed Young’s passing in a touching message.
“Tonight 20 minutes before our fight and subsequent victory I got a call, that one of the fighters I currently did boxing coaching for had passed,” wrote Santos, who was working at an event in Massachusetts.
“I left the locker room quietly, found a dark corner room and I cried. I couldn’t believe it, I could hear his voice in my head. I stood in disbelief before I had to get myself together to do the job.
“I had grown fond of Jordan… Just a few weeks ago we talked about how excited he was for 2022, and that as soon as he took care of some injury he wanted to schedule getting right back to work with me," Santos added.
“When he spoke to me I had such a good feeling for him, he was on such an upswing and positive vibe after an injury plagued career. I was really looking forward to seeing him have continued success after his last big win.”
American Top Team coach Dyah Davis shared his sadness, writing: "I can’t even believe it… don’t want to believe it. I’m beyond saddened with the news of your passing.
"Jordan Young represented and trained at American Top Team, a fighter I knew and coached for 5+ yrs. We shared a bond beyond the sport so it’s with heavy heart that I type this. Gone too soon champ, R.I.P."
Elsewhere, conditioning coach Phil Daru shared images of himself alongside Young and referenced injury struggles the fighter had been dealing with.
“Jordan contacted me the night of his passing, he asked for my help when he found out he just suffered a torn ACL. The last thing I wrote to him was ‘I got you, there’s always a way’ the next day I received a call informing me of his passing,” wrote Daru.
“In this life there’s ups and downs, we all must identify the problems and seek to overcome those issues through a conscious effort. For Jordan he always looked to find a way, this is not a post to feel sorry about what happened.
"This is a post to remind everyone that life is short leave your mark on the world and live the life God has intended for you.”
Born in Urbandale, Iowa, light heavyweight fighter Young compiled a 12-2 professional record in MMA, competing in high-tier promotions including Bellator and PFL.
He last fought as recently as October 27, when he stopped former UFC fighter Omari Akhmedov in the third round of their contest on the PFL card in Hollywood, Florida, after mounting a memorable comeback.