Top MMA Fighter Passes Away At 38

Guilherme ‘Bomba’ Vasconcelos, the powerhouse jiu-jitsu and MMA fighter who competed for seven solid years in the professional fighting scene, has died at just 38 according to the Daily Caller.

Friends and members of Vasconcelos’s family confirmed the news of his death with TMZ though did not shed any light on the circumstances surrounding it. The Brazilian fighter finished his career 10-6 in professional matches and had appeared in multiple MMA promotions, giving his likeness and image over to the league at a time when mixed martial arts catapulted from the niche into the mainstream.

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Vasconcelos made headlines in 2017 for a brief relationship with actress Demi Lovato, who so far has remained silent about his passing. The two celebrated New Year’s Eve together and went on a few dates before Lovato told media outlets the relationship “had run its course.” Walter, an uncle to the athlete, said in a statement, “We were looking forward to your visit for Christmas, which will no longer happen.” He also told TMZ, “Life is fleeting, and we woke up to this devastating news. What a time we live in. We pray for you! May God, who can do all things, welcome you in His infinite mercy and comfort all who have always loved you!”

Guilherme "Bomba" Vasconcelos — an MMA fighter who competed in the UFC and Bellator, and dated Demi Lovato — is dead at 38 years old. The cause of death is not known at this time.
🙏🏽 RIP Bomba

Per: @TMZ pic.twitter.com/QE7ylBvjFc

— TheMMAfoo🦉 (@TheMMAfoo) October 15, 2024

Local news outlets in Brazil report that Vasconcelos died in the Los Angeles area. He is survived by his one-year-old daughter whom he shared with model Kayla Lauren, the Daily Mail reported. Less than 24 hours before he was found dead, Vasconcelos posted a photo of himself standing outside a jiu-jitsu gym, appearing ready to put in some work.

The sporting world has suffered a number of tragic losses in 2024, including the death of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei in a domestic violence incident last month. In May, Georgie Campbell, one of horseback riding’s top young stars, was killed in a freak accident when her horse stumbled over a fence and fell on her. Maricet Espinosa Gonzalez, a 2016 Olympic judo champion from Cuba, died following complications from cosmetic surgery at just 34 years old.

Nor is Vasconcelos the first MMA fighter to recently pass away at such a young age. In May, UFC fighter Geane Herrera died following a deadly accident. Herrera, who was released by the organization in 2016, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Tampa, Florida, according to multiple reports. The flyweight fighter was riding his bike around 10:45 p.m. when he crashed into another vehicle while traveling at a “high rate of speed,” authorities said. He was thrown from his bike after striking a concrete barrier and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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