MMA veteran, Justin Thornton, has sadly passed away at the age of 38 following injuries he sustained in a first-round knockout loss to Dillon Cleckler at BKFC 20 on August 20.
My MMA News' Eric Kowal was the first to report the tragic news of Thornton's passing via a tweet. BKFC President Dave Feldman confirmed Kowal's report as well with MMA Junkie and gave them the following statement in regards to his reaction to the news.
“This morning we were very saddened to be notified of the passing of one of our fighters, Justin Thornton, who competed at BKFC-20 on August 20, 2021,” Feldman said. “We join the rest of the combat sports community in sending our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Thornton went 6-18 as a professional fighter, over the course of a career that spanned 24 fights. He had to be taken out of the ring on a stretcher following the loss to Cleckler and has been hospitalized since the fight, having to be put on a ventilator. There has been no report on the official cause of Thornton's death. Our entire team at Fightful would like to send our condolences to Justin's family and friends.
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