Kevin Randleman, the mixed martial arts pioneer who was one of UFC's original heavyweight champions, died Thursday of heart failure after he was admitted to a hospital to be treated for pneumonia. He was 44.
Wes Sims, a former training partner, confirmed Randleman's death to Sherdog.com Thursday night. Other members of Randleman's family posted to Facebook.
Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter first reported the news.
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Randleman, nicknamed "The Monster," rose to prominence in the late 1990s as the UFC established a foothold in organized professional fighting. After a decorated collegiate career as a two-time national wrestling champion at Ohio State, Randleman made his professional MMA debut in 1996 and won his first heavyweight belt in 1999 after defeating Pete Williams at UFC 23. He defended the title in 2000 against Pedro Rizzo.
In 2002, Randleman debuted in PRIDE FC. He attained two of his most notable feats several years later, when he scored a knockout upset of Mirko Cro Cop Filipović in PRIDE Total Elimination 2004 and slammed reigning heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko on his head during PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004.
He retired from professional fighting in 2011 but remained active in the sport and trained in Las Vegas.
Randleman, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, had 10 siblings and three children of his own, according to the biography page on his personal website.
