A former cage fighter has died after falling ill during a training session.
André Mussi was taken to hospital yesterday (Oct 22) but never recovered.
The 48-year-old was a businessman, bodybuilder and former MMA fighter.
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He was active in the octagon from 2004 to 2010.
André, who was from Brazil but travelled to Mexico, the US and Portugal with work, racked up 11 wins during his MMA career.
He was living in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil when he died.
He will be laid to rest in the Bahia state capital, Salvador.
He is survived by his wife and son.
André’s friend, Renato Velame, told local media: “He was a key figure in modern MMA. He redefined the business model, professionalising the sport in the state.”
André once owned a gym in Salvador that specialised in weightlifting and offered MMA classes.
Renato said: “In the past, it was hard to find a gym that focused solely on martial arts. His gym specialised in weightlifting, but we built a strong MMA team there.
“Crocotá is a pioneering name in Bahia’s MMA scene. Many people, including Minotauro and Minotouro, trained there. This generation trained there.”
André also organised mixed martial arts events, which helped popularise the sport in Bahia, as reported by Need To Know.
Renato said: “André Mussi will be remembered as one of the key figures who helped put Bahia on the national and international MMA map.”
The tragedy comes shortly after the death of another Brazilian MMA fighter.
Dad-of-one Rubem Barca de Souza was found lying on a roadside in the early hours of 10 October.
His body was found in bin bags with some torn-up cardboard placed on top.
The 29-year-old had gone missing three days earlier in Manaus, Brazil.
The day before he had told his father: “Dad, I’m going to take care of a mission, I need to resolve a problem.”
It’s believed De Souza was killed by members of a crime syndicate.
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