UFC fighter Josh Samman dies after spending nearly a week in a coma

UFC fighter Josh Samman has passed away after spending almost a week in a coma. The 28-year-old middleweight was found unconscious at home in Hollywood, Florida, last Thursday (29 September) after an undisclosed incident involving his friend Troy Kirkingburg, who was discovered dead at the scene.

Samman was subsequently taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead on Wednesday. The tragic news, confirmed by Samman's manager Gary Ibarra, came shortly after the UFC fighter's mother released a statement to FOX Sports confirming that, contrary to online rumours, no heroin was found in her son's system.

Samman first rose to prominence in the world of mixed martial arts when he joined Jon Jones' team on the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter. The American subsequently won his first three fights in the UFC, including successive victories over Eddie Gordon and Caio Magalhaes.

Allied to his in-the-ring achievements, Samman released a memoir, titled The Housekeeper: Love, Death and Prize Fighting, which detailed his battles with substance abuse and the death of his girlfriend in a car accident three years ago. More recently, the fighter turned his hand to writing about MMA, with his byline appearing on several UFC-focused websites.