CT MMA Fighter Dies After Recent Bout In West Springfield

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Christian Lubenga, 27, an MMA fighter from Connecticut, died after injuries sustained during a competition held in West Springfield, Mass. this past weekend, Fox 61 reported.

The cause of death has not been released and is under investigation, according to authorities. Lubenga was knocked out in the third round and taken to the hospital afterward, Fox 61 reported. He trained in Orange, CT.

In a social media post, Black Wolf Martial Arts of Orange, posted, "We are at a loss (for) words. This is what a nightmare looks like…. It can't even be properly articulated with words and on a social media post, nonetheless. We wanted to give the family some time to make their own decisions about how to go public with this before we spoke on it, out of respect. While we ourselves are grieving, and it’s difficult to even type this out, we felt it appropriate to take a moment to say a few things."

"Christian wasn’t just any student. Christian was the kind of human who brought life and light into any room he walked into. Christian was our family. We shared laughs, stories, blood, sweat, tears. He’s the kind of person I aspire to be like, and I wish more people were like him. Polite, professional, humble, always kind to everyone no matter what. We spent hundreds of thousands of hours together doing the things we were passionate about. Christian was a true martial artist in every aspect of the word and a true warrior. We love you, Christian. We all love you."

Read More at Fox 61.