chicot60
08-15-2011, 03:02 AM
By Sergio Non, USA TODAY
Las Vegas-based trainer Shawn Tompkins, who coached several top competitors in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 37.
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/fighting-stances/2011/08/14/shawntompkinsx-inset-community.jpg
He was found dead Sunday morning, mixed martial arts journalist and Tompkins friend Mike Straka reported, citing the trainer's wife, Emilie Stout. Mike Gunderson, a lightweight in the Team Tompkins stable of fighters, confirmed the news with MMAjunkie.com.
No cause of death was immediately announced. Tompkins was in Canada with members of his team when he died, Straka said.
A native of Ontario who relocated to Las Vegas, Tompkins had a number of Canadians under his tutelage included consensus No. 6 featherweight Mark Hominick and veteran lightweight Sam Stout. Tompkins was married to Stout's sister.
Before making his name as a trainer, Tompkins competed in kickboxing and Muay Thai for several years. He also had a short career in mixed martial arts.
He first entered the MMA spotlight in early 2007 as a coach in the International Fight League. Tompkins worked as a striking coach at former champion's Randy Couture's gym in Las Vegas from August 2007 to October 2009, when he left to establish his own Vegas team at the Tapout Training Center.
His time at Xtreme Couture brought him in contact with several top-10 fighters. After he joined the Tapout gym, Tompkins spent time working with former champions Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. Under Tompkins, Belfort had three knockout wins in three fights, including his return to UFC in September 2009, when he defeated Rich Franklin in the first round
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/post/2011/08/reports-mma-trainer-shawn-tompkins-dead/415135/1
Las Vegas-based trainer Shawn Tompkins, who coached several top competitors in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 37.
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/fighting-stances/2011/08/14/shawntompkinsx-inset-community.jpg
He was found dead Sunday morning, mixed martial arts journalist and Tompkins friend Mike Straka reported, citing the trainer's wife, Emilie Stout. Mike Gunderson, a lightweight in the Team Tompkins stable of fighters, confirmed the news with MMAjunkie.com.
No cause of death was immediately announced. Tompkins was in Canada with members of his team when he died, Straka said.
A native of Ontario who relocated to Las Vegas, Tompkins had a number of Canadians under his tutelage included consensus No. 6 featherweight Mark Hominick and veteran lightweight Sam Stout. Tompkins was married to Stout's sister.
Before making his name as a trainer, Tompkins competed in kickboxing and Muay Thai for several years. He also had a short career in mixed martial arts.
He first entered the MMA spotlight in early 2007 as a coach in the International Fight League. Tompkins worked as a striking coach at former champion's Randy Couture's gym in Las Vegas from August 2007 to October 2009, when he left to establish his own Vegas team at the Tapout Training Center.
His time at Xtreme Couture brought him in contact with several top-10 fighters. After he joined the Tapout gym, Tompkins spent time working with former champions Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. Under Tompkins, Belfort had three knockout wins in three fights, including his return to UFC in September 2009, when he defeated Rich Franklin in the first round
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/post/2011/08/reports-mma-trainer-shawn-tompkins-dead/415135/1