Bellator fighter Isaiah Chapman died Tuesday night after being shot multiple times outside his home in Akron, Ohio.
On Wednesday, the Akron Beacon Journal, citing Akron police Lt. Michael Miller, reported that officers responded to a call of shots being fired at 9:40 p.m. local time. When they arrived on the scene, they found a 30-year-old man in the street with gunshot wounds. The man was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A person close to Chapman, 30, told MMA Junkie on Wednesday that Chapman was the victim in the shooting. Members of Chapman’s family also have shared the news of his shooting death on social media. Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou paid tribute to Chapman on Twitter.
The medical examiner’s office has yet to identify Chapman, and the alleged suspect in the shooting remains at large as of this writing.
According to his Tapology profile, Chapman was a professional fighter since 2012. His last fight took place in October of last year at Bellator 232, where he lost to Patchy Mix by submission in a bantamweight bout. Chapman posted a career record of 9-4.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with Chapman’s funeral arrangements.
