UFC fighter in critical condition after heart attack
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Shane del Rosario was clinging to life in a California hospital late Wednesday, a day after going into cardiac arrest.
His manager, Jason House, issued a statement confirming the situation:
“Shane Del Rosario had a catastrophic cardiovascular collapse at home on Tuesday morning. He was brought to the hospital in full cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated in the emergency room back to a stable heart rhythm and blood pressure. He is currently in the coronary care unit critically ill. Our prayers are with him and his family.”
Del Rosario, 30, was listed in critical condition at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif. UFC officials have declined comment except for a brief statement on the organization’s website extending thoughts and prayers to the family.
An ESPN.com mixed martial arts reporter wrote that he received a text message Wednesday from Del Rosario’s longtime trainer, Colin Oyama, from the hospital that said: “We have a chance, albeit a small one.” Oyama later posted on Twitter that del Rosario was “hanging in there,” and undergoing Arctic Sun treatment, which is supposed to prevent brain injury in cardiac arrest patients.
Del Rosario, a two-time Muay Thai world champion, entered the UFC from Strikeforce last year with an 11-0 record that included eight knockouts and three submissions, but lost his only two fights in the organization.
He was forced to pull out of what would have been the biggest fight of his career against Daniel Cormier on a Strikeforce card in 2011 after his car was struck by a drunken driver. A herniated disk suffered in the accident kept him out of action for more than a year. He later said he contemplated retirement during that time and has not won a fight since.
Upon his return, del Rosario entered the UFC and lost by second-round knockouts to Stipe Miocic in May 2012 and Pat Barry in December.
Del Rosario pulled out of his last two fights, including a scheduled bout with Guto Inocente on Dec. 28 at the MGM Grand.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.
