KEY POINTS

  • Bare-knuckle fighter Justin Thornton has passed away after a month of being in the hospital
  • Thornton last fought against Dillon Cleckler in August of this year
  • The cause of his passing is yet to be made public

38-year-old Justin Thornton has tragically passed away after losing via knockout in his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut back in August.

Eric Kowal of MyMMANews.com first broke the devastating news via social media.

“Justin [Thornton] passed away this morning after battling through injuries and complications that occurred as a result of his latest bare-knuckle bout at BKFC 20 in August,” wrote Kowal.

Thornton absorbed a massive right hand from fellow mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Dillon Cleckler in a heavyweight bout, knocking him out clean and the top of his head absorbing most of the impact as he crashed into the mat.

The heavyweight fighter left the ring on a stretcher and was immediately hospitalized after the 19-second KO loss.

BKFC president Dave Feldman issued a statement regarding Thornton’s passing.

“This morning we were very saddened to be notified of the passing of one of our fighters, Justin Thornton, who competed at BKFC-20 on August 20, 2021,” Feldman told MMA Junkie.

“We join the rest of the combat sports community in sending our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”

A GoFundMe page was immediately set up to help his family offset the medical bills.

“Justin [Thornton] suffered a spinal injury which resulted in paralysis and being on a ventilator,” said the page.

The cause of Thornton’s passing is yet to be revealed to the public.

Prior to his BKFC debut, Thornton was 6-18 in MMA. He was last seen inside the cage when he fought Lex McMahon--the COO of Titan FC--losing via first-round submission back in November 2020.

His BKFC fight against Cleckler was a rematch of their 2013 fight, which also saw the executive winning.

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