The combat sports community is mourning the loss of Isaac Johnson, a 31-year-old mixed martial arts competitor from Chicago who died after collapsing during a heavyweight Thai boxing match in Cicero on Friday night.
Johnson was participating in the Matador Fighter Challenge at Cicero Stadium when he sustained injuries that would prove fatal. Emergency services were summoned to the venue at 8:38 p.m. to transport the stricken athlete to Loyola University Medical Center, according to a town spokesperson.
Despite medical intervention both at the scene and at the hospital, Johnson was pronounced dead at 12:01 a.m. Saturday morning. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death, while Cicero police have opened a death investigation.
The Matador Fighter Challenge had been promoted as “the ultimate MMA and Thai event, where local warriors will battle it out in high-stakes, high-intensity matches.” Johnson was scheduled to compete in the heavyweight Thai boxing division, according to event materials.
Event promoter Joe Goytia shared the devastating news with followers through social media, expressing his surprise and grief. “This is a post I hoped to never make, last night one of the fighters in our event Isaac Johnson collapsed towards end of his fight,” Goytia wrote on Facebook.
He continued: “Medical attention was given by medical staff on hand and he was transported to hospital. I was then informed at around 130 am this morning that he didn’t make it.”
Goytia added that medical personnel were present at the venue when the incident occurred. “I don’t have the words to express how I feel right now, all I can say is my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and teammates. We will know more as the medical report is released.”
The incident remains under investigation as authorities work to piece together the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s death.
