Last weekend in Denver, the son of former Strikeforce combatant Lumumba Sayers passed away tragically.
During the early hours of Saturday, August 19, a tragic triple shooting unfolded near the intersection of 28th and Welton streets in Five Points neighborhood. This episode resulted in the unfortunate deaths of two individuals.
Among them was Lumumba Sayers Jr., a young talent who was making his mark in the world of mixed martial arts.
Lumumba Sayers Jr. was following in the footsteps of his father. Lumumba Sayers is a former professional MMA fighter with a record of 6-5. He participated in Strikeforce, engaging in matches against renowned opponents such as Anthony Smith and Derek Brunson.
Law enforcement in Denver is actively pursuing a suspect named Tyrell Braxton in connection with the incident. The authorities have shared a CCTV image of Braxton on social media, accompanied by a monetary reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of the 24-year-old. Braxton is a wanted individual on charges of first-degree m*rder.
Beyond his aspirations in the realm of combat sports, Lumumba Sayers Jr. was deeply committed to a cause close to his heart.
Collaborating with his father, he was actively involved in the Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts Foundation. It is an initiative aimed at curbing youth vi**ence within the community. He organized boxing contests in the neighborhood as part of his efforts.
Speaking to Denver7 News after the shooting, Sayers Sr. applauded his son’s efforts. He emphasized the tragedy of the MMA prospect being killed by the exact violence he had tried so hard to stop.
Sayers Sr. shared emotionally: “He’s the founder of the Gloves Up Guns Down: Get Your Heads Up in the Hood movement. He was stopping a lot of the violence here in the community”
“Putting on boxing matches and stuff and showing these kids that there’s a different way. He ran my moving company for me, that was my best friend.”
Sayers Sr. went on to say: “This coward shot my son, he shot my son, man. The community that we protect, you know, we try to provide for, the community that he tried to help guide in a different direction that he grew up in, they killed my son.”
“My son wasn’t no gang banger. He wasn’t no d**g dealer. He wasn’t no troublemaker. My son was following after my footsteps… My son came in and put in his work. This is where we changed lives up here, where we teach different things like integrity, self-love, on the job training. My son, he used to bring all the young people in and give them jobs.”
Sayers Jr. is an unbeaten boxer for the Colorado Combat Club and performed twice inside the ring before he passed away. He won both contests by knockout and by decision respectively.
His father thinks the 23-year-old has a promising career in mixed martial arts. He stated: “He was better than me. He was going to make it farther than I was. I had the recipe. He had the skills.”