Former UFC fighter Tim Hague dies after getting knocked out in boxing match

Former UFC heavyweight fighter Tim Hague died Sunday after suffering a brain injury during a boxing match on Friday, his family confirmed to CTV News Edmonton.

“It is with incredible sadness, sorrow and heartbreak to report that Tim has passed away today,” Hague’s sister, Jackie Neil, wrote on her Facebook page. “He was surrounded by family, listening to his favourite songs. We will miss him with (sic) so greatly. We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”

CBC News reported that Hague, 34, was taken to the hospital in critical condition on Friday after being knocked out by former Canadian Football League player Adam Braidwood at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton. Video of the fight shows Hague being knocked down several times before the bout was stopped for good in the second round.

Hague, an Alberta native and grade-school teacher, began his MMA career in 2006 and fought five times on the UFC circuit from 2009 to 2011. According to MMAJunkie.com, Hague’s overall MMA record was 21-13.

“He was probably one of the most positive people I’ve ever met,” Alicia Landry, co-owner of UFC Gym Sherwood Park in Alberta where Hague trained six days a week, told CBC News. “He was just happy to do whatever he could to help anybody – I’ve never seen him have a bad day.”

Hague was injured on the same day that former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes was hurt in a collision between a pickup truck and a train in Raymond, Illinois.

Illinois State Police said Hughes’ pickup was traveling on a road in central Illinois when the driver crossed railroad tracks marked with a warning. The truck was struck on the passenger side by the train.

The 43-year-old Hughes, who is from Hillsboro, Illinois, was airlifted to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.

In a statement, the hospital reported a trauma team stabilized Hughes “and continues to help him in his recovery.”

Hughes is among the most accomplished welterweights in MMA history. The former All-American wrestler at Eastern Illinois became one of the UFC’s first major stars during MMA’s growth into a popular sport in the U.S.