MMA fighter's death in South Carolina remains 'a very sad mystery' following inconclusive autopsy

Sorry folks, not exactly the kind of news I enjoy passing along, but it's not something we can afford to ignore, either.

Amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Tyrone Mims died last Saturday night (Aug. 11, 2012) following his loss to Blake Poore at "Fight Night at the Point 6," emanating from the Omar Shrine Center at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

The cause of death remains "a very sad mystery."

That's according to Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten, who told the Post and Courier an autopsy revealed "no obvious, glaring cause of death" and that no visible signs of trauma were apparent during the screening. Results from both tissue and cell testing, as well as a toxicology exam, won't be available for several weeks.

It was a tragic end to what has been referred to as a "textbook stoppage."

Andrew Knapp has more:

Mims smiled and told a doctor he was OK but needed rest. He answered questions coherently. With help, he walked to the locker room around 8:30 p.m., where he removed his gloves and drank water.

But within minutes, he began talking gibberish and breathing heavily. He passed out. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but the father of five died an hour later at Medical University Hospital.

The combatant known as "Teesta" was subjected to a battery of pre-fight medical exams, and now joins Michael Kirkham as the second fighter to pass away following an MMA bout in South Carolina. Kirkham suffered from a post-fight brain hemorrhage back in mid-2010.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details on Mims tragic passing, as they become available.