Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor / former MMA fighter Joe Camacho dead at 41 (1972-2013)

It is with a heavy heart that we report that long-time mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran, Joe Camacho, has passed away because of an apparent heart attack.

Camacho, who fought for organizations such as Bellator, King of The Cage, ShoXC and Shooto, was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor who ran the Joe Camacho Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Los Angeles, California.

According to Sherdog.com, Camacho returned home for a North American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition in Long Beach, Calif., and told his girlfriend that he was not feeling well.

After Camacho's screams were heard early Monday morning, he was rushed to Queen of the Valley Medical Center and was pronounced dead. It must be noted that according to a report by the Los Angeles Times, police spokesperson Rudy Lopez does not think there are signs of foul play involved, declining to comment on what the exact cause of death was without the coroner's official report.

"We're not going to speculate," insisted Lopez. "There will be lots of speculation, especially with him just coming off a competition.

Many figures of the sport, including Urijah Faber and "Big" John McCarthy, shared their sympathies via Twitter.

Camacho was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under the wing of Aloisio Silva. He participated in his final fight at Bellator 106 this past November, losing to Cleber Luciano via unanimous decision.

His professional record in the sport stands at 13-19-3.