Report: UFC veteran Corey Hill dead at 36 following battle with pneumonia (Updated)

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender, Corey Hill, reportedly passed away earlier today (Thurs., May 14, 2015) following his battle with pneumonia.

That was according to a report by none other than UFC.com:

The UFC family mourns the tragic loss of Corey Hill, who passed away on May 14 due to complications from pneumonia at the age of 36. Fans will remember Corey for his time as a lightweight competitor who fought multiple times for the organization in 2008 and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter season 5. UFC sends its condolences to the family and friends of Corey Hill.

Hill's wife, however, says otherwise.

Corey Hill is still alive. Statement from his wife via @TMZ: "My husband is fighting for his life. We want him in everyone's prayers."

— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) May 14, 2015

UFC pulled its report shortly after 8 p.m. ET.

Corey burst onto the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene during season five of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) as a member of Jens Pulver's team. After the show, Hill went on to compete inside the Octagon three times tallying up a 1-2 record.

Hill, 36, sustained a catastrophic leg injury (see it) during his fight against Dale Hartt at UFC Fight Night 16: "Fight for the Troops" at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, back in 2008.

Despite the setback, Hill bounced back and went on to fight 11 more times on the regional circuit, including an impressive win over Muay Thai specialist, Kit Cope, in 2010. After Anderson Silva suffered a similar injury inside the Octagon, Hill was quick to offer up some encouraging words to "The Spider."

We will continue to update you on this story as new information becomes available.