UFC Ultimate Fighter alum Dane Sayers dead at 33

Dane Sayers, a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12, has passed away at a young age.

WZFG-1100 AM — a radio station in Sayers’ hometown of Fargo, N.D. — reported on Monday that Sayers (12-4) was pulled out of the Red River. No autopsy results have been revealed yet. A family member confirmed to MMA Junkie that Sayers passed away over the weekend.

“It is with a heavy heart we announce the tragic passing of Dane Sayers,” a family member said in a statement sent to MMA Fighting. “Nicknamed ‘Red Horse’ for his proud Native roots, Dane is known to combat sports around the world for his successful mixed martial arts career. Dane’s record as a professional MMA combatant is an impressive 12-4. He was introduced to the larger MMA world with his participation on The Ultimate Fighter 12 in 2010.”

Sayers went 1-1 during his run on TUF, submitting Ariel Sexton before losing a decision to Sako Chivitchian. He was coached by Georges St-Pierre opposite Josh Koscheck. He subsequently hit the regional scene, amassing a 5-3 record with his last mixed martial arts (MMA) fight taking place at LFA 38 in April 2018. He most recently fought a bareknuckle boxing match at Ken Shamrock’s inaugural Valor BK event in Sept. 2019.