UFC veteran fighter Josh Samman in a coma - reports

UFC fighter Josh Samman is fighting for his life in hospital after he was found unresponsive at a Florida home. Photo / Facebook

A veteran UFC fighter is in a coma after he was found unconscious at a Florida home alongside his roommate, who has since died.

Josh Samman, 28, is fighting for his life in hospital after he was found unresponsive at an address in Hollywood, Florida, according to local media.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Samman's roommate, Troy Kirkingburg, who is a MMA ring announcer was found alongside the a middleweight fighter and was pronounced dead on his arrival at hospital.

The MMA fighting community was left reeling at the shocking discovery.

"There are so many people in town here who were inspired to get into this sport because of Josh," Sky Rudloe, 36, a fellow MMA fighter and owner of the gym in Tallahassee where Samman worked out, told the Tallahassee Democrat.

"We are just sitting here with held breath hoping for the best and praying. It kind of hit us all right in the teeth."

"There's not enough good stuff to say about the both of them," Rudloe added.
The details of what happened are still unclear but the paper was told by bloggers and friends that Samman and Kirkingburg were found by emergency responders early on Friday morning.

Samman has had a troubled past. He was forced to leave the sport after nearly losing his leg aged 21 after he pulled a muscle and suffered a blood clot.

He made a comeback but was hit by tragedy again three years ago when his girlfriend, Hailey Bevis, died in a car crash while the two were texting.

In a memoir written after her death he spoke about how grief had led to drug use and suicidal thoughts.

Meanwhile, Kirkingburg's fiance, Charlene Cristobal, said told the Tallahassee Democrat that his death had left her heartbroken.

"I am extremely heartbroken over the loss of the man who will always be the love of my life," Ms Cristobal said.

Fellow ringside announcer Christopher J. Rothstein posted on Facebook that the news had left him feeling "kind of numb".

"Hard to think about the situation without tears coming to my eyes," he wrote on his Facebook page.

UFC officials told MMAWeekly.com, "We are aware of (Samman's) hospitalisation and have been in communication with his management."